I Corinthians 7:1-7:24

Marital Satisfaction Plan

In any church or culture, people need guidance and leadership. Here, Paul teaches on marriage, divorce, singleness, the role of the wife to the husband and the husband to the wife, believers married to unbelievers, and more. This is a look at God's plan for marriage and families and at what happens when people deviate from the nuclear family, from the commitment of marriage and the raising of children.

  1. Now concerning the things whereof 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 hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
  5. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
  6. But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
  7. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
  8. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
  9. But if they cannot contain, 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 depart from her husband:
  11. But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
  12. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
  13. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased 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: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
  15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
  16. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
  17. But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
  18. Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any 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 every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
  21. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made 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 ye the servants of men.
  24. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.