1Corinthians 7

Instruction on Marriage

7Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life

.G1161G4012G3739G1125G3427G2570G444G3361G680G11352But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.G1223G1161G4202G2192G1538G2192G1438G1135G2532G2192G1538G2192G2398G4353The husband should fulfill his wife's sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband's needs.G591G435G591G1135G3784G2133G1161G3668G2532G1135G4354The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.G1135G1850G3756G1850G2398G4983G235G435G1161G3668G2532G435G1850G3756G1850G2398G4983G235G11355Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.G650G3361G240G1509G302G5100G1537G4859G4314G2540G2443G4980G3521G2532G4335G2532G4905G1909G846G3825G3363G4567G3985G5209G3363G1223G5216G1926I say this as a concession, not as a command.G1161G3004G5124G2596G4774G3756G2596G20037But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage, and to others the gift of singleness.G1063G2309G3956G444G1511G2532G5613G1683G235G1538G2192G2398G5486G1537G2316G3739G3303G3779G1161G3739G37798So I say to those who aren't married and to widows—it's better to stay unmarried, just as I am.G3004G1161G22G2532G5503G2076G2570G846G1437G3306G2504G5613G25049But if they can't control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It's better to marry than to burn with lust.G1161G1487G1467G3756G1467G1060G1063G2076G2909G1060G2228G444810But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord

. A wife must not leave her husband.G1161G1060G3853G3756G1473G235G2962G5563G3361G1135G5563G575G43511But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.G1161G2532G1437G5563G3306G22G2228G2644G435G2532G863G3361G435G863G113512Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man

has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her.G1161G3062G3004G1473G3756G2962G1536G80G2192G1135G571G2532G846G4909G3611G3326G846G863G3361G863G846G86313And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him.G2532G1135G3748G2192G435G571G2532G846G4909G3611G3326G846G863G3361G863G84614For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband

brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.G1063G571G435G37G1722G1135G2532G571G1135G37G1722G435G686G1893G2076G5216G5043G169G1161G3568G2076G4015(But if the husband or wife who isn't a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife

is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.)G1161G1487G571G5563G5563G80G2228G79G1402G3756G1402G1722G5108G1161G2316G2564G2248G1722G151516Don't you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don't you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?G1063G5101G1492G1135G1487G4982G435G2228G5101G1492G435G1487G4982G113517Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.G1508G5613G2316G3307G1538G5613G2962G2564G1538G3779G4043G2532G3779G1299G1722G3956G157718For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now.G2564G5100G2564G4059G1986G3361G1986G2564G5100G2564G1722G203G4059G3361G405919For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God's commandments.G4061G2076G3762G2532G203G2076G3762G235G5084G1785G231620Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you.G3306G1538G3306G1722G5026G2821G1722G3739G256421Are you a slave? Don't let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it.G2564G1401G3199G4671G3361G3199G235G1499G1410G1096G1658G5530G312322And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.G1063G2564G1722G2962G1401G2076G2962G558G3668G2532G2564G1658G2076G5547G140123God paid a high price for you, so don't be enslaved by the world

.G59G5092G1096G3361G1096G1401G44424Each of you, dear brothers and sisters

, should remain as you were when God first called you.G80G3306G1538G1722G3739G2564G1722G5129G3306G3844G231625Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you.G1161G4012G3933G2192G3756G2003G2962G1161G1325G1106G5613G1653G5259G2962G1511G410326Because of the present crisis

, I think it is best to remain as you are.G3543G3767G5124G5225G2570G1223G1764G318G3754G2570G444G3779G151127If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married.G1210G1135G2212G3361G3080G3089G575G1135G2212G3361G113528But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems.G1161G2532G1437G1060G264G3756G264G2532G1437G3933G1060G264G3756G264G1161G5108G2192G2347G4561G1161G1473G5339G521629But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage.G1161G5124G5346G80G2540G4958G2076G3063G2443G2532G2192G1135G5600G5613G2192G336130Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions.G2532G2799G5613G2799G3361G2532G5463G5613G5463G3361G2532G59G5613G2722G336131Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.G2532G5530G5127G2889G5613G3361G2710G1063G4976G5129G2889G385532I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please him.G1161G1511G2309G5209G275G22G3309G3588G2962G4459G700G296233But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife.G1161G1060G3309G3588G2889G4459G700G113534His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband.G3307G1135G2532G3933G22G3309G3588G2962G2443G5600G40G2532G4983G2532G4151G1161G1060G3309G3588G2889G4459G700G43535I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.G1161G5124G3004G4314G5216G846G4851G3756G2443G1911G1029G5213G235G4314G2158G2532G2145G2962G56336But if a man thinks that he's treating his fiancee improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin.G1161G1536G3543G807G1909G846G3933G1437G5230G5600G2532G3784G3779G1096G4160G3739G2309G264G3756G106037But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry.G1161G3739G2476G1476G1722G2588G2192G3361G318G1161G2192G1849G4012G2398G2307G2532G2919G5124G2919G1722G846G2588G5083G1438G3933G4160G257338So the person who marries his fiancee does well, and the person who doesn't marry does even better.G5620G2532G1547G4160G2573G1161G1547G3361G1547G4160G290839A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord

.G1135G1210G3551G1909G5550G3745G846G435G2198G1161G1437G846G435G2837G2076G1658G1060G3739G2309G3440G1722G296240But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God's Spirit when I say this.G1161G2076G3107G1437G3306G3779G3306G2596G1699G1106G1161G1380G2504G2192G4151G2316