Principles of Marriage

7 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:

aIt is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 bLet the husband render to his wife the affection due her, 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 the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 cDo not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that dSatan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But I say this as a concession, enot as a commandment. 7 For fI wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: gIt is good for them if they remain even as I am;