1 Corinthians (1 Co) 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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1 Corinthians 7

Sex and Marriage

1Now for my response concerning the issues you’ve asked me to address. You wrote saying, “It is proper for a man to live in celibacy.” # 7:1 Or “not to marry.” The Aramaic can be translated “It is proper for a husband not to have intimacy with his wife at times.” Paul now responds to a series of questions posed by the church of Corinth. 2Perhaps. But because of the danger of immorality, # 7:2 Or “because of immoralities” or “because of prostitutions.” each husband should have sexual intimacy with his wife and each wife should have sexual intimacy with her husband. 3A husband has the responsibility of meeting the sexual needs of his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. # 7:3 The Aramaic (and a few of the oldest Greek manuscripts) can be translated “The husband should pay back the love he owes to his wife and the wife to her husband.” 4Neither the husband nor the wife have exclusive rights to their own bodies, but those rights are to be surrendered to the other. 5So don’t continue to refuse your spouse those rights, except perhaps by mutual agreement for a specified time so that you can both be devoted to prayer. # 7:5 Some later manuscripts add “and fasting.” And then you should resume your physical pleasure so that the Adversary cannot take advantage of you because of the desires of your body. # 7:5 Or “[lack of] self-control.” 6I’m not giving you a divine command, but my godly advice. # 7:6 Or “concession.” There are at least two ways this could be interpreted: (1) Paul is saying that to be married is advisable but not commanded. This seems the most likely because of v. 7. (2) Paul is referring to the preceding paragraph, especially regarding the advice of abstinence during seasons of prayer. 7I would wish that all of you could live unmarried, just as I do. # 7:7 The Aramaic can be translated “I wish that all humanity lived in purity as I do.” It is possible that Paul was once married and became a widower. Some suggest he had to have been married at the time he persecuted the early church, since only married men could be part of the Sanhedrin and cast a vote. However, there is evidence that some Jewish leaders during his time were committed to celibacy. See Acts 26:10. Yet I understand that we are all decidedly different, with each having a special grace for one thing or another. # 7:7 Both being single and being married require a special grace from God.

8So let me say to the unmarried and those who have lost their spouses, it is fine for you to remain single as I am. 9But if you have no power over your passions, then you should go ahead and marry, for marriage is far better than a continual battle with lust. # 7:9 Or “better than to have a fire ever smoldering within them.”

Divorce

10And to those who are married, I give this charge—which is not mine, but the Lord’s # 7:10 Paul is not stating that there is an opposition between what he says, in his teaching as an apostle, and what the Lord says. He is taking our Lord’s own teaching from Mark 10:5–12 and bringing it to the people. —that the wife should not depart from her husband. 11But if she does, then she should either remain unmarried or reconcile with her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. 12To the rest I say, which is not a saying of the Lord, if a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is content to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is content to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband has been made holy by his believing wife. And the unbelieving wife has been made holy by her believing husband by virtue of his or her sacred union to a believer. # 7:14 Or “The unbelieving husband is made holy because of the wife, and the unbelieving wife because of her husband.” By implication, Paul is making the point that in marriages where one is a believer and one an unbeliever, the spouses should remain together, for the righteous faith of a believer makes the marriage holy. Apparently, because of their desire to serve Christ, some of the Corinthians who had pagan spouses thought it would be best to divorce their spouses and find believing ones. Paul corrects that error and affirms the marriage covenant. Otherwise, the children from this union would be unclean, but in fact, they are holy. # 7:14 In the concepts of the Old Testament, the entire family is in covenant with God. Therefore, the children of even one believing parent are set apart for God. 15But if the unbelieving spouse wants a divorce, then let it be so. In this situation the believing spouse is not bound # 7:15 Or “enslaved.” to the marriage, for God has called us to live in peace.

16And wives, for all you know you could one day lead your husband to salvation. Or husbands, how do you know for sure that you could not one day lead your wife to salvation? # 7:16 Translators are almost equally divided over making this an optimistic possibility versus a pessimistic one. If the pessimistic choice of grammar is chosen, the verse could be translated “Wife, how do you know that you will save your husband? And husband, how do you know that you will save your wife?” Which would infer “It’s no use hanging on to a marriage with no hope of converting the unbelieving spouse, for how do you know it would ever happen?” Though both are possible, this translation has chosen the optimistic possibility.

Living the Life God Has Assigned

17May all believers continue to live the wonderful lives God has called them to live, according to what he assigns for each person, for this is what I teach to believers # 7:17 Or “in all the churches.” everywhere. 18If when you were called to follow Jesus you were circumcised, it would be futile to try to undo the circumcision. And if you were called while yet uncircumcised, there is no need to be circumcised. 19Your identity before God has nothing to do with circumcision or uncircumcision. # 7:19 Or “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.” No doubt this statement was a tremendous shock to the Corinthians. To the Jews it would be earthshaking, for circumcision was the outward sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Paul, as elsewhere, places the emphasis not on outer things but on an inward transformation that longs to please God. What really matters is following God’s commandments. 20So everyone should continue to live faithful in the situation of life in which they were called to follow Jesus. # 7:20 Paul is teaching that no matter what a person’s situation is in life, the real change needed is not just in circumstances, but in a heart that is willing to be faithful to God in all things. We often wish we could be in different circumstances instead of looking for opportunities to serve God where we are. 21Were you a slave when you heard the call to follow Jesus? Don’t let that concern you. Even if you can gain your freedom, make the most of the opportunity. 22For truly, if you are called to a life-union with the Lord, you are already a free man! And those who were called to follow Jesus when they were free are now the Messiah’s slaves. 23Since a great price was paid for your redemption, stop having the mind-set of a slave. 24Brothers and sisters, we must remain in close communion with God, no matter what our situation was when we were first called to follow Jesus.

Instructions to the Single and Widowed

25Now let me address the issue of singleness. # 7:25 Or “virgins.” I must confess, I have no command to give you that comes directly from the Lord. But let me share my thoughts on the matter, as coming from one who has experienced the mercy # 7:25 Or “one who has been mercied.” of the Lord to keep me faithful to him. 26Because of the severe pressure we are in, # 7:26 Or “impending crisis.” Some scholars believe this severe pressure could refer to the great famine of AD 51, while others view it as imminent persecution. I recommend you remain as you are. 27If you are married, stay in the marriage. If you are single, # 7:27 The Aramaic can be translated “If you are divorced, don’t seek marriage.” don’t rush into marriage. 28But if you do get married, you haven’t sinned. # 7:28 Or “If you [men] do get married it is not sin, and if a [female] virgin marries, she hasn’t sinned.” This translation combines both statements with brothers and sisters. It’s just that I would want to spare you the problems you’ll face with the extra challenges of being married.

29My friends, what I mean is this. The urgency of our times mean that from now on, those who have wives should live as though without them. 30And those who weep should forget their tears. And those who rejoice will have no time to celebrate. And those who purchase items will have no time to enjoy them. 31We are to live as those who live in the world but are not absorbed by it, for the world as we know it is quickly passing away. 32Because of this, we need to live as free from anxiety as possible.

For a single man is focused on the things of the Lord and how he may please him. 33But a married man is pulled in two directions, for he is concerned about both the things of God and the things of the world in order to please # 7:33 The Aramaic can be translated “to beautify.” his wife. 34And the single woman is focused on the things of the Lord so she can be holy both in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world and how she may please her husband. 35I am trying to help you and make things easier for you and not make things difficult, but so that you would have undistracted devotion, serving the Lord constantly with an undivided heart.

36However, if a man has decided to serve God as a single person, yet changes his mind and finds himself in love with a woman, although he never intended to marry, let him go ahead and marry her; it is not a sin to do so. # 7:36 This is arguably one of the most difficult verses to translate in all the New Testament. You will find many possible translations and interpretations of this passage, which is loaded with cultural implications for the first-century church. Consulting a variety of translations is recommended. 37On the other hand, if a man stands firm in his heart to remain single, and is under no compulsion to get married but has control over his passions and is determined to remain celibate, he has chosen well. 38So then, the one who marries his fiancée does well and the one who chooses not to marry her does better.

Remarriage

39A wife is bound by the marriage covenant as long as her husband is living. But if the husband dies, she is free to marry again as she desires—but, of course, he should be a believer in the Lord. 40However, in my opinion (and I think that I too have the Spirit of God), she would be happier if she remained single.

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