1 Corinthians (1 Co) 7
7
1Now to deal with the questions you wrote about: “Is it good for a man to keep away from women?” 2Well, because of the danger of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should give his wife what she is entitled to in the marriage relationship, and the wife should do the same for her husband. 4The wife is not in charge of her own body, but her husband is; likewise, the husband is not in charge of his own body, but his wife is. 5Do not deprive each other, except for a limited time, by mutual agreement, and then only so as to have extra time for prayer; but afterwards, come together again. Otherwise, because of your lack of self-control, you may succumb to the Adversary’s temptation. 6I am giving you this as a suggestion, not as a command. 7Actually, I wish everyone were like me; but each has his own gift from God, one this, another that.
8Now to the single people and the widows I say that it is fine if they remain unmarried like me; 9but if they can’t exercise self-control, they should get married; because it is better to get married than to keep burning with sexual desire.
10To those who are married I have a command, and it is not from me but from the Lord: a woman is not to separate herself from her husband 11But if she does separate herself, she is to remain single or be reconciled with her husband. Also, a husband is not to leave his wife.
12To the rest I say — I, not the Lord: if any brother has a wife who is not a believer, and she is satisfied to go on living with him, he should not leave her. 13Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband who is satisfied to go on living with her, she is not to leave him. 14For the unbelieving husband has been set aside for God by the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been set aside for God by the brother — otherwise your children would be “unclean,” but as it is, they are set aside for God. 15But if the unbelieving spouse separates himself, let him be separated. In circumstances like these, the brother or sister is not enslaved — God has called you to a life of peace. 16For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
17Only let each person live the life the Lord has assigned him and live it in the condition he was in when God called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the congregations. 18Was someone already circumcised when he was called? Then he should not try to remove the marks of his circumcision. Was someone uncircumcised when he was called? He shouldn’t undergo b’rit-milah. 19Being circumcised means nothing, and being uncircumcised means nothing; what does mean something is keeping God’s commandments. 20Each person should remain in the condition he was in when he was called.
21Were you a slave when you were called? Well, don’t let it bother you; although if you can gain your freedom, take advantage of the opportunity. 22For a person who was a slave when he was called is the Lord’s freedman; likewise, someone who was a free man when he was called is a slave of the Messiah. 23You were bought at a price, so do not become slaves of other human beings. 24Brothers, let each one remain with God in the condition in which he was called.
25Now the question about the unmarried: I do not have a command from the Lord, but I offer an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is worthy to be trusted. 26I suppose that in a time of stress like the present it is good for a person to stay as he is. 27That means that if a man has a wife, he should not seek to be free of her; and if he is unmarried, he should not look for a wife. 28But if you marry you do not sin, and if a girl marries she does not sin. It is just that those who get married will have the normal problems of married life, and I would rather spare you. 29What I am saying, brothers, is that there is not much time left: from now on a man with a wife should live as if he had none — 30and those who are sad should live as if they weren’t, those who are happy as if they weren’t, 31and those who deal in worldly affairs as if not engrossed in them — because the present scheme of things in this world won’t last much longer. 32What I want is for you to be free of concern. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord’s affairs, 33with how to please the Lord; but the married man concerns himself with the world’s affairs, with how to please his wife; 34and he finds himself split. Likewise the woman who is no longer married or the girl who has never been married concerns herself with the Lord’s affairs, with how to be holy both physically and spiritually; but the married woman concerns herself with the world’s affairs, with how to please her husband. 35I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to put restrictions on you — I am simply concerned that you live in a proper manner and serve the Lord with undivided devotion.
36Now if a man thinks he is behaving dishonorably by treating his fiancée this way, and if there is strong sexual desire, so that marriage is what ought to happen; then let him do what he wants — he is not sinning: let them get married. 37But if a man has firmly made up his mind, being under no compulsion but having complete control over his will, if he has decided within himself to keep his fiancée a virgin, he will be doing well. 38So the man who marries his fiancée will do well, and the man who doesn’t marry will do better.
39A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives, but if the husband dies she is free to marry anyone she wishes, provided he is a believer in the Lord. 40However, in my opinion, she will be happier if she remains unmarried, and in saying this I think I have God’s Spirit.
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1 Corinthians (1 Co) 7: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish Bible1 Corinthians 7
7
Principles for Marriage
1Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: #ver. 8, 26“It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3#Ex. 21:10The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4For the 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. 5#[Ex. 19:15; 1 Sam. 21:4; Eccles. 3:5; Zech. 12:12-14] Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, #1 Thess. 3:5so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6Now as a concession, #ver. 12, 25; 2 Cor. 8:8; [ver. 10, 40]not a command, I say this.#7:6 Or I say this: 7#[Acts 26:29] I wish that all were #ver. 8; [ch. 9:5] as I myself am. But #ch. 12:4, 11; 1 Pet. 4:10; [Rom. 12:6] each has his own gift from God, #Matt. 19:11, 12one of one kind and one of another.
8To the unmarried and the widows I say that #ver. 1, 26 it is good for them to remain single, #ver. 7as I am. 9But if they cannot exercise self-control, #[1 Tim. 5:14]they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10To the married #See ver. 6 I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): #Mal. 2:16; See Matt. 5:32the wife should not separate from her husband 11(but if she does, #Mark 10:12 she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and #[See ver. 10 above]the husband should not divorce his wife.
12To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. #Ezra 9:2; Mal. 2:15Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you#7:15 Some manuscripts us #Col. 3:15; See Rom. 14:19to peace. 16For how do you know, wife, #1 Pet. 3:1; See Rom. 11:14whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Live as You Are Called
17Only let each person lead the life#7:17 Or each person walk in the way #See Rom. 12:3 that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. #ch. 4:17 This is my rule in #2 Cor. 8:18; 11:28all the churches. 18Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? #Acts 15:1, 5, 19, 24, 28; Gal. 5:2Let him not seek circumcision. 19#Gal. 3:28; 5:6; 6:15; Col. 3:11 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but #See 1 John 2:3keeping the commandments of God. 20#ver. 24Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21Were you a bondservant#7:21 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verses 22 (twice), 23 when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is #[Col. 3:24; Philem. 16]; See John 8:36 a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is #[ch. 9:21; 1 Pet. 2:16]a bondservant of Christ. 23#See ch. 6:20 You were bought with a price; #Lev. 25:42, 55do not become bondservants of men. 24So, brothers,#7:24 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 29 #ver. 20in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
The Unmarried and the Widowed
25Now concerning#7:25 The expression Now concerning introduces a reply to a question in the Corinthians’ letter; see 7:1 the betrothed,#7:25 Greek virgins #See ver. 6 I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as #2 Cor. 4:1; 1 Tim. 1:13, 16 one who by the Lord’s mercy is #ch. 4:2trustworthy. 26I think that in view of the present#7:26 Or impending distress #ver. 1, 8it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman#7:28 Greek virgin; also verse 34 marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 29This is what I mean, brothers: #See Rom. 13:11the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy #2 Cor. 6:10as though they had no goods, 31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For #Ps. 39:6; James 1:10; 1 Pet. 1:24; 4:7; 1 John 2:17the present form of this world is passing away.
32I want you to be #See Matt. 6:25; Luke 10:41 free from anxieties. #[1 Tim. 5:5]The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35I say this for your own benefit, #[Prov. 22:25]not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.
36If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed,#7:36 Greek virgin; also verses 37, 38 if his#7:36 Or her passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. 37But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 38So then he who marries his betrothed #Heb. 13:4does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.
39 #
Rom. 7:2 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only #[2 Cor. 6:14]in the Lord. 40Yet #See ver. 6 in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think #[Acts 15:28]that I too have the Spirit of God.
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