1 Corinthians 7

Teaching on Marriage

1 Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is 1good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.
3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5 2Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so * that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together * * again so * that 3Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6 But this I say by way of concession, 4not of command.
7 Yet I wish that all men were 5even as I myself am. However, 6each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another * in that.
8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is 7good for them if they remain 8even as I.
9 But if they do not have self-control, 9let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 But to the married I give instructions, 10not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband
11 (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband ), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.
12 But to the rest 11I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.
13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are 12holy.
15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us 13to peace.
16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will 14save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
17 Only *, 15as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And 16so I direct in 17all the churches.
18 Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? 18He is not to be circumcised.
19 19Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is 20the keeping of the commandments of God.
20 21Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called.
21 Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.
22 For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is 22the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is 23Christ's slave.
23 24You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
24 Brethren, 25each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.
25 Now concerning virgins I have 26no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who 27by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.
26 I think then that this is good in view of the present 28distress, that 29it is good for a man to remain as he is.
27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
28 But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.
29 But this I say, brethren, 30the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;
30 and 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;
31 and those who use the world, as though they did not 31make full use of it; for 32the form of this world is passing away.
32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is 33unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,
34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
36 But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.
37 But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well.
38 So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.
39 34A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only 35in the Lord.
40 But 36in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

Cross References 36

  • 1. 1 Corinthians 7:8, 26
  • 2. Exodus 19:15; 1 Samuel 21:5
  • 3. Matthew 4:10
  • 4. 2 Corinthians 8:8
  • 5. 1 Corinthians 7:8; 1 Corinthians 9:5
  • 6. Matthew 19:11; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 11
  • 7. 1 Corinthians 7:1, 26
  • 8. 1 Corinthians 7:7; 1 Corinthians 9:5
  • 9. 1 Timothy 5:14
  • 10. Malachi 2:16; Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18; 1 Corinthians 7:6
  • 11. 1 Corinthians 7:6; 2 Corinthians 11:17
  • 12. Ezra 9:2; Malachi 2:15
  • 13. Romans 14:19
  • 14. Romans 11:14; 1 Peter 3:1
  • 15. Romans 12:3
  • 16. 1 Corinthians 4:17
  • 17. 1 Corinthians 11:16; 1 Corinthians 14:33; 2 Corinthians 8:18; 2 Corinthians 11:28; Galatians 1:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:4
  • 18. Acts 15:1f
  • 19. Romans 2:27, 29; Galatians 3:28; Galatians 5:6; Galatians 6:15; Colossians 3:11
  • 20. Romans 2:25
  • 21. 1 Corinthians 7:24
  • 22. John 8:32, 36; Philemon 16
  • 23. Ephesians 6:6; Colossians 3:24; 1 Peter 2:16
  • 24. 1 Corinthians 6:20
  • 25. 1 Corinthians 7:20
  • 26. 1 Corinthians 7:6
  • 27. 2 Corinthians 4:1; 1 Timothy 1:13, 16
  • 28. Luke 21:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:2
  • 29. 1 Corinthians 7:1, 8
  • 30. Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 7:31
  • 31. 1 Corinthians 9:18
  • 32. 1 Corinthians 7:29; 1 John 2:17
  • 33. 1 Timothy 5:5
  • 34. Romans 7:2
  • 35. 2 Corinthians 6:14
  • 36. 1 Corinthians 7:6, 25

Footnotes 22

1 Corinthians 7 Commentaries

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