New Testament in a Year

²⁰ All people should stay as they were when they were called. ²¹ Were you a slave when you were called? That shouldn’t bother you. However, if you have a chance to become free, take it. ²² If the Lord called you when you were a slave, you are the Lord’s free person. In the same way, if you were free when you were called, you are Christ’s slave. ²³ You were bought for a price. Don’t become anyone’s slaves. ²⁴ Brothers and sisters, you should remain in whatever circumstances you were in when God called you. God is with you in those circumstances.

²⁵ Concerning virgins: Even though I don’t have any command from the Lord, I’ll give you my opinion. I’m a person to whom the Lord has shown mercy, so I can be trusted. ²⁶ Because of the present crisis I believe it is good for people to remain as they are. ²⁷ Do you have a wife? Don’t seek a divorce. Are you divorced from your wife? Don’t look for another one. ²⁸ But if you do get married, you have not sinned. If a virgin gets married, she has not sinned. However, these people will have trouble, and I would like to spare them from that.

²⁹ This is what I mean, brothers and sisters: The time has been shortened. While it lasts, those who are married should live as though they were not. ³⁰ Those who have eyes filled with tears should live as though they have no sorrow. Those who are happy should live as though there was nothing to be happy about. Those who buy something should live as though they didn’t own it. ³¹ Those who use the things in this world should do so but not depend on them. It is clear that this world in its present form is passing away.

³² So I don’t want you to have any concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, ⌞that is,⌟ about how he can please the Lord. ³³ But the married man is concerned about earthly things, ⌞that is,⌟ about how he can please his wife. ³⁴ His attention is divided.

An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the Lord’s things so that she may be holy in body and in spirit. But the married woman is concerned about earthly things, ⌞that is,⌟ about how she can please her husband. ³⁵ I’m saying this for your benefit, not to restrict you. I’m showing you how to live a noble life of devotion to the Lord without being distracted by other things.

³⁶ No father would want to do the wrong thing when his virgin daughter is old enough to get married. If she wants to get married, he isn’t sinning by letting her get married. ³⁷ However, a father may have come to a decision about his daughter. If his decision is to keep her ⌞at home⌟ because she doesn’t want to get married, that’s fine. ³⁸ So it’s fine for a father to give his daughter in marriage, but the father who doesn’t give his daughter in marriage does even better.

³⁹ A married woman must remain with her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if the man is a Christian.^{[a] 40} However, she will be more blessed if she stays as she is. That is my opinion, and I think that I, too, have God’s Spirit.