1 Y ou asked me some questions in your letter. This is my answer. It is good if a man does not get married.

Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2 B ut because of being tempted to sex sins, each man should get married and have his own wife. Each woman should get married and have her own husband.

But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.

3 T he husband should please his wife as a husband. The wife should please her husband as a wife.

The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

4 T he wife is not the boss of her own body. It belongs to the husband. And in the same way, the husband is not the boss of his own body. It belongs to the wife.

The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

5 D o not keep from each other that which belongs to each other in marriage unless you agree for awhile so you can use your time to pray. Then come together again or the devil will tempt you to do that which you know you should not do.

Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6 T his is what I think. I am not saying you must do it.

But this I say by way of concession, not of command.

7 I wish everyone were as I am, but each has his own gift from God. One has one gift. Another has another gift.

Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.

8 T his is what I say to those who are not married and to women whose husbands have died. It is good if you do not get married. I am not married.

But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.

9 B ut if you are not able to keep from doing that which you know is wrong, get married. It is better to get married than to have such strong sex desires.

But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 I have this to say to those who are married. These words are from the Lord. A wife should not leave her husband,

But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband

11 b ut if she does leave him, she should not get married to another man. It would be better for her to go back to her husband. The husband should not divorce his wife.

(but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.

12 I have this to say. These words are not from the Lord. If a Christian husband has a wife who is not a Christian, and she wants to live with him, he must not divorce her.

But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her.

13 I f a Christian wife has a husband who is not a Christian, and he wants to live with her, she must not divorce him.

And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.

14 T he husband who is not a Christian is set apart from the sin of the world because of his Christian wife. The wife who is not a Christian is set apart from the sin of the world because of her Christian husband. In this way, the lives of the children are not unclean because of sin, they are clean.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

15 I f the one who is not a Christian wants to leave, let that one go. The Christian husband or wife should not try to make the other one stay. God wants you to live in peace.

Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.

16 C hristian wife, how do you know you will not help your husband to become a Christian? Or Christian husband, how do you know you will not help your wife to become a Christian? Stay as You Were When God Chose You

For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

17 E veryone should live the life the Lord gave to him. He should live as he was when he became a Christian. This is what I teach in all the churches.

Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches.

18 I f a man became a Christian after he had gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew, he should do nothing about it. If a man became a Christian before, he should not go through the religious act of becoming a Jew.

Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised.

19 I f it is done or not done, it means nothing. What is important is to obey God’s Word.

Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.

20 E veryone should stay the same way he was when he became a Christian.

Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called.

21 W ere you a servant who was owned by someone when you became a Christian? Do not worry about it. But if you are able to become free, do that.

Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.

22 A servant who is owned by someone and who has become a Christian is the Lord’s free man. A free man who has become a Christian is a servant owned by Christ.

For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave.

23 H e paid a great price for you when He bought you. Do not let yourselves become servants owned by men.

You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.

24 C hristian brothers, each one should stay as he was when he became a Christian.

Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.

25 I have no word from the Lord about women or men who have never been married. I will tell you what I think. You can trust me because the Lord has given me His loving-kindness.

Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.

26 I think, because of the troubles that are coming, it is a good thing for a person not to get married.

I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is.

27 A re you married to a wife? Do not try to get a divorce. If you are not married, do not look for a wife.

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

28 I f you do get married, you have not sinned. If a woman who is not married gets married, it is no sin. But being married will add problems. I would like to have you free from such problems.

But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.

29 I mean this, Christian brothers. The time is short. A married man should use his time as if he did not have a wife.

But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;

30 T hose who have sorrow should keep on working as if they had no sorrow. Those who have joy should keep on working as if there was no time for joy. Those who buy should have no time to get joy from what they have.

and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;

31 W hile you live in this world, live as if the world has no hold on you. The way of this world will soon be gone.

and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.

32 I want you to be free from the cares of this world. The man who is not married can spend his time working for the Lord and pleasing Him.

But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

33 T he man who is married cares for the things of the world. He wants to please his wife.

but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,

34 M arried women and women who have never been married are different. The woman who has never been married can spend her time working for the Lord. She wants to please the Lord with her body and spirit. The woman who is married cares for the things of the world. She wants to please her husband.

and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

35 I am saying these things to help you. I am not trying to keep you from getting married. I want you to do what is best. You should work for Him without other things taking your time.

This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

36 I f a man and woman expect to get married, and he thinks his desires to marry her are getting too strong, and she is getting older, they should get married. It is no sin.

But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.

37 B ut if a man has the power to keep from getting married and knows in his mind that he should not, he is wise if he does not get married.

But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well.

38 T he man who gets married does well, but the man who does not get married does better.

So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

39 A wife is not free as long as her husband lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wants, if he is a Christian.

A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

40 I think she will be much more happy if she does not get married again. This is what I think. I believe it is what the Holy Spirit is saying.

But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.