1 Corinthians 7:1–9:27

Concerning Christian Marriage

7 Now concerning the things about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to toucha a woman.” 2 But because of sexual immorality, let each man haveb his own wife and let each woman have her own husband. 3 The husband must fulfill his obligation to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband does. And likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but his wife does. 5 Do not defraud one another, except perhaps by agreement, for a time, in order that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and then you should be ⌊together⌋c again, lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self control. 6 But I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish all people could be like myself, but each one has his own gift from God, one in this way and another in that way.

8 Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.

10 To the married I command—not I, but the Lord—a wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if indeed she does separate, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

12 Now to the rest I say—not the Lord—if any brother has an unbelieving wife and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if any wife has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother, since otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. The brother or the sister is not bound in such cases. But God has called usd in peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

17 But to each one as the Lord has apportioned. As God has called each one, thus let him live—and thus I order in all the churches. 18 Was anyone called after* being circumcised? He must not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called in uncircumcision? He must not become circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20 Each one in the calling in which he was called—in this he should remain. 21 Were you called while a slave? Do not let it be a concern to you. But if indeed you are able to become free, rather make use of it. 22 For the one who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedperson. Likewise the one who is called while free is a slave of Christ. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Each one in the situation in which he was called, brothers—in this he should remain with God.

Concerning the Unmarried

25 Now concerning virgins I do not have a command from the Lord, but I am giving an opinion as one shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy. 26 Therefore, I consider this to be good because of the impending distress, that it is good for a man to be thus. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek release. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you marry, you have not sinned, and if the virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have affliction in the flesh, and I would spare you. 29 But I say this, brothers: the time is shortened, that from now on even those who have wives should be as if they do not have wives, 30 and those who weep as if they do not weep, and those who rejoice as if they do not rejoice, and those who buy as if they do not possess, 31 and those who make use of the world as if they do not make full use of it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

32 But I want you to be free from care. The unmarried person cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. 33 But the one who is married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and he is divided. And the unmarried woman or the virgin cares for the things of the Lord, in order that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not that I may put a restriction on you, but to promote appropriate and devoted service to the Lord without distraction.

36 But if anyone thinks he is behaving dishonorably concerning his virgin, if she is past her primee and it ought to be thus, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin. Let them marry. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart, not having necessity, but has authority concerning his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin, he will do well. 38 So then, the one who marriesf his own virgin does well, and the one who does not marry her will do better.

39 A wife is bound for as long a time as her husband lives. But if her husband ⌊dies⌋g, she is free to marry whomever she wishes, only in the Lord. 40 But she is happier if she remains thus, according to my opinion—and I think I have the Spirit of God.

Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols

8 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that “we all have knowledge.”a Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone thinks he knows anything, he has not yet known as it is necessary to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him.

4 Therefore, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world” and that “there is no God except one.”b 5 For even if after all there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many gods and many lords,

6 yet to us there is one God, the Father,

from whom are all things, and we are for him,

and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,

through whom are all things, and we are through him.

7 But this knowledge is not in everyone. But some, being accustomed until now to the idol, eat this food as food sacrificed to idols, and their conscience, because it* is weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us close to God. For neither if we eat do we have more, nor if we do not eat do we lack.c 9 But watch out lest somehow this right of yours becomes a cause for stumbling to the weak. 10 For if someone should see you who has knowledge reclining for a meal in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, because it* is weak, be strengthened so that he eats the food sacrificed to idols? 11 For the one who is weak—the brother for whom Christ died—is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 Now if you* sin in this way against the brothers and wound their conscience, which is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat ⌊forever⌋d, in order that I may not cause my brother to sin.

Paul Gives Up His Rights as an Apostle

9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, yet indeed I am to you, for you are my seal of apostleship in the Lord. 3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a sister as wife, like the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or do only I and Barnabas not have the right ⌊to refrain from working⌋a? 7 Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Whob shepherds a flock and does not drinkc from the milk of the flock? 8 I am not saying these things according to a human perspective. Or does the law not also say these things? 9 For in the law of Moses it is written, “You must not muzzle an ox while it* is threshing.”d It is not about oxen God is concerned, is it?* 10 Or doubtless does he speak ⌊for our sake⌋e? For it is written ⌊for our sake⌋f, because the one who plows ought to plow in hope and the one who threshes ought to do so in hope of a share. 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too great a thing if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this right over you, do we not do so even more? Yet we have not made use of this right, but we endure all things, in order that we may not cause any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

13 Do you not know that those performing the holy services eat the things from the temple, and those attending to the altar have a share with the altar? 14 In the same way also the Lord ordered those who proclaim the gospel to live from the gospel. 15 But I have not made use of any of these rights. And I am not writing these things in order that it may be thus with me. For it would be better to me rather to die than for anyone to deprive me of my reason for boasting. 16 For if I proclaim the gospel, it is not to me a reason for boasting, for necessity is imposed on me. For woe is to me if I do not proclaim the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward, but if I do so unwillingly, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That when I* proclaim the gospel, I may offer the gospel free of charge, in order not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

19 For although I* am free from all people, I have enslaved myself to all, in order that I may gain more. 20 I have become like a Jew to the Jews, in order that I may gain the Jews. To those under the law I became as under the law (although I* myself am not under the law) in order that I may gain those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as outside the law (although I* am not outside the law of God, but subject to the law of Christ) in order that I may gain those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order that I may gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, in order that by all means I may save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, in order…