rd

1 Corinthians 7

1 The Apostle answereth to certain questions, which the Corinthians desired to know, 2 As of single life, 3 Of the duty of marriage, 21 Of discords and dissension in marriage, 13 Of marriage between the faithful & unfaithful. 18 Of uncircumcising the circumcised. 21 Of servitude. 25 Of virginity, 39 And second marriage.
1.Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me, It were good for a man not to touch a woman.
2.Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3.Let the husband give unto the wife due benevolence, and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4.The wife hath not the power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not the power of his own body, but the wife.
5.Defraud not one another, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give your selves to fasting and prayer, and again come together that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6.But I speak this by permission, not by commandment.
7.For I would that all men were even as I my self am: but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8.Therefore I say unto the unmarried, and unto the widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I do.
9.But if they can not abstain, let them marry: for it is better to marry then to burn.
10.And unto the married I command, not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband.
11.But & if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled unto her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife.
12.But to the remnant I speak, and not the Lord, If any brother have a wife, that believeth not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not forsake her.
13.And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, if he be content to dwell with her, let her not forsake him.
14.For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, else were your children unclean: but now are they holie.
15.But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart: a brother or a sister is not in subjection in such things: but God hath called us in peace.
16.For what knowest thou, ô wife, whither thou shalt save thine husband? Or what knowest thou, ô man, whither thou shalt save thy wife?
17.But as God hath distribute to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk: & so ordain I, in all Churches.
18.Is any man called being circumcised? let him not gather his uncircumcision: is any called uncircumcised? let him not be circumcised.
19.Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20.Let every man abide in the same vocation wherein he was called.
21.Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if yet thou maist be free, use it rather.
22.For he that is called in the Lord being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called being free, is Christ’s servant.
23.Ye are bought with a price: be not the servants of men.
24.Brethren, let every man, wherein he was called, therein abide with God.
25.Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give mine advise, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
26.I suppose then this to be good for the present necessity: I mean that it is good for a man so to be.
27.Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed: art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
28.But if thou takest a wife, thou sinnest not: and if a virgin marry, she sinneth not: nevertheless, such shall have  trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
29.And this I say, brethren, because the time is short, hereafter that both they which have wives, be as thought they had none:
30.And they that weep, as though they wept not: and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not: and they that buy, as though they possessed not:
31.And they that use this world, as though they used it not: for the fashion of this world goeth away.
32.And I would have you without care. The unmarried careth for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.
33.But he that is married, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife .
34.There is difference also between a virgin and a wife: the unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holie, both in body and in spirit: but she that is married, careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35.And this I speak for your own commodity, not to tangle you in a snare, but that ye follow that, which is honest, and that ye may cleave fast unto the Lord without separation.
36.But if any man think that it is uncomely for his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them be married.
37.Nevertheless he that standeth firm in his heart, that he hath no need, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart, that he will keep his virgin, he doeth well.
38.So then he that giveth her to marriage, doeth well, but he that giveth her not to marriage, doeth better.
39.The wife is bound by the law, as long as her husband liveth: but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to marry with whom she will, only in the Lord.
40.But she is more blessed, if she so abide, in my judgement: and I think that I have also the Spirit of God.

Notes

1-a.
Or, expedient because marriage, through man’s corruption, and not by God’s institution brings cares and troubles.
2-b.
Speaking to all men in general.
3-*.
1 Pet. 3.7.
3-c.
Which contains all duties pertaining to marriage.
6-d.
He shows that he commands not precisely all men to marry, but that God has granted this remedy unto them which can not live chaste.
9-e.
With the fire of concupiscence, that is when man’s will so gives place to the lust that tempts, that he can not call upon God with a quiet conscience.
10-*.
Mat. 5.32 and 19.7, Mar. 10.4, Luk. 16.18.
11-f.
For hatred, dissension, anger, & c.
11-g.
Save for whoredom, as Mat. 5.32.
12-h.
In asmuch as there was nothing expressly spoken hereof in the Law, or Prophets: or else he spoke this moved by the Spirit of God as he testified in the 25 verse.
14-i.
Meaning, that the faith of the believer has more power to sanctify marriage then the wickedness of the other to pollute it.
14-k.
They that are born of either of the parents faithful, are also counted members of Christ’s Church, because of the promise, Act. 2.39.
15-l.
When such things come to pass, that the faithful and unfaithful be married together, and the one forsake the other without cause.
17-m.
The lawful vocation in outward things must not lightly be neglected.
18-n.
Which is when the surgeon by art draw out the skin to cover the part, Celsus lib. 7 ca 25, Epiphan. lib. de ponderib and mensur, 1 Maccab 1.16.
19-o.
It is all one whether you be Jew or Gentile.
20-*.
Eph. 4.1, 1 Tim. 6.1.
21-p.
Although God has called you to serve in this life, yet think not your condition unworthy for a Christian: but rejoice, that you are delivered by Christ from the miserable slavery of sin and death.
22-q.
Being servant by condition is made partaker of Christ.
23-*.
Chap. 6.20, 1 Pet. 1.19.
23-^.
Or, dearly.
24-r.
Sincerely: as in the presence of God.
25-^.
Or, the state of virginity.
25-^-1.
Or, believed.
25-s.
He binds no man to that which God has left free, but shows what is most agreeable to God’s will, according to the circumstance of the time, place and persons.
26-t.
To be single.
26-u.
In these afflictions and persecutions.
28-x.
As worldly cares of their children and family.
28-y.
He does not prefer singleness as a thing more holy then marriage, but by reason of incommodities, which the one has more then the other.
28-z.
In wishing that you could live without wives.
29-^.
Or, it remains that.
30-a.
Which be in adversity.
30-b.
Which be in prosperity.
31-c.
In this world there is nothing but mere vanity.
33-||.
, meaning into divers cares
33-d.
Which only appertain to this present life.
34-e.
She may attain unto it sooner then the other, because she is without cares.
35-f.
Seeing S. Paul could bind no man’s conscience to single life, what presumption is it that any other should do it.
36-g.
That is, that she should marry to avoid fornication.
37-h.
Meaning, he that is fully persuaded that he has no need.
37-i.
For the fathers will depends on his children’s in this point: in so much as he is bound to have respect to their infirmity, neither can he justly require of them singleness, if they have not that gift of God so to live.
38-k.
And more commodious for his children in preserving them from cares.
39-*.
Rom. 7.1.
39-l.
Of matrimony.
40-*.
1 Thess. 4.12.