1 Corinthians 7
7
Marriage and celibacy
1Now, about what you wrote: “It’s good for a man not to have sex with a woman.” 2Each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband because of sexual immorality. 3The husband should meet his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should do the same for her husband. 4The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5Don’t refuse to meet each other’s needs unless you both agree for a short period of time to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come back together again so that Satan might not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6I’m saying this to give you permission; it’s not a command. 7I wish all people were like me, but each has a particular gift from God: one has this gift, and another has that one.
8I’m telling those who are single and widows that it’s good for them to stay single like me. 9But if they can’t control themselves, they should get married, because it’s better to marry than to burn with passion. 10I’m passing on the Lord’s command to those who are married: A wife shouldn’t leave her husband, 11but if she does leave him, then she should stay single or be reconciled to her husband. And a man shouldn’t divorce his wife.
12I’m telling everyone else (the Lord didn’t say this specifically): If a believer has a wife who doesn’t believe, and she agrees to live with him, then he shouldn’t divorce her. 13If a woman has a husband who doesn’t believe and he agrees to live with her, then she shouldn’t divorce him. 14The husband who doesn’t believe belongs to God because of his wife, and the wife who doesn’t believe belongs to God because of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be contaminated by the world, but now they are spiritually set apart. 15But if a spouse who doesn’t believe chooses to leave, then let them leave. The brother or sister isn’t tied down in these circumstances. God has called you to peace. 16How do you know as a wife if you will save your husband? Or how do you know as a husband if you will save your wife?
17Nevertheless, each person should live the kind of life that the Lord assigned when he called each one. This is what I teach in all the churches. 18If someone was circumcised when called, he shouldn’t try to reverse it. If someone wasn’t circumcised when he was called, he shouldn’t be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing; not being circumcised is nothing. What matters is keeping God’s commandments. 20Each person should stay in the situation they were in when they were called. 21If you were a slave when you were called, don’t let it bother you. But if you are actually able to be free, take advantage of the opportunity. 22Anyone who was a slave when they were called by the Lord has the status of being the Lord’s free person. In the same way, anyone who was a free person when they were called is Christ’s slave. 23You were bought and paid for. Don’t become slaves of people. 24So then, brothers and sisters, each of you should stay with God in the situation you were in when you were called.
25I don’t have a command from the Lord about people who have never been married,#7.25 Or virgins but I’ll give you my opinion as someone you can trust because of the Lord’s mercy. 26So I think this advice is good because of the present crisis: Stay as you are. 27If you are married, don’t get a divorce. If you are divorced, don’t try to find a spouse. 28But if you do marry, you haven’t sinned; and if someone who hasn’t been married gets married, they haven’t sinned. But married people will have a hard time, and I’m trying to spare you that. 29This is what I’m saying, brothers and sisters: The time has drawn short. From now on, those who have wives should be like people who don’t have them. 30Those who are sad should be like people who aren’t crying. Those who are happy should be like people who aren’t happy. Those who buy something should be like people who don’t have possessions. 31Those who use the world should be like people who aren’t preoccupied with it, because this world in its present form is passing away.
32I want you to be free from concerns. A man who isn’t married is concerned about the Lord’s concerns—how he can please the Lord. 33But a married man is concerned about the world’s concerns—how he can please his wife. 34His attention is divided. A woman who isn’t married or who is a virgin is concerned about the Lord’s concerns so that she can be dedicated to God in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the world’s concerns—how she can please her husband. 35I’m saying this for your own advantage. It’s not to restrict you but rather to promote effective and consistent service to the Lord without distraction.
36If someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward an unmarried woman whom he knows, and if he has strong feelings and it seems like the right thing to do, he should do what he wants—he’s not sinning—they should get married. 37But if a man stands firm in his decision, and doesn’t feel the pressure, but has his own will under control, he does right if he decides in his own heart not to marry the woman. 38Therefore, the one who marries the unmarried woman does right, and the one who doesn’t get married will do even better. 39A woman is obligated to stay in her marriage as long as her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she wants, only it should be a believer in the Lord. 40But in my opinion, she will be happier if she stays the way she is. And I think that I have God’s Spirit too.
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
1 Corinthians 7
7
Principles of Marriage
1Now in response to the matters you wrote # Other mss add to me about: “It is good for a man not to have relations with # Lit not to touch a woman.” # The words in quotation marks are a principle that the Corinthians wrote to Paul about to ask for his view. 2But because sexual immorality is so common, # Lit because of immoralities # 1Th 4:3 each man should have his own wife, # Mt 1:6; 1Pt 3:1 and each woman should have her own husband. 3A husband should fulfill his marital responsibility # 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 sexually — except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to # 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 the following # Lit say this ; some interpret the word as referring to v. 2, vv. 2-5, v. 5 (wholly or in part), or v. 6 as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all people were just like me. But each has his own gift # 2Co 1:11 from God, one person in this way and another in that way.
A Word to the Unmarried
8I say to the unmarried 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, for it is better to marry # 1Tm 5:14 than to burn with desire.
About Married People
10I command the married # 1Tm 5:14 — not I, but the Lord — a wife is not to leave # 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 leave his wife. # Dt 22:19 12But I (not the Lord) # Jesus did not address the situation of a marriage in the Gentile world where only one person is a believer. 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 leave her. 13Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not leave her husband. 14For the unbelieving husband is set apart for God # Lk 11:2 by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart for God by the husband. # Lit the brother Otherwise your children would be corrupt, but now they are set apart for God. 15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you # Other mss read us to live in peace. 16For you, wife, how do you know whether you will save your husband? Or you, husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife?
Various Situations of Life
17However, each one must live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called # Col 3:15 him. # 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, but keeping God’s commands does. 20Each person should remain in the life situation # Lit in the calling in which he was called. 21Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity. # 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. # A former slave Likewise he who is called as a free man # A man who was never a slave is Christ’s slave. 23You were bought # 2Pt 2:1 at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24Brothers, each person should remain with God in whatever situation he was called.
About the Unmarried and Widows
25About virgins: 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 trustworthy. # Nm 12:7 26Therefore I consider this to be good because of the present distress: It is fine 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. 28However, if you do get married, # 1Tm 5:14 you have not sinned, and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life, # Lit in the flesh and I am trying to spare you. 29And I say this, brothers: 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 did not possess, 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. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord — how he may please # 1Th 4:1 the Lord. 33But a married man is concerned about the things of the world — how he may please his wife — 34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or a 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 a married woman is concerned about the things of the world — how she may please her husband. 35Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but because of what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.
36But if any man thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin, # = a man’s fiancée, or his daughter, or his Levirate wife, or a celibate companion if she is past marriageable age, # Or virgin, if his passions are strong, and so it must be, 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 his own virgin, will do well. 38So then he who marries # Or marries off his virgin does well, but he who does not marry # Or marry her off will do better.
39A wife is bound # 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. # Only a believer 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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