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1 Corinthians 7:1-19
New Life Version
1 Corinthians 7:1-19
New Life Version
How a Husband and Wife Should Live
7 You asked me some questions in your letter. This is my answer. It is good if a man does not get married. 2 But because of being tempted to sex sins, each man should get married and have his own wife. Each woman should get married and have her own husband. 3 The husband should please his wife as a husband. The wife should please her husband as a wife. 4 The wife is not the boss of her own body. It belongs to the husband. And in the same way, the husband is not the boss of his own body. It belongs to the wife.
5 Do not keep from each other that which belongs to each other in marriage unless you agree for awhile so you can use your time to pray. Then come together again or the devil will tempt you to do that which you know you should not do.
6 This is what I think. I am not saying you must do it. 7 I wish everyone were as I am, but each has his own gift from God. One has one gift. Another has another gift.
8 This is what I say to those who are not married and to women whose husbands have died. It is good if you do not get married. I am not married. 9 But if you are not able to keep from doing that which you know is wrong, get married. It is better to get married than to have such strong sex desires.
10 I have this to say to those who are married. These words are from the Lord. A wife should not leave her husband, 11 but if she does leave him, she should not get married to another man. It would be better for her to go back to her husband. The husband should not divorce his wife. 12 I have this to say. These words are not from the Lord. If a Christian husband has a wife who is not a Christian, and she wants to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 If a Christian wife has a husband who is not a Christian, and he wants to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 The husband who is not a Christian is set apart from the sin of the world because of his Christian wife. The wife who is not a Christian is set apart from the sin of the world because of her Christian husband. In this way, the lives of the children are not unclean because of sin, they are clean. 15 If the one who is not a Christian wants to leave, let that one go. The Christian husband or wife should not try to make the other one stay. God wants you to live in peace. 16 Christian wife, how do you know you will not help your husband to become a Christian? Or Christian husband, how do you know you will not help your wife to become a Christian?
Stay as You Were When God Chose You
17 Everyone should live the life the Lord gave to him. He should live as he was when he became a Christian. This is what I teach in all the churches. 18 If a man became a Christian after he had gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew, he should do nothing about it. If a man became a Christian before, he should not go through the religious act of becoming a Jew. 19 If it is done or not done, it means nothing. What is important is to obey God’s Word.
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1 Corinthians 7:1-19
New International Version
1 Corinthians 7:1-19
New International Version
Concerning Married Life
7 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”(A) 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife,(B) and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time,(C) so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan(D) will not tempt you(E) because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command.(F) 7 I wish that all of you were as I am.(G) But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.(H)
8 Now to the unmarried[a] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.(I) 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry,(J) for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.(K) 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband.(L) And a husband must not divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord):(M) If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.(N)
15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.(O) 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save(P) your husband?(Q) Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Concerning Change of Status
17 Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.(R) This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.(S) 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised.(T) 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.(U) Keeping God’s commands is what counts.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 7:8 Or widowers
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