The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

But, because of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.(a)

A husband should fulfill his obligation to his wife, and a wife should also act similarly toward her husband.

It is not the wife, but the husband, who has power over her body. But, similarly also, it is not the husband, but the wife, who has power over his body.

So, do not fail in your obligations to one another, except perhaps by consent, for a limited time, so that you may empty yourselves for prayer. And then, return together again, lest Satan tempt you by means of your abstinence.

But I am saying this, neither as an indulgence, nor as a commandment.(b)

For I would prefer it if you were all like myself. But each person has his proper gift from God: one in this way, yet another in that way.

But I say to the unmarried and to widows: It is good for them, if they would remain as they are, just as I also am.

But if they cannot restrain themselves, they should marry. For it is better to marry, than to be burned.(c)

(d)

But to those who have been joined in matrimony, it is not I who commands you, but the Lord: a wife is not to separate from her husband.

But if she has separated from him, she must remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband should not divorce his wife.

Concerning the rest, I am speaking, not the Lord. If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.(e)

And if any woman has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce her husband.

For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through the believing husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, whereas instead they are holy.(f)

But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart. For a brother or sister cannot be made subject to servitude in this way. For God has called us to peace.

And how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Live Your Calling

However, let each one walk just as the Lord has distributed to him, each one just as God has called him. And thus do I teach in all the churches.

Has any circumcised man been called? Let him not cover his circumcision. Has any uncircumcised man been called? Let him not be circumcised.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; there is only the observance of the commandments of God.

Let each and every one remain in the same calling to which he was called.

Are you a servant who has been called? Do not be concerned about it. But if you ever have the ability to be free, make use of it.

For any servant who has been called in the Lord is free in the Lord. Similarly, any free person who has been called is a servant in Christ.

You have been bought with a price. Do not be willing to become the servants of men.

Brothers, let each one, in whatever state he was called, remain in that state with God.

The Unmarried and Widowed

Now, concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord. But I give counsel, as one who has obtained the mercy of the Lord, so as to be faithful.

Therefore, I consider this to be good, because of the present necessity: that it is good for a man to be such as I am.

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be freed. Are you free of a wife? Do not seek a wife.

But if you take a wife, you have not sinned. And if a virgin has married, she has not sinned. Even so, such as these will have the tribulation of the flesh. But I would spare you from this.

And so, this is what I say, brothers: The time is short. What remains of it is such that: those who have wives should be as if they had none;

and those who weep, as though they were not weeping; and those who rejoice, as if they were not rejoicing; and those who buy, as if they possessed nothing;

and those who use the things of this world, as if they were not using them. For the figure of this world is passing away.

But I would prefer you to be without worry. Whoever is without a wife is worried about the things of the Lord, as to how he may please God.

But whoever is with a wife is worried about the things of the world, as to how he may please his wife. And so, he is divided.

And the unmarried woman and the virgin think about the things that are of the Lord, so that she may be holy in body and in spirit. But she who is married thinks about the things that are of the world, as to how she may please her husband.

Furthermore, I am saying this for your own benefit, not in order to cast a snare over you, but toward whatever is honest and whatever may provide you with the ability to be without hindrance, so as to worship the Lord.

But if any man considers himself to seem dishonorable, concerning a virgin who is of adult age, and so it ought to be, he may do as he wills. If he marries her, he does not sin.(g)

But if he has decided firmly in his heart, and he does not have any obligation, but only the power of his free will, and if he has judged this in his heart, to let her remain a virgin, he does well.

And so, he who joins with his virgin in matrimony does well, and he who does not join with her does better.

A woman is bound under the law for as long as her husband lives. But if her husband has died, she is free. She may marry whomever she wishes, but only in the Lord.

But she will be more blessed, if she remains in this state, in accord with my counsel. And I think that I, too, have the Spirit of God.

Footnotes

(a)7:2 Have his own wife:That is, keep to his wife, which he has. His meaning is not to exhort the unmarried to marry: on the contrary, he would have them rather continue as they are. (Ver. 7:8.) But he speaks here to them that are already married; who must not depart from one another, but live together as they ought to do in the marriage state.(Challoner)

(b)7:6 By indulgence:That is, by a condescension to your weakness.(Challoner)

(c)7:9 The Latin says ‘than to be burned,’ i.e. in the fires of Hell, due to sins of fornication. The Latin does not say ‘than to burn,’ i.e. to burn with desire.(Conte)

(d)7:9 If they do not contain, etc:This is spoken of such as are free, and not of such as, by vow, have given their first faith to God; to whom if they will use proper means to obtain it, God will never refuse the gift of continency. Some translators have corrupted this text, by rendering it, if they cannot contain.(Challoner)

(e)7:12 I speak, not the Lord:Viz., by any express commandment, or ordinance.(Challoner)

(f)7:14 Is sanctified:The meaning is not, that the faith of the husband or the wife is of itself sufficient to put the unbelieving party, or their children, in the state of grace and salvation; but that it is very often an occasion of their sanctification, by bringing them to the true faith.(Challoner)

(g)7:36 Let him do what he will; he sins not, etc:The meaning is not, as libertines would have it, that persons may do what they will and not sin, provided they afterwards marry; but that the father, with regard to the giving his virgin in marriage, may do as he pleases; and that it will be no sin to him if she marry.(Challoner)

Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman.

But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

Let the husband give his wife the affection owed her,(a) and likewise also the wife her husband.

The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.

Yet I wish that all men were like me. However, each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.

But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am.

But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn with passion.

But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband

(but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.

But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her.

The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.

For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Live Your Calling

Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies.

Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is keeping God’s commandments.

Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.

Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.

For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s bondservant.

You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.

Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.

The Unmarried and Widowed

Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.

Therefore I think that because of the distress that is on us, it’s good for a man to remain as he is.

Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife.

But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to spare you.

But I say this, brothers: the time is short. From now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;

and those who weep, as though they didn’t weep; and those who rejoice, as though they didn’t rejoice; and those who buy, as though they didn’t possess;

and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.

But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

This I say for your own benefit, not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction.

But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He doesn’t sin. Let them marry.

But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no urgency, but has power over his own will, and has determined in his own heart to keep his own virgin, does well.

So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn’t give her in marriage does better.

A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, only in the Lord.

But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God’s Spirit.

Footnotes

(a)7:3 NU and TR have “what is owed her” instead of “the affection owed her”.