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Manželstvo a zdržanlivosť

A teraz ešte k ďalším otázkam vášho listu. Ak muž dokáže žiť bez ženy, je mu to na dobré.

Lepšie je však nepreceniť svoje sily a nepodľahnúť pokušeniu s cudzou ženou, preto nech má muž svoju manželku a žena svojho manžela.

Pohlavná túžba je prirodzená a jej naplnenie by si manželia nemali vzájomne odopierať.

V manželstve nemá ani muž, ani žena právo nakladať so svojím telom bez ohľadu na toho druhého.

Preto si vzájomne vychádzajte v ústrety, iba ak po vzájomnej dohode na nejaký čas zachováte zdržanlivosť kvôli modlitbám; potom sa zas odovzdajte jeden druhému, aby ste sa nevystavovali nebezpečným pokušeniam.

Tým samozrejme nikomu manželstvo nenariaďujem, iba vyslovujem súhlas s ním.

Pochopiteľne by som bol rád, keby mal každý silu zriecť sa ho, ako mám ja. Ale Boh nedáva každému rovnaký dar: jednému dá to, inému ono.

Osamelým a najmä vdovám odporúčam, aby už nevstupovali do manželstva.

Ale keby im zdržanlivosť pôsobila ťažkosti, nech sa radšej oženia alebo vydajú. Je lepšie sa vydať a oženiť než sa trápiť neukojenou túžbou.

10 Pre manželov však platí jednoznačne (a to nie je môj príkaz, ale Kristov): žena nech neodchádza od svojho muža --

11 a ak už odišla a nechce sa k nemu vrátiť, nech zostane nevydatá. Takisto ani muž sa nesmie rozviesť so ženou.

12 O ďalších problémoch nemám priame pokyny od Pána. Ja by som však radil toto:

13 ak sa stal kresťanom iba jeden z manželov, a ten druhý chce ďalej žiť s ním, nech sa nerozchádzajú.

14 Nemusíte mať strach, že by vaše deti boli nečisté. Viera čo len jedného z manželov má v tomto prípade očistný účinok aj na druhého, neveriaceho, a i na vaše deti.

15 Ale ak neveriaci chce z manželstva odísť, nechajte ho. Nie ste predsa povinní držať sa ho za každú cenu, ako by ste boli jeho otrokom.

16 Či máte nejakú záruku, že ho zachránite, keď odmietnete rozchod?

17 Každý by mal zostať v tom stave, v akom ho zastihlo Božie povolanie. Tak to vysvetľujem vo všetkých kresťanských zboroch.

18 Kto sa napríklad dal podľa židovského spôsobu obrezať, nech ho to netrápi, keď sa stal kresťanom. A kto nebol obrezaný, nemusí sa tomu obradu podrobovať ani teraz.

19 Pre kresťana nie je dôležité, či sa podrobil obradu obriezky alebo nie.

20 Dôležité je, aby plnil Božie príkazy.

Zostaň teda tým, čím si bol, keď si počul Boží volajúci hlas.

21 Zastihol ťa v otroctve? Nič si z toho nerob, otroctvo hriechu je oveľa nebezpečnejšie -- a z toho si predsa vyslobodený. Ani občianskymi slobodami nepohŕdaj, ak ich môžeš využiť.

22 A naopak, ak si slobodným občanom, pamätaj, že Kristus ťa povolal, aby si sa stal jeho otrokom.

23 On ťa kúpil a draho zaplatil. Ako by ťa mohlo zotročiť niečo iné?

24 Nehľadaj teda únik z postavenia, v ktorom si bol, keď ťa Kristus povolal. On je tam predsa s tebou.

25 O nevydatých dievčatách mi Kristus nedal nijaké osobitné pokyny. No keď mi Boh dal vašu dôveru, poviem vám svoju osobnú mienku.

26 Myslím, že s ohľadom na súženia, ktoré sa dajú očakávať, je múdrejšie nevydávať sa.

27 Manželia, pravda, nech sa preto nerozchádzajú, ale slobodní nech sa neponáhľajú do manželstva.

28 Kto sa napriek hroziacemu nebezpečenstvu predsa rozhodne vstúpiť do manželstva, ten samozrejme nehreší, musí však rátať s tým, že mu z toho rozhodnutia vyplynú problémy, a tých by som vás teraz rád ušetril.

29 Hlavne nesmieme zabúdať, že už nemáme mnoho času pred sebou.

30 Tak teda či máš manželku, alebo nemáš, či si smutný, alebo sa raduješ, nedaj sa tým odvádzať od Božieho diela.

31 Využívaj s radosťou všetko dobré, čo ponúka život, ale pamätaj, že z toho nič nepotrvá večne, a neupínaj sa na svet, ktorý dnes je a zajtra nemusí byť.

32 Bol by som rád, keby ste si sami nepridávali starosti. Neženatý môže venovať svoj čas Božiemu dielu,

33 kým ženatý sa musí starať o ženu a rodinu, a tak sa deliť medzi Boha a pozemské veci.

34 Rovnako aj vydatá žena musí dbať o to, aby sa ľúbila mužovi, vyhovela jeho záľubám, musí sa starať o domácnosť. Naproti tomu slobodné dievča a žena, ktorá nemá muža, má skôr možnosť starať sa o krásu ducha, aby sa páčila Bohu.

35 To všetko vám hovorím, aby som vám pomohol, nie aby som vás odradil od manželstva. Chcem vám ukázať, ako slúžiť Pánovi čo najlepšie a čo všetko by vás mohlo od toho odvádzať.

36 Kto si nevie predstaviť život bez manželstva, nech doň vstúpi, nie je na tom nič zlého.

37 Kto však tak dobre ovláda seba, že vie udržať na uzde svoju túžbu a rozhodne sa zostať slobodný, múdro robí.

38 Tak teda oboje je správne, ale to druhé je lepšie.

39 Žena je viazaná vernosťou, kým žije jej muž. Keď ovdovie, je voľná a môže sa opäť vydať, no iba za kresťana.

40 Bude však šťastnejšia, ak to neurobí. To je moja rada a nazdávam sa, že aj ja sa môžem odvolávať na vedenie Božím Duchom.

Concerning Married Life

Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”(A) But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife,(B) and likewise the wife to her husband. 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. 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. I say this as a concession, not as a command.(F) 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)

Now to the unmarried[a] and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.(I) 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. 20 Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.(V)

21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22 For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person;(W) similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.(X) 23 You were bought at a price;(Y) do not become slaves of human beings. 24 Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.(Z)

Concerning the Unmarried

25 Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord,(AA) but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy(AB) is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is.(AC) 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife.(AD) 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned;(AE) and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short.(AF) From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.(AG)

32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs(AH)—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.(AI) But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided(AJ) devotion to the Lord.

36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong[b] and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning.(AK) They should get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. 38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right,(AL) but he who does not marry her does better.[c]

39 A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives.(AM) But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.(AN) 40 In my judgment,(AO) she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 7:8 Or widowers
  2. 1 Corinthians 7:36 Or if she is getting beyond the usual age for marriage
  3. 1 Corinthians 7:38 Or 36 If anyone thinks he is not treating his daughter properly, and if she is getting along in years (or if her passions are too strong), and he feels she ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. He should let her get married. 37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind to keep the virgin unmarried—this man also does the right thing. 38 So then, he who gives his virgin in marriage does right, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.