1 Corinthians 7
7
Concerning Marriage
1Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” # 1Co 7:8 2Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. # 1Co 7:9 3Let the husband render to the wife due affection, # Ex 21:10; 1Pe 3:7 and likewise the wife to the husband. 4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer. # Ex 19:15; 1Sa 21:4–5 Then come together again, so that Satan does not tempt you for lack of self-control. 6I speak this as a concession and not as a command. # 1Co 7:12; 2Co 8:8 7For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But every man has his proper gift from God, one after this manner and another after that. # Mt 19:11–12; 1Co 9:5
8I say to the unmarried and widows that it is good for them if they live even as I am. # 1Co 7:1 9But if they cannot restrain themselves, let them marry. # 1Co 7:2; 1Ti 5:14 For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10Now to the married I command, not I, but the Lord, do not let the wife depart from her husband. # Mal 2:14–16; Mt 5:32; Lk 16:18 11But if she departs, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And do not let the husband divorce his wife.
12To the rest I speak, not the Lord: # 1Co 7:6; 2Co 11:17 If any brother has an unbelieving wife who consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13And if the woman has an unbelieving husband who consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean. But now they are holy.
15But if the unbeliever departs, let that one depart. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called us to peace. # Ro 14:19; 1Co 14:33 16For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? # Ro 11:14
Living in the Calling of God
17But as God has given to every man and as the Lord has called every man, so let him walk. This I command in all churches. # 1Co 4:17; 2Co 11:28 18Is any man called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Is any man called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. # Ac 15:5, 19 19Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God is everything. # Gal 5:6; 6:15 20Let each man remain in the same condition in which he was called.
21Were you called while a servant? Do not worry about it. But if you may become free, do so. 22For he who is called in the Lord while a servant is the Lord’s freeman. # Phm 16 Likewise, he who is called while free is Christ’s servant. # 1Pe 2:16 23You were bought at a price. Do not be the servants of men. # Lev 25:42; 1Co 6:20 24Brothers, let every man, in whatever condition he is called, remain there with God. # 1Co 7:20
The Unmarried and Widows
25Now concerning those not having married, # 7:25 Gk virgins. I have no command from the Lord. # 1Co 7:6 Yet I will give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful. # 1Co 4:2 26I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. # 1Co 7:1, 8 27Are you committed to a wife? Do not seek to be uncommitted. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28But if you marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless they will have trouble in this life, but I would spare you that.
29But this I say, brothers, the time is short. # Ro 13:11–12 It remains that those who have wives should be as though they had none; 30those who weep, as though they did not weep; those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; those who buy, as though they possessed nothing; 31and those who use this world, as though they did not make full use of it. # 1Co 9:18 For the form of this world is passing away. # Ps 39:6; 1Jn 2:17
32But I prefer that you have no concern. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. # 1Ti 5:5 33But he who is married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. 34There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.
36If any man thinks that he is behaving improperly toward his unmarried woman, # 7:36 Or virgin daughter and if she is past the bloom of her youth, and passions so require, let him do what he will. He does not sin. Let them marry. 37Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart without necessity, and has power over his own will, and has so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well. 38So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who gives her not in marriage does better. # Heb 13:4
39The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband lives. But if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will, # Ro 7:2–3; 1Co 7:15 but only in the Lord. 40But in my judgment she is happier if she so remains as she is. And I think that I have the Spirit of God.
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.
1 Corinthians 7
7
About Marriage
1Now I will discuss the things you wrote me about. It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. 2But because sexual sin is a danger, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. 3The husband should give his wife all that he owes her as his wife. And the wife should give her husband all that she owes him as her husband. 4The wife does not have full rights over her own body; her husband shares them. And the husband does not have full rights over his own body; his wife shares them. 5Do not refuse to give your bodies to each other, unless you both agree to stay away from sexual relations for a time so you can give your time to prayer. Then come together again so Satan cannot tempt you because of a lack of self-control. 6I say this to give you permission to stay away from sexual relations for a time. It is not a command to do so. 7I wish that everyone were like me, but each person has his own gift from God. One has one gift, another has another gift.
8Now for those who are not married and for the widows I say this: It is good for them to stay unmarried as I am. 9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry. It is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.
10Now I give this command for the married people. (The command is not from me; it is from the Lord.) A wife should not leave her husband. 11But if she does leave, she must not marry again, or she should make up with her husband. Also the husband should not divorce his wife.
12For all the others I say this (I am saying this, not the Lord): If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer, and she is happy to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer, and he is happy to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14The husband who is not a believer is made holy through his believing wife. And the wife who is not a believer is made holy through her believing husband. If this were not true, your children would not be clean, but now your children are holy.
15But if those who are not believers decide to leave, let them leave. When this happens, the Christian man or woman is free. But God called us to live in peace. 16Wife, you don’t know; maybe you will save your husband. And husband, you don’t know; maybe you will save your wife.
Live as God Called You
17But in any case each one of you should continue to live the way God has given you to live—the way you were when God called you. This is a rule I make in all the churches. 18If a man was already circumcised when he was called, he should not undo his circumcision. If a man was without circumcision when he was called, he should not be circumcised. 19It is not important if a man is circumcised or not. The important thing is obeying God’s commands. 20Each one of you should stay the way you were when God called you. 21If you were a slave when God called you, do not let that bother you. But if you can be free, then make good use of your freedom. 22Those who were slaves when the Lord called them are free persons who belong to the Lord. In the same way, those who were free when they were called are now Christ’s slaves. 23You all were bought at a great price, so do not become slaves of people. 24Brothers and sisters, each of you should stay as you were when you were called, and stay there with God.
Questions About Getting Married
25Now I write about people who are not married. I have no command from the Lord about this; I give my opinion. But I can be trusted, because the Lord has shown me mercy. 26The present time is a time of trouble, so I think it is good for you to stay the way you are. 27If you have a wife, do not try to become free from her. If you are not married, do not try to find a wife. 28But if you decide to marry, you have not sinned. And if a girl who has never married decides to marry, she has not sinned. But those who marry will have trouble in this life, and I want you to be free from trouble.
29Brothers and sisters, this is what I mean: We do not have much time left. So starting now, those who have wives should live as if they had no wives. 30Those who are crying should live as if they were not crying. Those who are happy should live as if they were not happy. Those who buy things should live as if they own nothing. 31Those who use the things of the world should live as if they were not using them, because this world in its present form will soon be gone.
32I want you to be free from worry. A man who is not married is busy with the Lord’s work, trying to please the Lord. 33But a man who is married is busy with things of the world, trying to please his wife. 34He must think about two things—pleasing his wife and pleasing the Lord. A woman who is not married or a girl who has never married is busy with the Lord’s work. She wants to be holy in body and spirit. But a married woman is busy with things of the world, as to how she can please her husband. 35I am saying this to help you, not to limit you. But I want you to live in the right way, to give yourselves fully to the Lord without concern for other things.
36If a man thinks he is not doing the right thing with the girl he is engaged to, if she is almost past the best age to marry and he feels he should marry her, he should do what he wants. They should get married. It is no sin. 37But if a man is sure in his mind that there is no need for marriage, and has his own desires under control, and has decided not to marry the one to whom he is engaged, he is doing the right thing. 38So the man who marries his girl does right, but the man who does not marry will do better.
39A woman must stay with her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry any man she wants, but she must marry another believer. 40The woman is happier if she does not marry again. This is my opinion, but I believe I also have God’s Spirit.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.