1 Corinthians Chapter 7

Teaching About Marriage

¹ Regarding the things you wrote about. It’s okay for a man to stay single. ² But, to avoid sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. ³ A husband needs to give his wife what’s due her, and vice versa. ⁴ A wife doesn’t have sole rights over her own body; her husband does too. The same for a husband. ⁵ Don’t refuse sex to one another except for a while by agreement to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ I say that as a concession, not a commandment. ⁷ I’d like everyone to be like me, but each person has his gift from God—one, one way; another, another way.              

1 Cor 7:1-7

⁸ I say to unmarried people and widows, it’s good to stay like me. ⁹ But if you don’t have self-control, get married; it’s better to marry than to lust. ¹⁰ But the Lord, not just me, instructs a wife not to divorce her husband— ¹¹ if she does divorce him, she needs to stay single or be reconciled to him—and a husband not to leave his wife. ¹² To the rest I say, not the Lord, if a disciple has an unbelieving wife and she’s willing to keep living with him, he shouldn’t leave her. ¹³ If a wife has an unbelieving husband and he’s perfectly content to keep living with her, she shouldn’t leave him. ¹⁴ A believing wife legitimizes an unbelieving husband and vice versa; otherwise, your children would be illegitimate. ¹⁵ If an unbelieving spouse does divorce, let him or her divorce. A brother or sister isn’t bound in such cases. God has called us in peace. ¹⁶ How do you know, wife, that perhaps you’ll save your husband; or husband, that you’ll save your wife?                                

1 Cor 7:8-16

            ¹⁷ Keep living in the societal circumstance where God called you. That’s what I tell everybody in all the churches. ¹⁸ Were you called as circumcised? You don’t need to get uncircumcised. Were you called as uncircumcised? You don’t need to get circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision or uncircumcision doesn’t matter. Keeping God’s commandments is what matters.

²⁰ Keep living in the circumstance where God called you. ²¹ Were you called as a slave? It doesn’t matter. (But, if you can be free, do it.) ²² A person the Lord calls that’s a servant is free as far as he is concerned. A person the Lord calls tthat’s a freeman is the Lord’s ‘servant.’ ²³ You’ve been purchased for a price; don’t become servants to other people. ²⁴ Stay with God in the circumstance where he called you.  

1 Cor 7:17-24

Advice to the Unmarried

²⁵ About virgins. I don’t have any command from the Lord, but I offer my opinion as somebody he has been merciful enough to consider dependable. ²⁶ I recommend handling the matter this way in light of present difficulties: it’s good for you to stay the way you are. ²⁷ Are you married? Don’t get a divorce. Are you single? Don’t look for somebody to marry. ²⁸ If you do get married, you haven’t sinned; if a virgin gets married, she hasn’t sinned. But married people will face difficulties in this life, and I want to spare you. ²⁹ I’m telling you, it won’t be long till the ones that have wives will be as if they didn’t, ³⁰ those crying or rejoicing as if they weren’t, ³¹ and those taking advantage of this world’s opportunities as not doing it fully. The situation’s changing, ³² and I don’t want you to have distracting concerns. An unmarried man tends to concern himself with the Lord’s things—how to please him; ³³ a married man feels a need to concern himself with this world’s things—how to be pleasing to his wife ³⁴ and is torn. Unmarried women and virgins tend to be concerned about the Lord’s things—being holy in body and spirit; a married woman feels a need to concern herself with this world’s things—how to be pleasing to her husband. ³⁵ I’m saying this to help you, not to hold you back—to free you for orderly, undistracted devotion to the Lord.                                                                                 

1 Cor 7:25-35

            ³⁶ If a man thinks he’s being insensitive toward his virgin daughter, if she’s full-grown and wants to get married, he should follow his heart. He’s not sinning; do what he’s inclined to do; let them marry. ³⁷ But a man that’s made up his mind, stands firm in his heart, is under no pressure, has decided as far as he’s concerned to keep his virgin, he’s doing a good thing. ³⁸ So, the one who gives his virgin daughter in marriage does well, and the one that doesn’t does better.

³⁹ A wife is married to her husband for as long as he’s alive. If he dies, she’s free to marry whoever she wants to—only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she’d be happier if she stayed like she is, but that’s just me. I think I also have God’s Spirit.

1 Cor 7:36-40