What the Bible says about Marriage
1 Corinthians 7:1 - 1 Corinthians 7:18
About Marriage
7 Now I will discuss the things you wrote me about. It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.
2 But because sexual sin is a danger, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.
3 The husband should give his wife all that he owes her as his wife. And the wife should give her husband all that she owes him as her husband.
4 The wife does not have full rights over her own body; her husband shares them. And the husband does not have full rights over his own body; his wife shares them.
5 Do not refuse to give your bodies to each other, unless you both agree to stay away from sexual relations for a time so you can give your time to prayer. Then come together again so Satan cannot tempt you because of a lack of self-control.
6 I say this to give you permission to stay away from sexual relations for a time. It is not a command to do so.
7 I wish that everyone were like me, but each person has his own gift from God. One has one gift, another has another gift.
8 Now for those who are not married and for the widows I say this: It is good for them to stay unmarried as I am.
9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry. It is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.
10 Now I give this command for the married people. (The command is not from me; it is from the Lord.) A wife should not leave her husband.
11 But if she does leave, she must not marry again, or she should make up with her husband. Also the husband should not divorce his wife.
12 For all the others I say this (I am saying this, not the Lord): If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer, and she is happy to live with him, he must not divorce her.
13 And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer, and he is happy to live with her, she must not divorce him.
14 The husband who is not a believer is made holy through his believing wife. And the wife who is not a believer is made holy through her believing husband. If this were not true, your children would not be clean, but now your children are holy.
15 But if those who are not believers decide to leave, let them leave. When this happens, the Christian man or woman is free. But God called us to live in peace.
16 Wife, you don’t know; maybe you will save your husband. And husband, you don’t know; maybe you will save your wife.
Live as God Called You
17 But in any case each one of you should continue to live the way God has given you to live—the way you were when God called you. This is a rule I make in all the churches.
18 If a man was already circumcised when he was called, he should not undo his circumcision. If a man was without circumcision when he was called, he should not be circumcised.
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7:1–40 Marriage problems
This is the longest discussion of sexuality and related matters in all of Paul’s letters. It contains vital information on issues not touched upon elsewhere. Failure to understand the circumstances which gave rise to the problems written about in 7:1 and 7:25 has meant that valuable teaching on singleness and marriage has been ignored.
Concerning the circumstances: one clue rests in the letter itself, for Paul refers to the present crisis in 7:26 which gave rise to Christians rethinking the appropriateness of engaged couples getting married (7:25). There is firm archaeological and literary evidence which indicates that there had been food shortages in Corinth during this period. These were inevitably accompanied by panic buying and riots because of social unrest and uncertainty about the future. Eleven inscriptions to the same person who was three times in charge of the grain supply in Corinth have been uncovered from this period. This office was only filled in times of famine, so there is good reason for connecting the crisis with the threat of famine. Tacitus also records earthquakes and famines. Many believed that these were divine portents. We know that Christians believed that the signs of the tribulation would be famines and earthquakes, and a blessedness was pronounced on those who were not pregnant (Mt. 24:7, 19; Mk 13:17). Here Paul not only answers their immediate questions but also provides an important framework in which Christian marriage is to be seen.
Read more from New Bible Commentary
1 Corinthians 13:4 - 1 Corinthians 13:7
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.
5 Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done.
6 Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth.
7 Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures.
4-7 Christian love is now described positively and negatively. Its positive characteristics are patience (slow to become resentful), kindness, delight in the truth, and a protective, trusting, hopeful, and persevering attitude. Verses 4b-6a state love's characteristics negatively. "Is not rude" may refer obliquely to the disorderly conduct at worship (11:2-16; 14). Love "keeps no record of wrongs"; indeed, for love to keep a record of wrongs violates its nature. Love does not rejoice in evil, in which it has no part; but it does "rejoice with" the truth, with which it does have a part.
Furthermore, love covers the faults of others rather than delighting in them (v.7). It is trusting, optimistic, and willing to endure persecution (cf. Ro 5:3-4). In short, it "perseveres".
Read more from Expositors Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament
4 Marriage should be honored by everyone, and husband and wife should keep their marriage pure. God will judge as guilty those who take part in sexual sins.
4 From love for the badly treated the author turns to love within the marriage bond. The opening expression implies an imperative: "Let marriage be held in honor." "By all" probably means "in all circumstances." Some ascetics held marriage in low esteem, but the author of Hebrews rejects this position. "The marriage bed" is a euphemism for sexual intercourse. He considers the physical side of marriage important and "pure." Contrary to the views of some thinkers in the ancient world, there is nothing defiling about it. Over against honorable marriage he sets the "sexually immoral" and the "adulterer" (a word used for a violation of the marriage bond).
All forms of sexual sin come under the judgment of God. This was a novel view to many in the first century. For them chastity was an unreasonable demand to make. It is one of the unrecognized miracles that Christians were able not only to make this demand but to make it stick. Sexual sinners are likely to go their way, careless of all others. But in the end they will be judged by none less than God.
Read more from Expositors Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament