1 Corinthians 7:1-24 - Concerning Christian Marriage

¹ Now concerning the things of which ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ² Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. ³ Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority of her own body, but the husband; and likewise also the husband does not have authority of his own body, but the wife. ⁵ Do not defraud one another, except it be with mutual consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer and come together again, that Satan not tempt you for your incontinency. ⁶ But I speak this by permission, and not by commandment. ⁷ For I would that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one after this manner and another after that.

⁸ I say, therefore, to the unmarried men and widowers, It is good for them if they abide even as I. ⁹ But if they do not have the gift of continence, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn.

¹⁰ And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife separate from her husband; ¹¹ and if she separates, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife. ¹² But to the rest I speak, not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that does not believe, and she consents to dwell with him, let him not put her away. ¹³ And the woman who has a husband that does not believe and if he consents to dwell with her, let her not leave him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbelieving spouse separates, let them separate. The brother or the sister is not under slavery in such cases, but God has called us to peace. ¹⁶ For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

¹⁷ But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let them walk. And so I ordain in all the congregations . ¹⁸ Is anyone called being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Is anyone called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments of God. ²⁰ Let each abide in the same calling in which he was called. ²¹ Art thou called being a slave? care not for it; but if thou may be made free, use it rather. ²² For he that is called in the Lord, being a slave, is the Lord's freeman; likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's slave. ²³ Ye are bought with a price; do not make yourselves the slaves of men. ²⁴ Each one, brothers, in that state in which he was called, let him abide with God.