Marriage
Now
for the matters you wrote about:
It
is good for a man not to marry.
2
But since there is so much Immorality,
Each
man should have his own wife,
And
each woman her own husband.
3
The husband should fulfill his Marital Duty to his wife,
And
likewise the wife to her husband.
4
The wife's body does not belong to her alone
But
also to her husband.
In
the same way,
The
husband's body does not belong to him alone
But
also to his wife.
5
Do not Deprive each other
Except
for mutual consent and for a time,
So
that you may devote yourselves to prayer.
THEN
COME TOGETHER AGAIN
SO
THAT SATAN WILL NOT TEMPT YOU
BECAUSE OF YOUR LACK OF SELF-CONTROL.
6 I
say this as a concession, not as a command.
7 I
wish that all men were as I am.
But
each man has his own Gift from God;
One
has this Gift, another has that.
8
Now to the unmarried and the widows I say:
It
is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.
9
But if they cannot control themselves,
They
should marry,
For
it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10
To the married I give this command
(Not
I but the Lord):
A
wife must not separate from her husband.
11
But if she does, she must remain unmarried
Or
else be reconciled to her husband.
And
a husband must not Divorcee his wife.
12
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord):
If
any brother has a wife who is not a Believer
And
she is willing to live with him,
He
must not Divorce her.
13
And if a woman has a husband who is not a Believer
And
he is willing to live with her,
She
must not Divorce him.
14
For the Unbelieving husband
Has
been Sanctified through his wife,
And
the Unbelieving wife
Has
been Sanctified through her believing husband.
Otherwise
your children would be Unclean,
But
as it is, they are Holy.
15
But if the Unbeliever leaves, let him do so.
A
Believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances;
GOD
HAS CALLED US TO LIVE IN PEACE.
16
HOW DO YOU KNOW, WIFE,
WHETHER
YOU WILL SAVE YOUR HUSBAND?
OR,
HOW DO YOU KNOW HUSBAND,
WHETHER
YOU WILL SAVE YOUR WIFE?
17
NEVERTHELESS,
EACH
ONE SHOULD RETAIN THE PLACE IN LIFE
THAT
THE LORD ASSIGNED TO HIM
AND
TO WHICH GOD HAS CALLED HIM.
This
is the Rule I lay down in all the churches.
18
Was a man already circumcised when he was Called?
He
should not become uncircumcised.
Was
a man uncircumcised when he was Called?
He
should not be circumcised.
19
CIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING AND UNCIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING.
KEEPING
GOD'S COMMANDS IS WHAT COUNTS.
20
EACH ONE SHOULD REMAIN IN THE SITUATION
WHICH
HE WAS IN WHEN GOD CALLED HIM.
21
Were you a Slave when you were Called?
Don't
let it trouble you--
Although
if you can gain your freedom, do so.
22
For he who was a Slave when he was called by the Lord
IS
THE LORD'S FREEDMAN;
Similarly,
he who was a Free man when he was Called
IS
CHRIST'S SLAVE.
23
YOU WERE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE;
DO
NOT BECOME SLAVES OF MEN.
24
BROTHERS, EACH MAN, AS RESPONSIBLE TO GOD,
SHOULD
REMAIN N THE SITUATION GOD CALLED HIM TO.
25
Now about Virgins:
I
have no command from the Lord,
But
I give a Judgment as one who by the Lord's Mercy is Trustworthy.
26
BECAUSE OF THE PRESENT CRISIS,
I
think that it is good for your to remain as you are.
27
are you married?
Do
not seek a Divorce.
Are
you unmarried?
Do
not look for a wife.
28
But if you do marry, you have not Sinned;
And
if a Virgin marries, she has not Sinned.
But
those who marry will face many Troubles in this life,
And
I want you to Spare you this.
29
WHAT I MEAN, BROTHERS, IS THAT THE TIME IS SHORT.
From
now on those who have wives
Should
live as if they had none;
30 Those who mourn, as if they did not;
Those
who are Happy, as if they were not;
Those
who by something, as if it were not theirs to keep;
31
THOSE WHO USE THE THINGS OF THE WORLD,
AS
IF NOT ENGROSSED IN THEM.
FOR
THIS WORLD IN ITS PRESENT FORM
IS
PASSING AWAY.
32
I would like you to be Free from Concern.
And
unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's Affairs--
How
he can please the Lord.
33
But a married man is concerned
About
the Affairs of this World--
How
he can please his wife--
34
AND HIS INTERESTS ARE DIVIDED.
An
unmarried woman or Virgin is concerned about the Lord's Affairs:
Her
Aim is to be Devoted to the Lord
In
both body and spirit.
But
the married woman
Is
concerned about the Affairs of this World--
How
she can please her husband.
35
I am saying this for your own good,
Not
to restrict you,
But
that you may live in a Right Way
IN
UNDIVIDED DEVOTION TO THE LORD.
36
If anyone thinks he is acting improperly
Toward
the Virgin he is engaged to,
And
if she is getting along in years
And
he feels he ought to marry,
He
should do as he wants.
HE
IS NOT SINNING.
They
should get married.
37
But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind,
Who
is under no compulsion
But
has control over his own will,
And
who has made up his mind
Not
to marry the Virgin--
This
man also does the Right Thing.
38
So then, he who marries the Virgin
Does
the Right Thing,
But
he who does not marry her does even better.
39
A WOMAN IS BOUND TO HER HUSBAND AS LONG AS HE LIVES.
But
if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes,
BUT
HE MUST BELONG TO THE LORD.
40
In my Judgment, she is happier
If
she stays as she is--
And
I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
(1
Corinthians 7)
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