Principles for Marriage

7 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: ^t“It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 ^uThe husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 ^vDo not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, ^wso that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6 Now as a concession, ^xnot a command, I say this.¹ 7 ^yI wish that all were ^zas I myself am. But ^aeach has his own gift from God, ^bone of one kind and one of another.

8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that ^cit is good for them to remain single, ^das I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, ^ethey should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 To the married ^fI give this charge (not I, but the Lord): ^gthe wife should not separate from her husband 11 (but if she does, ^hshe should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and ^gthe husband should not divorce his wife.

12 To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. ⁱOtherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you^{2 j}to peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, ^kwhether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Live as You Are Called

17 Only let each person lead the life^{3 l}that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. ^mThis is my rule in ⁿall the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? ^oLet him not seek circumcision. 19 ^pFor neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but ^qkeeping the commandments of God. 20 ^rEach one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant⁴ when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is ^sa freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is ^ta bondservant of Christ. 23 ^uYou were bought with a price; ^vdo not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers,^{5 w}in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

The Unmarried and the Widowed

25 Now concerning⁶ the betrothed,^{7 x}I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as ^yone who by the Lord’s mercy is ^ztrustworthy. 26 I think that in view of the present⁸ distress ^ait is good for a person to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman⁹ marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 29 This is what I mean, brothers: ^bthe appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy ^cas though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For ^dthe present form of this world is passing away.

32 I want you to be ^efree from anxieties. ^fThe unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, ^gnot to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

36 If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed,¹⁰ if his¹¹ passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. 37 But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 38 So then he who marries his betrothed ^hdoes well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

39 ⁱA wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only ^jin the Lord. 40 Yet ^kin my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think ^lthat I too have the Spirit of God.

Food Offered to Idols

8 Now concerning^{1 m}food offered to idols: we know that ⁿ“all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” ^opuffs up, ^pbut love builds up. 2 ^qIf anyone imagines that he knows something, ^rhe does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, ^she is known by God.²

4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ^t“an idol has no real existence,” and that ^u“there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be ^vso-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet ^wfor us there is one God, the Father, ^xfrom whom are all things and for whom we exist, and ^yone Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and ^zthrough whom we exist.

7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, ^athrough former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and ^btheir conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 ^cFood will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care ^dthat this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block ^eto the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating³ in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged,⁴ if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is ^fdestroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers⁵ and ^gwounding their conscience when it is weak, ^hyou sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, ⁱif food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Paul Surrenders His Rights

9 ^jAm I not free? ^kAm I not an apostle? ^lHave I not seen Jesus our Lord? ^mAre not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are ⁿthe seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 ^oDo we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 ^pDo we not have the right to take along a believing wife,¹ as do the other apostles and ^qthe brothers of the Lord and ^rCephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 ^sWho serves as a soldier at his own expense? ^tWho plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, ^u“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written ^vfor our sake, because ^wthe plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 ^xIf we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?

Nevertheless, ^ywe have not made use of this right, but we endure anything ^zrather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that ^athose who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that ^bthose who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

15 But ^cI have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone ^ddeprive me of my ground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For ^enecessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with ^fa stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching ^gI may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

19 For ^hthough I am free from all, ⁱI have made myself a servant to all, that I might ^jwin more of them. 20 ^kTo the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To ^lthose outside the law I became ^mas one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but ⁿunder the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 ^oTo the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. ^pI have become all things to all people, that ^qby all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, ^rthat I may share with them in its blessings.

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives ^sthe prize? So ^trun that you may obtain it. 25 Every ^uathlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we ^van imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I ^wdo not box as one ^xbeating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and ^ykeep it under control,² lest after preaching to others ^zI myself should be ^adisqualified.

Warning Against Idolatry

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,¹ that our fathers were all under ^bthe cloud, and all ^cpassed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and ^dall ate the same ^espiritual food, 4 and ^fall drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for ^gthey were overthrown² in the wilderness.

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as ^hthey did. 7 ⁱDo not be idolaters ^jas some of them were; as it is written, ^k“The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 ^lWe must not indulge in sexual immorality ^mas some of them did, and ⁿtwenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ³ to the test, ^oas some of them did and ^pwere destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, ^qas some of them did and ^rwere destroyed by ^sthe Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but ^tthey were written down for our instruction, ^uon whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore ^vlet anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. ^wGod is faithful, and ^xhe will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

14 Therefore, my beloved, ^yflee from idolatry. 15 I speak ^zas to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 ^aThe cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? ^bThe bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are ^cone body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider ^dthe people of Israel:^{4 e}are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that ^fan idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice ^gthey offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 ^hYou cannot drink the cup of the Lord and ⁱthe cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and ^jthe table of demons. 22 ^kShall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? ^lAre we stronger than he?

Do All to the Glory of God

23 ^m“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 ⁿLet no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 ^oEat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For ^p“the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, ^qeat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean ^ryour conscience, but his. For ^swhy should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that ^tfor which I give thanks?

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or ^uwhatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 ^vGive no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to ^wthe church of God, 33 just as ^xI try to please everyone in everything I do, ^ynot seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

11 ^zBe imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Head Coverings

2 Now I commend you ^abecause you remember me in everything and ^bmaintain the traditions ^ceven as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that ^dthe head of every man is Christ, ^ethe head of a wife¹ is her husband,² and ^fthe head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife³ who prays or ^gprophesies ^hwith her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same ⁱas if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since ^jhe is the image and glory of God, but ^kwoman is the glory of man. 8 For ^lman was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but ^mwoman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.⁴ 11 Nevertheless, ⁿin the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And ^oall things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 ^pIf anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do ^qthe churches of God.

The Lord’s Supper

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, ^rI hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,⁵ 19 for ^sthere must be factions among you in order ^tthat those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, ^uanother gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise ^vthe church of God and ^whumiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

23 For ^xI received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that ^ythe Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for⁶ you. Do this in remembrance of me.”⁷ 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death ^zuntil he comes.

27 ^aWhoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord ^bin an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning ^cthe body and blood of the Lord. 28 ^dLet a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some ^ehave died.⁸ 31 ^fBut if we judged⁹ ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, ^gwe are disciplined¹⁰ so that we may not be ^hcondemned along with the world.

33 So then, my brothers,¹¹ when you come together to eat, wait for¹² one another— 34 ⁱif anyone is hungry, ^jlet him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things ^kI will give directions ^lwhen I come.