1 Corinthians 7
7
Marriage and its ideal
1Yes, my brethren, it is a good thing for both man and woman to be above all sexual intercourse. You wrote and asked me if that were good, and I answer yes. 2-3But marriage exists to prevent fornication. It is a step towards chastity. The ideal is to rise above all physical union of the sexes. Perfect chastity is a higher condition than the married state, and the intercourse of married persons, of husband and wife, is condoned and allowed, not commanded. I would that all men had reached the condition with regard to these questions that the spirit has conferred as a gift on me; but, as it is, we must have marriage, and those that are married must follow its rules. 4Husbands and wives, you are not masters of your own bodies. Each must do as the other has a right to demand in this important matter, 5-7and if by mutual consent you abstain from it altogether for a time, giving yourselves more thoroughly to prayer, and guarding against the entry of the spirit of evil through the avenue of indulgence, that is the best rule to observe.
Constancy in the truth
8-9Now whether married or unmarried, my advice is — remain as you were when God first called you into the truth. 10-13If married, do not seek separation. Husband and wife may not both be in the faith, nevertheless if the one to whom the truth has not yet come is agreeable to remain with the other, there should be no thought of separation. 14Both will be sanctified by the presence of the truth in the household, and likewise the children also, and who knows? probably the one that has faith will save the other. 15-16But if you were unmarried or widowed when the truth first came to you, then my advice is — do not change your state. Be as I am — and live a life of total abstinence from the claims of the body in this direction. But if this is beyond you, then marry; marriage is far better than unsuccessful efforts at this form of self-mastery. Now all this is only an expression of my own opinion, but the following is a commandment to all married persons. Let neither husband nor wife seek separation; or if they must be separated, let neither marry again whilst the other lives, but let them rather, if possible, be once more reconciled. That is the Lord’s expressed command and no matter of opinion.
In other matters also
17Further, in other matters besides marriage, I enjoin the same rule as that which I have just explained. 18After the truth has come to you, make no outward change in your manner of life, that is to say, in such matters as the circumcision or uncircumcision. 19-20Let it not make the slightest difference what you were before you received the truth, for in the truth these differences are seen to be nothing, so remain as you always were in this matter. For the keeping of God’s commandments is all that matters. 21Similarly, if you were a slave when called, do not seek to obtain manumission, but even prefer to continue in the old calling. 22-23You know now that you are Christ’s freedman and bought out of slavery at a heavy price. That freedom is everything, for those that were of free birth when called are now the slaves of Christ. Let then neither bond nor free be in spirit the slaves of men; that is all the faith demands; 24in outward respects remain as you were.
Chastity a noble thing
25Some are married when called into the faith; some have had wives, but have put them away; some are unmarried, and have never been married and have on no occasion indulged the sexual impulse, but are virgins. 26To all these I repeat the same advice. Stay as you are, as you were before God called you; 27-28and this even applies to the last class, those who have never known sexual intercourse. To these I would give no definite command, and yet even here, I will give my opinion, and I will give it with the consciousness that in this matter I have been faithful myself, or rather that God in His infinite mercy has taken pity on the weakness of my flesh, and made me by His own power firm and trustworthy in the matter. Well, my opinion is that perfect chastity, abstention from marriage and all sexual intercourse is a noble thing in a man, 29-31and the reason of that is that the world is changing, the end of the old order is near, and the doom of the physical approaches. We are called to attend to something higher than marriage and its cares. The whole outward form and manner of the universe is changing and passing away. Marriages, feastings, funerals, business and worldly matters may continue, but the time is short. Rise above them, and be as if they were not, even though you take part in them. 32I would have you without such cares; 33and you know that a married man thinks of his wife 34and cares about his business and the world for her sake, whilst the unmarried man or woman who lives a virgin life is free to dedicate that life to the Lord. 35But of course, if such an one, who has never touched a woman, elect to marry, he does so with good conscience, sinning not; only such persons, whether male or female, will find that their physical appetite puts obstacles and trials in their way, the details of which I spare you. 36Of course, if a man is not certain in his own mind, if he has lingering regrets that he has never used this important function of mortal man, let him marry by all means, he does no wrong thereby. 37But if he is certain, if he has clearly determined that to live and die a virgin is for him the best course of all, then let him keep his resolution, and he will do well by it. 38It will be the best and greatest course of all, though he who marries may rightly be congratulated on so doing. 39Lastly, a wife of course is bound to her husband for his life-time only — if he dies, she is free to marry again, but let her second choice not be one of the heathen, but one who belongs to the faith. 40But, as I said before, I believe it to be better that she marry not again, but remain a widow, and in so saying I believe that my sense in this matter is governed by the Spirit of God.
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Translated in 1916, published in 1937.
1 Corinthians 7
7
Teaching on Marriage
1Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man #7:1 Prob. referring to abstinencenot to touch a woman. 2But because of sexual immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise the wife also to her husband. 4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise the husband also does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5#7:5 Or do not depriveStop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and #7:5 Lit become together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6But this I say by way of concession, not of command. 7#7:7 One early ms ForYet I wish that all #7:7 Or peoplemen were even as I myself am. However, each has his own gift from God, one in this way, and another in that.
8But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 9But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife is not to leave her husband 11(but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband is not to #7:11 Or leave his wifedivorce his wife.
12But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, he must not #7:12 Or leave herdivorce her. 13And #7:13 One early ms any woman who hasif any woman has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not #7:13 Or leave her husbanddivorce her husband. 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through #7:14 Lit the brotherher believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 15Yet if the unbelieving one is leaving, #7:15 Or then he must leavelet him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called #7:15 One early ms youus in 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, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this way let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches. 18Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God. 20Each person is to remain in that #7:20 Lit callingstate in which he was called.
21Were you called as a slave? Do not let it concern you. But if you are also able to become free, take advantage of that. 22For the one who was called in the Lord as a slave, is the Lord’s freed person; likewise the one who was called as free, is Christ’s slave. 23You were bought for a price; do not become slaves of people. 24Brothers and sisters, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.
25Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I am offering direction as one who #7:25 Lit has been shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthyby the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. 26I think, then, that this is good in view of the #7:26 Or impendingpresent distress, that it is good for a man #7:26 Lit so to beto 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. 28But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such people as yourselves will have #7:28 Lit tribulation in the fleshtrouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. 29But this I say, brothers, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; 30and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; 31and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the present form of this world is passing away.
32But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35I say this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but #7:35 Lit for what is seemlyto promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
36But if anyone thinks that he is acting dishonorably toward his virgin, if she is #7:36 Or past pubertypast her youth and it ought to be so, let him do what he wishes, he is not sinning; let #7:36 I.e., the woman and her betrothed or fiancéthem marry. 37But the one who stands firm in his heart, #7:37 Lit having no necessityif he is not under constraint, but has authority #7:37 Lit pertaining toover his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin, he will do well. 38So then, both the one who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and the one who does not give her in marriage will do better.
39A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband #7:39 Lit falls asleepdies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 40But in my opinion she is #7:40 Or more fortunatehappier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
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