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.
Qorintiyim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 7
7
1And concerning the matters you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2But because of whoring, let each one have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3Let the husband render to his wife what is her due, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5Do not deprive one another except with agreement for a time, to give yourselves to fasting and prayer. And come together again so that Satan does not try you because of your lack of self-control.
6And I say this as a concession, not as a command.
7For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from Elohim, one in this way and another in that.
8And I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am,
9but if they do not have self-control, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn.
10And to the married I command, not I, but the Master: A wife should not separate from a husband.
11But if she is indeed separated, let her remain unmarried or be restored to favour with her husband, and let a husband not send away a wife.
12And to the rest I say, not the Master: If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she thinks well to live with him, let him not send her away.
13And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he thinks well to live with her, let her not send him away.
14For the unbelieving husband has been set-apart in the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been set-apart in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are set-apart.
15And, if the unbelieving one separates, let him separate himself. A brother or a sister has not been enslaved in such matters. But Elohim has called us to peace.
16For how do you know, O wife, whether you shall save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you shall save your wife?
17Only, as Elohim has distributed to each one, as the Master has called each one, so let him walk. And so I order in all the assemblies.
18Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.
19The circumcision is naught, and the uncircumcision is naught, but the guarding of the commands of Elohim does matter!#See Rom. 2:26-29
20Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.
21Were you called while a slave? It matters not to you, but if you are able to become free too, rather use it.
22For he who is called in the Master while a slave is the Master’s freed man. Likewise he who is called while free is a slave of Messiah.#See Eph. 6:6; 1Pe. 2:16
23You were bought with a price, do not become slaves of men.
24Brothers, let each one remain with Elohim in that calling in which he was called.
25And concerning maidens: I have no command from the Master, but I give judgment as one whom the Master in His compassion has made trustworthy.
26I think then that this is good because of the present necessity, that it is good for a man to remain as he is.
27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
28But even if you should marry, you have not sinned. And if a maiden should marry, she has not sinned. But such shall have pressure in the flesh, but I would spare you.
29And this I say, brothers, the time is short, so that from now on even 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 this world as not misusing it. For the scene of this world is passing away.
32And I wish you to be without concern. He who is unmarried is concerned about the matters of the Master – how to please the Master.
33But he who is married is concerned about the matters of the world – how to please his wife.
34There is a difference between a wife and a maiden. The unmarried woman is concerned about the matters of the Master, that she might be set-apart both in body and in spirit. But she who is married is concerned about the matters of the world – how to please her husband.
35And this I say for your own good, not to put a restraint on you, but for what is proper, and to attend to the Master without distraction.
36And if anyone thinks he is behaving improperly toward his maiden, if she is past the flower of her youth, and so it should be, let him do what he desires, he does not sin – let them marry.
37But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, and has authority over his own desire, and has so decided in his heart to guard his own maiden, does well.
38So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.
39A wife is bound by Torah as long as her husband lives, and if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she desires, only in the Master.
40But she is better off if she remains as she is, according to my opinion. And I think I also have the Spirit of Elohim.
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