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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1 Corinthians 7: GWC
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Translated in 1916, published in 1937.
1 Corinthians 7
7
1 Corinthians 7
Directions concerning Marriage
1Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” 2But because of cases of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3#1 Pet 3.7The husband should give to his wife what is due her 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, 5; 1 Thess 3.5Do not deprive one another except perhaps by agreement for a set time, to devote yourselves to prayer,#7.5 Other ancient authorities read fasting and prayer and then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6#2 Cor 8.8This I say by way of concession, not of command. 7#v 8; Mt 19.12; 1 Cor 9.5; 12.11I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind.
8 #
vv 1, 26
To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain unmarried as I am. 9#1 Tim 5.14But if they are not practicing self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.
10 #
Mal 2.14; Mt 5.32; 19.3–9; Mk 10.11; Lk 16.18 To the married I give this command—not I but the Lord—that the wife should not separate from her husband 11(but if she does separate, let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband) and that the husband should not divorce his wife.
12 #
v 6
; 2 Cor 11.17To the rest I say—I and 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. 13And if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce the husband. 14#Mal 2.15For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother.#7.14 Other ancient authorities read husband Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15#Rom 14.19; 1 Cor 14.33But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. It is to peace that God has called us.#7.15 Other ancient authorities read you 16#1 Pet 3.1Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.
The Life that the Lord Has Assigned
17 #
Rom 12.3; 1 Cor 4.17; 14.33; 2 Cor 8.18; 11.28 However that may be, let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God called you. This is my rule in all the churches. 18#Acts 15.1, 2Was 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? Let him not seek circumcision. 19#Rom 2.25; Gal 5.6; 6.15Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but obeying the commandments of God is everything. 20#v 24Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called.
21Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make the most of it.#7.21 Meaning of Gk uncertain 22#Jn 8.32, 36; Eph 6.6; Philem 16For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave belonging to Christ. 23#1 Cor 6.20You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of humans. 24In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God.
The Unmarried and the Widows
25 #
2 Cor 8.8, 10; 1 Tim 1.13, 16 Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26#vv 1, 8I think that, in view of the impending#7.26 Or present crisis,#7.26 Or necessity it is good for you to remain as you are. 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 marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will experience distress in the flesh, and I would spare you that. 29#v 31; Rom 13.11, 12I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be 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 as though they had no possessions, 31#1 Cor 9.18; 1 Jn 2.17and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
32 #
1 Tim 5.5
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord, 33but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, 34#Lk 10.40and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin are anxious about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit, but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband. 35I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.
36If anyone thinks that he is behaving indecently toward his fiancée,#7.36 Gk virgin if his passions are strong and so it has to be, let him marry as he wishes; it is no sin. Let them marry. 37But if someone stands firm in his resolve, being under no necessity but having his own desire under control, and has determined in his own mind to keep her as his fiancée,#7.37 Gk virgin he will do well. 38So then, he who marries his fiancée#7.38 Gk virgin does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do better.
39 #
Rom 7.2; 2 Cor 6.14 A wife is bound as long as her husband lives. But if the husband dies,#7.39 Gk falls asleep she is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord. 40But in my opinion she is more blessed if she remains as she is. And I think that I, too, have the Spirit of God.
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New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, copyright © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.