THE FIRST EPISTLE
OF
PAUL THE APOSTLE
TO THE
CORINTHIANS
1 Corinthians 7 ©
1 The apostle answers a proposed question whether it be good to take a wife. 3 He commands the married not to withhold themselves from each other. 5 Except it were by mutual consent for a time, to give themselves to fasting and prayer. 8 Declares further to the unmarried and widows, that it is good to remain unmarried, namely, for such as have the gift thereto, but not for others. 10 Commands the married that they shall not divorce. 12 Not even believers from unbelievers, if they be content to remain with believers, 15 But if the unbelievers will divorce, he testifies that believers are not then obliged. 18 Declares further that everyone must be content with his state wherein he was called to Christ, circumcised as well as uncircumcised. 21 Servants as well as free men. 25 Afterwards speaks of virgins who are under the power of another, and shows in what case it is good to give them in marriage or not. 29 Adjoins a general exhortation how marriage and other things of this world must be used. 32 And what advantage the unmarried have above the married to adhere well to the Lord. 36 So notwithstanding, that they do not sin who give their virgins in marriage. 39 And declares again that the married are bound one to another as long as they live.
NOW concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is 1good for a man not 2to touch a woman.
Nevertheless, to avoid 3fornication, let every man have 4his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Leta the husband render unto the wife 5due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
The wife hath not 6power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
Defraudb ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and 7prayer; and come together again, that Satan 8tempt you not for your incontinency.c
9But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
Ford10I would that all men were even as I myself. Bute every man hath his properf gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
I say therefore to 11the unmarried and widows, It is 12good for them if they abide even as I.
Butg if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry 13than to burn.
And unto the married I command, yet 14not I, but the Lord, Leth not the wife depart from her husband:
But and 15if she depart, 16let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
But 17to the rest speak 18I, 19not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that 20believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell 21with him, let him not put her away.
And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
For the unbelieving husband 22is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else 23were your children unclean; but now 24are they holy.
But if the unbelieving 25depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is 26not under bondage 27in such cases: but God hath called us 28to peace.
Fori what knowest 29thou, O wife, whether thou 30shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
31But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become 32uncircumcised. Is any called 33in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
Circumcision 34is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Letj every man 35abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
Art thou called being a servant? 36care not for it: but if thou mayest 37be made free, use it rather.
For he that is 38called in the Lord, being a servant, is 39the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being 40free, is 41Christ’s servant.
Yek are bought 42with a price; be not ye 43the servants of men.
Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide 44with God.
Now concerning virgins I have 45no commandment of the Lord: yet I 46give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord 47to be faithful.
I suppose therefore that this is 48good for the 49present distress, I say, that it is good for a man 50so to be.
Art thou bound unto a wife? 51seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have 52trouble 53in the flesh: 54but I spare you.
But this I say, brethren, 55the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as 56though they had none;
And 57they that weep, as though they wept not; and 58they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, 59as though they possessed not;
And they that use this world, as not abusing it: forl60the fashion of this world passeth away.
But 61I would have you without carefulness.m Hen that is unmarried 62careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
But he that is married 63careth for the things that are 64of the world, how he may please his 65wife.
There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
And this I speak 66for your own profit; not that I may cast 67a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without 68distraction.
But if any man 69think that he behaveth himself 70uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need 71so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.
Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having 72no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he 73will keep his virgin, doeth well.
So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage 74doeth better.
Theo wife is bound by 75the law as long as 76her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only 77in the Lord.
But she is 78happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and 79I think also that I have thep Spirit of God.