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Concerning Marriage and Singleness

Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is (A)good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of sexual immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must [a]fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. (B)Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and [b]come together again so that (C)Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But this I say as a concession, (D)not as a command.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 7:3 Lit render
  2. 1 Corinthians 7:5 Lit be

Concerning Marriage

Now about what you asked: “Is it advisable for a man not to touch a woman inappropriately?”[a] Yes, and yet[b] because sexual immorality is so rampant,[c] every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband.

A husband should fulfill his obligation to his wife, and a wife should do the same for her husband. A wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but his wife does. Do not withhold yourselves from each other unless you agree to do so just for a set time, in order to devote yourselves to prayer.[d] Then you should come together again so that Satan does not tempt you through your lack of self-control. But I say this as a concession, not as a command.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 7:1 The Gk. lacks inappropriately
  2. 1 Corinthians 7:2 The Gk. lacks Yes, and yet
  3. 1 Corinthians 7:2 Lit. because of instances of sexual immorality
  4. 1 Corinthians 7:5 Other mss. read to fasting and prayer