1 Corinthians 6:12-7:24

Christian Standard Bible

Glorifying God in Body and Spirit

¹² “Everything is permissible^(A) for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³ “Food^(B) is for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will do away with both of them. However, the body is not for sexual immorality^(C) but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.^{(D) 15} Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body?^(E) So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh.^{[a](F) 17} But anyone joined^(G) to the Lord is one spirit^(H) with him.

¹⁸ Flee^(I) sexual immorality! Every other sin^[b] a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral^(J) sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Don’t you know that your body is a temple^(K) of the Holy Spirit^(L) who is in you,^(M) whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought^(N) at a price. So glorify God with your body.^[c]

Principles of Marriage

7 Now in response to the matters you wrote^[d] about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”^{[e] 2} But because sexual immorality is so common,^[f](O) each man should have sexual relations with his own wife,^(P) and each woman should have sexual relations with her own husband. ³ A husband should fulfill his marital duty^(Q) to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. ⁴ A wife does not have the right over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. ⁵ Do not deprive^(R) one another—except when you agree for a time, to devote yourselves to^[g] prayer. Then come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ I say this as a concession, not as a command. ⁷ I wish that all people were as I am. But each has his own gift^(S) from God, one person has this gift, another has that.

A Word to the Unmarried

⁸ I say to the unmarried^[h] and to widows:^(T) It is good for them if they remain as I am. ⁹ But if they do not have self-control,^(U) they should marry, since it is better to marry^(V) than to burn with desire.

About Married People

¹⁰ To the married I give this command^(W)—not I, but the Lord—a wife is not to leave^[i] her husband. ¹¹ But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband—and a husband is not to divorce his wife.^{(X) 12} But I (not the Lord) say to the rest: If any brother^(Y) has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³ Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is made holy^(Z) by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband.^[j] Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you^[k] to live in peace. ¹⁶ Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.^[l]

Various Situations of Life

¹⁷ Let each one live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called^(AA) him.^[m] This is what I command in all the churches. ¹⁸ Was anyone already circumcised when he was called? He should not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision does not matter and uncircumcision does not matter. Keeping God’s commands is what matters. ²⁰ Let each of you remain in the situation^[n] in which he was called. ²¹ Were you called while a slave? Don’t let it concern you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.^{[o] 22} For he who is called by the Lord as a slave^(AB) is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave. ²³ You were bought^(AC) at a price; do not become slaves of people. ²⁴ Brothers and sisters, each person is to remain with God in the situation in which he was called.