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

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Footnotes

  1. 7:3 NU and TR have “what is owed her” instead of “the affection owed her”.

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