New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
1 Corinthians 7
1
Now I want to deal with the things you wrote me about. Some of you say, "It is good for a man not to have sex with a woman."
Reference
2
But since there is so much sexual sin, each man should have his own wife. And each woman should have her own husband.
Reference
3
A husband should satisfy his wife's sexual needs. And a wife should satisfy her husband's sexual needs.
Reference
4
The wife's body does not belong only to her. It also belongs to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong only to him. It also belongs to his wife.
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5
You shouldn't stop giving yourselves to each other except when you both agree to do so. And that should be only to give yourselves time to pray for a while. Then you should come together again. In that way, Satan will not tempt you when you can't control yourselves.
Reference
7
I wish all of you were like me. But you each have your own gift from God. One has this gift. Another has that.
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8
I speak to those who are not married. I also speak to widows. It is good for you to stay single like me.
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9
But if you can't control yourselves, you should get married. It is better to get married than to burn with sexual longing.
Reference
10
I give a command to those who are married. It is a direct command from the Lord, not from me. A wife must not leave her husband.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 5:32
Luke 16:18
1 Corinthians 7:15
1 Corinthians 7:6
References Lord
Jeremiah 3:20
1 Corinthians 7:12
1 Corinthians 7:25
11
But if she does, she must not get married again. Or she can go back to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
Reference
12
I also have something to say to everyone else. It is from me, not a direct command from the Lord. Suppose a brother has a wife who is not a believer. If she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
Reference
13
And suppose a woman has a husband who is not a believer. If he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.
14
The unbelieving husband has been made holy through his wife. The unbelieving wife has been made holy through her believing husband. If that were not the case, your children would not be pure and clean. But as it is, they are holy.
Reference
15
If the unbeliever leaves, let that person go. In that case, a believing man or woman does not have to stay married. God wants us to live in peace.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 12:50
Peace
Romans 14:19
2 Corinthians 13:11
Romans 12:18
1 Corinthians 14:33
16
Wife, how do you know if you can save your husband? Husband, how do you know if you can save your wife?
Reference
17
But each of you should remain in the place in life that the Lord has given you. Stay as you were when God chose you. That's the rule all the churches must follow.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Corinthians 8:18
1 Corinthians 7:18
2 Corinthians 11:28
Matthew 19:12
References God
1 Corinthians 7:24
1 Corinthians 14:33
1 Corinthians 7:7
References Lord
1 Corinthians 4:17
18
Was a man already circumcised when God chose him? Then he should not become uncircumcised. Was he uncircumcised when God chose him? Then he should not be circumcised.
Reference
19
Being circumcised means nothing. Being uncircumcised means nothing. Doing what God commands is what counts.
Reference
21
Were you a slave when God chose you? Don't let it trouble you. But if you can get your master to set you free, do it.
Reference
22
Those who were slaves when the Lord chose them are now the Lord's free people. Those who were free when God chose them are now slaves of Christ.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Peter 2:16
Galatians 5:13
References Christ
Galatians 5:1
References Lord
Philemon 1:16
Psalm 116:16
24
Brothers and sisters, you are accountable to God. So all of you should stay as you were when God chose you.
Reference
25
Now I want to say something about virgins. I have no direct command from the Lord. But I give my opinion. Because of the Lord's mercy, I give it as one who can be trusted.
Reference
27
Are you married? Then don't get a divorce. Are you single? Then don't look for a wife.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Corinthians 7:20
28
But if you get married, you have not sinned. And if a virgin gets married, she has not sinned. But those who get married will have many troubles in this life. I want to save you from that.
Reference
29
Brothers and sisters, what I mean is that the time is short. From now on, those who have a husband or wife should live as if they did not.
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30
Those who are sad should live as if they were not. Those who are happy should live as if they were not. Those who buy something should live as if it were not theirs to keep.
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31
Those who use the things of the world should not become all wrapped up in them. The world as it now exists is passing away.
Reference
32
I don't want you to have anything to worry about. A single man is concerned about the Lord's matters. He wants to know how he can please the Lord.
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33
But a married man is concerned about the matters of this world. He wants to know how he can please his wife.
Reference
34
His concerns pull him in two directions. A single woman or a virgin is concerned about the Lord's matters. She wants to serve the Lord with both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the matters of this world. She wants to know how she can please her husband.
Reference
Spirit
1 Corinthians 6:20
35
I'm saying those things for your own good. I'm not trying to hold you back. I want you to be free to live in a way that is right. I want you to give yourselves completely to the Lord.
Reference
36
Suppose a man thinks he is not acting properly toward the virgin he has promised to marry. Suppose she is getting old, and he feels that he should marry her. He should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married.
Reference
37
But suppose the man has decided not to marry the virgin. And suppose he has no compelling need to get married and can control himself. If he has made up his mind not to get married, he also does the right thing.
38
So then, the man who marries the virgin does the right thing. But the man who doesn't marry her does an even better thing.
Reference
39
A woman has to stay married to her husband as long as he lives. If he dies, she is free to marry anyone she wants to. But the one she marries must belong to the Lord.
Reference
40
In my opinion, she is happier if she stays single. And I also think that I am led by the Spirit of God in saying that.
Summary of 1 Corinthians 7
1 Corinthians 7 responds to questions about marriage, singleness, sexual relationships, divorce, mixed-faith marriages, personal calling, and Christian freedom, with Paul explaining that both marriage and unmarried life can honor God when people live faithfully within the situation God has given them.
Paul emphasizes mutual responsibility within marriage, teaching that husbands and wives should care for one another rather than treating marriage as a relationship controlled by only one person, while also explaining that temporary periods of sexual abstinence should be agreed upon by both spouses and should have a clear spiritual purpose.
He teaches that married believers should normally remain committed to their marriages, while Christians married to unbelievers should not seek divorce simply because their spouse does not share their faith, although a believer should allow the unbelieving spouse to leave if that person refuses to remain in the marriage.
Paul then broadens his teaching by encouraging Christians to remain faithful in their present circumstances, whether they are circumcised or uncircumcised, married or unmarried, free or enslaved, because a person's social position does not determine their value before God.
The chapter gives special attention to singleness because Paul believes unmarried believers can sometimes serve God with greater freedom and fewer responsibilities, yet he clearly says that marriage is not sinful and that people who marry are making a good and honorable choice.
Paul's overall point is that Christians should not allow marriage, family responsibilities, social status, possessions, or changing circumstances to control their identity, because the present world is temporary and believers should use whatever situation they are in to remain faithful to Christ.
Historical Context
1 Corinthians 7 is particularly important because it gives us a detailed picture of marriage and family life in the first-century Roman world while also showing how the Christian message challenged some normal social expectations.
Paul wrote the chapter around AD 53–55, probably from Ephesus, after receiving questions from the Corinthian Christians about marriage and sexual behavior.
The Corinthian church existed within a society where marriage was strongly connected with family, property, inheritance, children, social status, and household responsibilities.
Marriage customs varied considerably between Jewish and Roman communities, and the practical experience of marriage could also be very different depending on whether someone was wealthy, poor, enslaved, free, male, or female.
Against this background, Paul's teaching about mutual responsibility between husband and wife is especially significant.
He does not describe the husband as the only person with sexual rights within marriage.
Instead, he tells husbands and wives that they have responsibilities toward one another, presenting marriage as a relationship involving mutual giving and mutual consideration.
Paul also addresses temporary sexual abstinence for prayer, but he insists that this should be done by mutual agreement, which again emphasizes the shared responsibility of both spouses.
The chapter also shows that some Corinthians may have believed that the best way to be spiritually pure was to avoid marriage or sexual relationships completely.
Paul does not accept the idea that marriage itself is spiritually inferior.
Instead, he recognizes two legitimate paths: marriage and voluntary singleness.
Paul personally values singleness because it can provide greater freedom for missionary work and service, but he repeatedly makes clear that marriage is not a sin.
This balance is important because Paul does not create a hierarchy in which married Christians are less spiritual than unmarried Christians.
The chapter also deals with divorce, which was a real and accepted practice in the first-century world.
Jewish and Roman laws had different approaches to divorce, and men often had greater practical power to initiate separation.
Paul's teaching is striking because he gives instructions to both husbands and wives, telling them not to abandon their marriages while also providing guidance for situations where separation has already occurred.
One particularly important situation was the mixed-faith marriage.
Christianity was spreading rapidly into Gentile communities, meaning that a person could become a Christian while their husband or wife remained committed to another religion.
Paul does not tell the Christian spouse to automatically leave the marriage.
Instead, if the unbelieving spouse is willing to remain, the Christian should continue the marriage and live faithfully within it.
If the unbelieving spouse chooses to leave, however, Paul says the Christian should allow the separation and pursue peace.
This shows that Paul understands Christian faith as something that can exist within ordinary family relationships, rather than requiring believers to abandon everyone who does not share their faith.
The chapter also addresses circumcision, which was one of the most important identity markers separating Jewish and Gentile communities.
Paul tells believers not to become obsessed with changing their physical or cultural status because what matters most is faithful obedience to God.
This principle is then applied to slavery.
Slavery was deeply embedded in the Roman Empire, and enslaved people worked in households, agriculture, businesses, workshops, government-related activities, and many other settings.
Paul tells enslaved Christians that their social condition does not determine their spiritual identity because they are the Lord's freed people, while free Christians are servants of Christ.
At the same time, Paul says that an enslaved believer should take freedom if a genuine opportunity becomes available.
This shows that Paul recognizes earthly freedom as valuable while also teaching that spiritual identity in Christ is greater than social status.
Another important historical point is Paul's reference to the "present distress" or difficult circumstances.
Scholars debate exactly what situation Paul has in mind, and the text does not identify a single specific crisis.
It may refer broadly to the pressures and uncertainties facing Christians in the first century, including social opposition, persecution in some places, economic difficulties, and the responsibilities of ordinary life.
Paul therefore believes that unmarried Christians may sometimes have an advantage because they can respond to difficult circumstances with greater freedom.
His argument is practical rather than a statement that marriage is spiritually inferior.
Paul's statement that "the time is short" also reflects the early Christian expectation that Christ would return and God's kingdom would be fully revealed.
Because believers understood the present world as temporary, Paul encourages them not to become completely controlled by marriage, grief, happiness, possessions, or other temporary experiences.
This does not mean Christians should stop caring about ordinary life.
Rather, they should learn to live within ordinary life while remembering that Christ is more important than any temporary circumstance.
The central message of 1 Corinthians 7 is that Christians can faithfully serve God whether they are married, unmarried, widowed, separated, socially free, or enslaved, because their spiritual identity does not depend on their changing circumstances.
Paul teaches that marriage is good and honorable, while singleness can also be a valuable gift that gives some people greater freedom to focus on serving God.
Within marriage, he emphasizes mutual love, responsibility, respect, and faithfulness, showing that neither husband nor wife should treat the other as though their needs and desires do not matter.
Paul also teaches that Christians should not quickly abandon their marriages because of differences in faith, while recognizing that peace sometimes requires allowing an unbelieving spouse to leave.
His teaching about social status is equally important because he reminds believers that being Jewish or Gentile, enslaved or free, married or unmarried does not determine their value before God.
The chapter repeatedly points believers away from the pressure to change their circumstances simply to feel more spiritual and toward the idea of faithfulness wherever God has placed them.
Paul's larger perspective is that the present world is temporary, so Christians should enjoy and responsibly manage ordinary relationships and responsibilities without allowing them to become more important than their relationship with Christ.
The final lesson is that there is no single Christian lifestyle that makes a person more valuable to God, because both marriage and singleness can honor Him when they are lived with faithfulness, self-control, love, and a clear understanding that Christ comes before every earthly relationship.
vidIQ
Paul emphasizes mutual responsibility within marriage, teaching that husbands and wives should care for one another rather than treating marriage as a relationship controlled by only one person, while also explaining that temporary periods of sexual abstinence should be agreed upon by both spouses and should have a clear spiritual purpose.
He teaches that married believers should normally remain committed to their marriages, while Christians married to unbelievers should not seek divorce simply because their spouse does not share their faith, although a believer should allow the unbelieving spouse to leave if that person refuses to remain in the marriage.
Paul then broadens his teaching by encouraging Christians to remain faithful in their present circumstances, whether they are circumcised or uncircumcised, married or unmarried, free or enslaved, because a person's social position does not determine their value before God.
The chapter gives special attention to singleness because Paul believes unmarried believers can sometimes serve God with greater freedom and fewer responsibilities, yet he clearly says that marriage is not sinful and that people who marry are making a good and honorable choice.
Paul's overall point is that Christians should not allow marriage, family responsibilities, social status, possessions, or changing circumstances to control their identity, because the present world is temporary and believers should use whatever situation they are in to remain faithful to Christ.
Historical Context
1 Corinthians 7 is particularly important because it gives us a detailed picture of marriage and family life in the first-century Roman world while also showing how the Christian message challenged some normal social expectations.
Paul wrote the chapter around AD 53–55, probably from Ephesus, after receiving questions from the Corinthian Christians about marriage and sexual behavior.
The Corinthian church existed within a society where marriage was strongly connected with family, property, inheritance, children, social status, and household responsibilities.
Marriage customs varied considerably between Jewish and Roman communities, and the practical experience of marriage could also be very different depending on whether someone was wealthy, poor, enslaved, free, male, or female.
Against this background, Paul's teaching about mutual responsibility between husband and wife is especially significant.
He does not describe the husband as the only person with sexual rights within marriage.
Instead, he tells husbands and wives that they have responsibilities toward one another, presenting marriage as a relationship involving mutual giving and mutual consideration.
Paul also addresses temporary sexual abstinence for prayer, but he insists that this should be done by mutual agreement, which again emphasizes the shared responsibility of both spouses.
The chapter also shows that some Corinthians may have believed that the best way to be spiritually pure was to avoid marriage or sexual relationships completely.
Paul does not accept the idea that marriage itself is spiritually inferior.
Instead, he recognizes two legitimate paths: marriage and voluntary singleness.
Paul personally values singleness because it can provide greater freedom for missionary work and service, but he repeatedly makes clear that marriage is not a sin.
This balance is important because Paul does not create a hierarchy in which married Christians are less spiritual than unmarried Christians.
The chapter also deals with divorce, which was a real and accepted practice in the first-century world.
Jewish and Roman laws had different approaches to divorce, and men often had greater practical power to initiate separation.
Paul's teaching is striking because he gives instructions to both husbands and wives, telling them not to abandon their marriages while also providing guidance for situations where separation has already occurred.
One particularly important situation was the mixed-faith marriage.
Christianity was spreading rapidly into Gentile communities, meaning that a person could become a Christian while their husband or wife remained committed to another religion.
Paul does not tell the Christian spouse to automatically leave the marriage.
Instead, if the unbelieving spouse is willing to remain, the Christian should continue the marriage and live faithfully within it.
If the unbelieving spouse chooses to leave, however, Paul says the Christian should allow the separation and pursue peace.
This shows that Paul understands Christian faith as something that can exist within ordinary family relationships, rather than requiring believers to abandon everyone who does not share their faith.
The chapter also addresses circumcision, which was one of the most important identity markers separating Jewish and Gentile communities.
Paul tells believers not to become obsessed with changing their physical or cultural status because what matters most is faithful obedience to God.
This principle is then applied to slavery.
Slavery was deeply embedded in the Roman Empire, and enslaved people worked in households, agriculture, businesses, workshops, government-related activities, and many other settings.
Paul tells enslaved Christians that their social condition does not determine their spiritual identity because they are the Lord's freed people, while free Christians are servants of Christ.
At the same time, Paul says that an enslaved believer should take freedom if a genuine opportunity becomes available.
This shows that Paul recognizes earthly freedom as valuable while also teaching that spiritual identity in Christ is greater than social status.
Another important historical point is Paul's reference to the "present distress" or difficult circumstances.
Scholars debate exactly what situation Paul has in mind, and the text does not identify a single specific crisis.
It may refer broadly to the pressures and uncertainties facing Christians in the first century, including social opposition, persecution in some places, economic difficulties, and the responsibilities of ordinary life.
Paul therefore believes that unmarried Christians may sometimes have an advantage because they can respond to difficult circumstances with greater freedom.
His argument is practical rather than a statement that marriage is spiritually inferior.
Paul's statement that "the time is short" also reflects the early Christian expectation that Christ would return and God's kingdom would be fully revealed.
Because believers understood the present world as temporary, Paul encourages them not to become completely controlled by marriage, grief, happiness, possessions, or other temporary experiences.
This does not mean Christians should stop caring about ordinary life.
Rather, they should learn to live within ordinary life while remembering that Christ is more important than any temporary circumstance.
The central message of 1 Corinthians 7 is that Christians can faithfully serve God whether they are married, unmarried, widowed, separated, socially free, or enslaved, because their spiritual identity does not depend on their changing circumstances.
Paul teaches that marriage is good and honorable, while singleness can also be a valuable gift that gives some people greater freedom to focus on serving God.
Within marriage, he emphasizes mutual love, responsibility, respect, and faithfulness, showing that neither husband nor wife should treat the other as though their needs and desires do not matter.
Paul also teaches that Christians should not quickly abandon their marriages because of differences in faith, while recognizing that peace sometimes requires allowing an unbelieving spouse to leave.
His teaching about social status is equally important because he reminds believers that being Jewish or Gentile, enslaved or free, married or unmarried does not determine their value before God.
The chapter repeatedly points believers away from the pressure to change their circumstances simply to feel more spiritual and toward the idea of faithfulness wherever God has placed them.
Paul's larger perspective is that the present world is temporary, so Christians should enjoy and responsibly manage ordinary relationships and responsibilities without allowing them to become more important than their relationship with Christ.
The final lesson is that there is no single Christian lifestyle that makes a person more valuable to God, because both marriage and singleness can honor Him when they are lived with faithfulness, self-control, love, and a clear understanding that Christ comes before every earthly relationship.
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