1 Corinthians 7
7
About Marriage
1Now I will discuss the things you wrote to me about. It is good for a man not to marry. 2But sexual immorality is a danger. So each man should have his own wife. And each woman should have her own husband. 3The husband should give his wife all that she should have as his wife. And the wife should give her husband all that he should have as her husband. 4The wife does not have power over her own body. Her husband has the power over her body. And the husband does not have power over his own body. His wife has the power over his body. 5Do not refuse to give your bodies to each other. But you might both agree to stay away from intimate relations for a time. You might do this so that you can give your time to prayer. Then come together again. This is so that Satan cannot tempt you in your weakness. 6I say this to give you permission. It is not a command. 7I wish 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 single as I am. 9But if they cannot control their bodies, then they should marry. It is better to marry than to burn with lust.
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 go back to her husband. Also the husband should not divorce his wife.
12For all the others I say this (I am saying this, not the Lord): A brother in Christ might have a wife who is not a believer. If she will live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And a woman might have a husband who is not a believer. If he will 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, then your children would not be clean. But now your children are holy.
15But if the person who is not a believer decides to leave, let him leave. When this happens, the brother or sister in Christ is free. God called us# Some Greek copies read “you.” to a life of peace. 16Wives, maybe you will save your husband; and husbands, maybe you will save your wife. You do not know now what will happen later.
Live As God Called You
17But each one should continue to live the way God has given him to live—the way he was when God called him. This is a rule I make in all the churches. 18If a man was already circumcised when he was called, he should not change 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 circumcised. The important thing is obeying God’s commands. 20Each one should stay the way he was when God called him. 21If you were a slave when God called you, do not let that bother you. But if you can be free, then become free. 22The person who was a slave when the Lord called him is free in the Lord. He belongs to the Lord. In the same way, the one who was free when he was called is now Christ’s slave. 23You all were bought for a price. So do not become slaves of men. 24Brothers, in your new life with God each one of you should continue the way you were when you were called.
Questions About Getting Married
25Now I write about people who are not married. I have no command from the Lord about this, but I give my opinion. And I can be trusted, because the Lord has given me mercy. 26This is a time of trouble. So I think that it is good for you to stay the way you are. 27If you have a wife, then do not try to become free from her. If you are not married, then do not try to find a wife. 28But if you decide to marry, this is not a sin. And it is not a sin for a girl who has never married to get married. But those who marry will have trouble in this life. And I want you to be free from this trouble.
29Brothers, this is what I mean: We do not have much time left. So starting now, those who have wives should use their time to serve the Lord as if they had no wives. 30Those who are sad should live as if they are not sad. Those who are happy should live as if they are 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 those things are not important to them. You should live like this, because this world, the way it is now, 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. He is trying to please the Lord. 33But a man who is married is busy with things of the world. He is 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 give herself fully—body and soul—to the Lord. But a married woman is busy with things of the world. She is trying to please her husband. 35I am saying this to help you. I am not trying to limit you. But I want you to live in the right way. And I want you to give yourselves fully to the Lord without giving your time to other things.
36A man might think that he is not doing the right thing with the girl he is engaged to. The girl might be almost past the best age to marry. So he might feel that he should marry her. He should do what he wants. They should get married. It is no sin. 37But another man might be more sure in his mind. There may be no need for marriage, so he is free to do what he wants. If he has decided in his own heart not to marry, he is doing the right thing. 38So the man who marries his girl does right. And the man who does not marry does even better.
39A woman must stay with her husband as long as he lives. If the 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, and I believe that I have God’s Spirit.
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1 Corinthians 7: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
1 Corinthians 7
7
1Now about what you wrote to me: “It's good not to marry.”#7:1. It seems that some in Corinth were single and the church was writing to ask if this was permissible. 2However, because of the temptation to sexual immorality, it is better that each man have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should meet his wife's sexual needs, and the wife her husband's. 4The wife's body doesn't just belong to her, but her husband; and similarly the husband's body doesn't just belong to him but his wife. 5So don't deprive each other, except by mutual consent for a while—for example because you want to spend time in prayer. Afterwards come together again so that Satan won't tempt you to sin because of your lack of self-control. 6I'm telling you this not as a command, but as a concession. 7However, I wish that everyone was like me, but each person has their own gift from God—one has this gift, one has another. 8To those who are not yet married, or who are widowed, I would say it is better if they remain like me. 9But if they lack self-control, then they should get married—for it is better to marry than burn with desire.
10These are my instructions to those who are married—in fact not from me but the Lord: The wife should not leave her husband 11(or if she does, she should not remarry, or she should return to her husband); and the husband should not leave his wife.#7:11. One particular problem in the early church was of one spouse becoming Christian, and how then to relate to the non-Christian spouse. This seems to be what is addressed here. 12Now, to the rest of you (and this is me speaking, not the Lord), I would say, If a Christian man has a non-Christian wife and she is willing to stay with him, he should not leave her. 13And if a Christian woman has a non-Christian husband, and he is willing to stay with her, she should not leave her husband.
14For a husband who is not a Christian, the marriage relationship is made holy by the Christian wife, and for a wife who is not a Christian, the marriage relationship is made holy by the Christian husband.#7:14. Paul is not saying here that being married to a Christian the non-Christian spouse therefore becomes a Christian or experiences salvation. He is concerned to address the issue that by being married to a non-Christian spouse in some way “defiles” the marriage or the Christian in the relationship. That this is the real issue is made clear concerning children of such a marriage—they are also not “impure” but they are “holy,” and this is not any reference to the actual spiritual state of the children. Otherwise it would mean your children were impure, but now they are holy. 15However, if the non-Christian spouse leaves, let them leave. In such cases the Christian man or woman is not slavishly bound, for God has called us to live in peace. 16Wives, who knows? You may save your husband! Husbands, who knows? You may save your wife!
17Apart from such cases, each of you should remain in the situation that the Lord has placed you, and continue to live the life to which God has called you. That's my instruction to all the churches. 18Were you circumcised when you were converted? Don't become uncircumcised. Were you uncircumcised when you were converted? Don't become circumcised. 19Circumcision doesn't mean anything, and uncircumcision doesn't mean anything. Keeping the commandments of God is what really matters. 20Everyone should remain in the position they were in when they were called.#7:20. “Called”—in other words, conversion. 21If you were a slave when you were called, don't worry—though if you have an opportunity to become free, take it. 22If you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free, working for the Lord. In the same way if you were called when you were free, you are now Christ's slave! 23A price has been paid for you, so don't become a slave to anyone. 24Brothers and sisters, remain in the position you were in when you were called, living with God.
25Now about “people who are not married,”#7:25. Literally, “virgins.” Paul here continues discussing the issues that the Corinthian church has raised. See 7:1. I don't have a specific instruction from the Lord, so let me give you my opinion as someone who by the Lord's mercy is considered trustworthy. 26Because of the present difficult situation we are in I think it is best to just stay as you are. 27Are you already married? Don't try to get divorced. Are you unmarried? Don't look to get married. 28If you do get married, you haven't sinned. If an unmarried woman gets married, she hasn't sinned. But you will have many troubles in this current world and I would want to spare you these. 29I'm telling you, brothers and sisters, that time is short, and from now on for those who are married it may seem as if they are not married, 30and those who weep as if they did not weep, and those that celebrated as if they had not celebrated, and those that bought as if they did not own, 31and those who are engaged with the world as if it is not fulfilling—for the present world order is passing away.#7:31. In this long sentence Paul indicates that even marriage must be related to contemporary events (“time is short”). Living under persecution, expecting the end of all things, means that even marriage is viewed differently, along with everything else.
32I would prefer you to be free from such worries. A man who is not married pays attention to what is important to the Lord, and how he can please the Lord. 33But a man who is married pays attention to what is important in this world, and how he can please his wife. 34As a result his loyalties are divided. Similarly an unmarried woman or girl pays attention to what is important to the Lord, so she may live a life dedicated both in body and spirit. But a married woman pays attention to what is important in this world, and how she can please her husband. 35I'm telling you this for your benefit. I'm not trying to put a noose around your neck, but to show you the right thing to do so you can serve the Lord without being distracted.
36But if a man thinks he's behaving improperly with the woman he's engaged to, and if he thinks he will give in to his strong sexual desire, and if he thinks he ought to get married, he is not sinning by getting married. 37But if a man stays true to his principles, and there is no obligation to marry, and if he has the power to keep his feelings under control and stay engaged to her, he does well not to marry. 38So the man who marries the woman he's engaged to does well, while the one who does not get married does better.
39A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies,#7:39. The word used here means “to fall asleep,” the usual New Testament expression for death. she is free to marry anyone she wants in the Lord.#7:39. Meaning it must be a marriage between two Christians. 40But in my opinion she would be happier if she didn't remarry—and I think I too have the Spirit of God when I say this.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com