1 Corinthians 7:25-8:13

New King James Version

To the Unmarried and Widows

²⁵Now concerning virgins: ^(A)I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one ^(B)whom the Lord in His mercy has made ^(C)trustworthy. ²⁶I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—^(D)that it is good for a man to remain as he is: ²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.

²⁹But ^(E)this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, ³⁰those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, ³¹and those who use this world as not ^(F)misusing it. For ^(G)the form of this world is passing away.

³²But I want you to be without ^[a]care. ^(H)He who is unmarried ^[b]cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. ³³But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. ³⁴There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman ^(I)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. ³⁵And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

³⁶But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his ^[c]virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry. ³⁷Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his ^[d]virgin, does well. ³⁸^(J)So then he who gives ^[e]her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.

³⁹^(K)A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, ^(L)only in the Lord. ⁴⁰But she is happier if she remains as she is, ^(M)according to my judgment—and ^(N)I think I also have the Spirit of God.

Be Sensitive to Conscience

8 Now ^(O)concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have ^(P)knowledge. ^(Q)Knowledge ^[f]puffs up, but love ^[g]edifies. ²And ^(R)if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. ³But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

⁴Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that ^(S)an idol is nothing in the world, ^(T)and that there is no other God but one. ⁵For even if there are ^(U)so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), ⁶yet ^(V)for us there is one God, the Father, ^(W)of whom are all things, and we for Him; and ^(X)one Lord Jesus Christ, ^(Y)through whom are all things, and ^(Z)through whom we live.

⁷However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, ^(AA)with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is ^(AB)defiled. ⁸But ^(AC)food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

⁹But ^(AD)beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become ^(AE)a ^[h]stumbling block to those who are weak. ¹⁰For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not ^(AF)the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? ¹¹And ^(AG)because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? ¹²But ^(AH)when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, ^(AI)if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.