1 Corinthians 7
7
Principles of Marriage
1Now in response to the matters you wrote#7:1 Other mss add to me about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”#7:1 Or “It is good for a man not to use a woman for sex”; lit “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” 2But because sexual immorality is so common,#7:2 Lit because of immoralities#1Th 4:3 each man should have sexual relations with his own wife,#Mt 1:6; 1Pt 3:1 and each woman should have sexual relations with her own husband. 3A husband should fulfill his marital duty#Rm 13:7 to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. 4A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. 5Do not deprive#Mk 10:19 one another — except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to#7:5 Other mss add fasting and to prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all people were as I am. But each has his own gift#2Co 1:11 from God, one person has this gift, another has that.
A Word to the Unmarried
8I say to the unmarried#7:8 Or widowers and to widows:#Jms 1:27 It is good for them if they remain as I am. 9But if they do not have self-control,#1Co 9:25 they should marry, since it is better to marry#1Tm 5:14 than to burn with desire.
About Married People
10To the married I give this command#1Tm 5:14 — not I, but the Lord — a wife is not to leave#7:10 Or separate from, or divorce her husband. 11But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband — and a husband is not to divorce his wife.#Dt 22:19 12But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother#Ac 9:30 has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. 14For the unbelieving husband is made holy#Lk 11:2 by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband.#7:14 Lit the brother Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you#7:15 Other mss read us to live in peace. 16Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.#7:16 Or Wife, how do you know that you will save your husband? Husband, how do you know that you will save your wife?
Various Situations of Life
17Let each one live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called#Col 3:15 him.#7:17 Lit called each This is what I command in all the churches. 18Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. 19Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter. Keeping God’s commands is what matters. 20Let each of you remain in the situation#7:20 Lit in the calling in which he was called. 21Were you called while a slave? Don’t let it concern you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.#7:21 Or But even though you can become free, make the most of your position as a slave 22For he who is called by the Lord as a slave#Rm 1:1; 2Tm 2:24 is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave. 23You were bought#2Pt 2:1 at a price; do not become slaves of people. 24Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.
About the Unmarried and Widows
25Now about virgins:#7:25 Or betrothed, or those not yet married I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy#Mt 5:7; Mk 5:19; Lk 1:50 is faithful.#Nm 12:7 26Because of the present distress, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28However, if you do get married,#1Tm 5:14 you have not sinned, and if a virgin#7:28 Or betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life,#7:28 Lit in the flesh and I am trying to spare you.
29This is what I mean, brothers and sisters: The time is limited,#Rm 13:11 so from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none, 30those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice#Php 1:18 as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they didn’t own anything, 31and those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it. For this world in its current form is passing away.#Mk 13:7; 1Jn 2:8
32I want you to be without concerns. The unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord — how he may please#1Th 4:1 the Lord. 33But the married man is concerned about the things of the world — how he may please his wife — 34and his interests are divided. The unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord,#1Tm 5:5 so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about the things of the world — how she may please her husband. 35I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but to promote what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.
36If any man thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, if she is getting beyond the usual age for marriage, and he feels he should marry — he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; they can get married. 37But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will#Jn 1:13) and has decided in his heart to keep her as his fiancée, will do well. 38So, then, he who marries his fiancée does well, but he who does not marry will do better.#7:36–38Or 36 If any man thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin daughter, if she is getting beyond the usual age for marriage, and he feels she should marry — he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; she can get married. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will) and has decided in his heart to keep his own virgin daughter will do well. 38 So then he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, but he who does not give his own virgin daughter in marriage will do better.
39A wife is bound#7:39 Other mss add by law as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants — only in the Lord. 40But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
1 Corinthians 7
7
Counsel About Marriage
1Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2But because of much immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3Let the husband fulfill his obligation to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4The wife does not have the rights to her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband does not have the rights to his own body, but the wife.
5Do not deprive one another—except by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6But this I say as a concession, not as a command.
7Yet I wish that all men were like me. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this way and another that.
8But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them to remain as I am.
9But if they do not have self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with desire.
10But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—a wife is not to be separated from her husband
11(but if she gets separated, let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband is not to divorce his wife.
12But to the rest I say—I, not the Lord—if any brother has a wife who is not a believer, and she agrees to live with him, he must not divorce her.
13And if any woman has a husband who is not a believer, and he agrees to live with her, she must not divorce him.
14For the unbelieving husband is made holy through the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
15But if the unbeliever separates, let him be separated. The brother or the sister is not bound in such cases, but God has called you to shalom.
16For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Remain As You Were Called
17Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, let him walk in this way. I give this rule in all of Messiah’s communities.
18Was anyone called when he already had been circumcised? Let him not make himself uncircumcised. Has anyone been called while uncircumcised? Let him not allow himself to be circumcised.
19Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing—but keeping God’s commandments matters.
20Let each one remain in the calling in which he was called.
21Were you called as a slave? Don’t let that bother you—but if indeed you can become free, make the most of the opportunity.
22For the one who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise the one who was called while free is Messiah’s slave.
23You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
24Brothers and sisters, let each one—in whatever way he was called—remain that way with God.
25Now concerning virgins I have no command from the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.
26I think then, because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is.
27Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek a divorce. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife.
28But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such people will have trouble in this fleshly life, and I am trying to spare you.
29But this I say, brothers and sisters—the time is short. From now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;
30and those who weep, as though not weeping; and those who rejoice, as though not rejoicing; and those who buy, as though not possessing;
31and those who use the world, as though not using it to the fullest. For the present form of this world is passing away.
32But I want you to be free from cares. An unmarried man cares about the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord;
33but the married man cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife—
34and he is divided. The unmarried woman, as well as the virgin, cares about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.
35Now I say this for your own benefit—not to put a restraint on you, but to promote proper and constant service to the Lord without distraction.
36But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if the time is ripe and it is meant to be, let him do what he decides. He does not sin. Let them marry.
37But he who stands firm in his heart—who has no pressure, but has power over his own will and has so determined in his own heart to keep her a virgin—he will do well.
38So then both he who marries the virgin does well, and he who doesn’t marry her does better.
39A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wishes—only in the Lord.
40But in my judgment she is happier if she stays as she is—and I also think that I have the Ruach Elohim.
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