论婚姻
1关于你们信上所写的事，我认为男人不亲近女人是好的。 2不过，为了避免发生淫乱的事，男婚女嫁也合情合理。
3夫妻双方都应当履行自己的义务，过正常的夫妻生活。 4妻子无权支配自己的身体，丈夫才有权；丈夫也无权支配自己的身体，妻子才有权。 5夫妻不可亏负彼此的需要，除非双方同意，才可以暂时分房，以便专心祈祷。以后，二人仍要恢复正常的夫妻生活，免得撒旦趁你们情不自禁的时候引诱你们。 6我这番话是准许你们结婚，并不是命令你们结婚。 7虽然我希望人人都像我一样独身，但每个人从上帝所领受的恩赐不同，有的是这样，有的是那样。
8至于那些未婚的和寡居的，他们若能像我一样就好了。 9但如果他们不能自制，就应该结婚，因为与其欲火攻心还不如结婚为好。 10我也吩咐那些已婚的人，其实不是我吩咐，而是主吩咐：妻子不可离开丈夫， 11若是离开了，妻子不可再嫁别人，只能与丈夫复合。丈夫也不可离弃妻子。
12至于其他的人，主没有吩咐什么，但我要说，如果某弟兄的妻子不信主，但乐意和他同住，他就不应离弃妻子。 13同样，如果某姊妹的丈夫不信主，但乐意和她同住，她就不应离弃丈夫。 14因为不信的丈夫因妻子而得以圣洁了。同样，不信的妻子也因丈夫而得以圣洁了。否则你们的孩子就是不洁净的，但如今他们是圣洁的。 15倘若不信的一方坚持要离开的话，就让他离开好了。无论是弟兄或姊妹遇到这样的事情都不必勉强。上帝呼召我们，原是要我们和睦相处。 16你这做妻子的，怎么知道不能救你的丈夫呢？你这做丈夫的，怎么知道不能救你的妻子呢？
17各人应当依照上帝的呼召和安排生活，这是我对各教会的吩咐。 18如果蒙召时已经受了割礼，不必消除割礼；如果蒙召时没有受割礼，也不必去受割礼。 19受不受割礼都算不得什么，最要紧的是遵行上帝的诫命。 20各人应当保持自己蒙召时的身份。 21如果你蒙召时是奴隶，不必因此而烦恼。不过如果你可以获得自由，也不要放过机会。 22因为，如果你蒙召信主时是奴隶，现在则是主的自由人；如果你蒙召时是自由人，现在则是基督的奴仆。 23你们是主用重价买来的，不要做人的奴隶。 24弟兄姊妹，你们要在上帝面前保持自己蒙召时的身份。
25关于独身的问题，主并没有给我任何命令，但我既然深受主恩，成为祂忠心的仆人，就向你们提供一些意见。
26鉴于目前时势艰难，我认为各人最好是安于现状。 27已经有妻子的，就不要设法摆脱她；还没有妻子的，就不要想着结婚。 28男婚女嫁并不是犯罪，只是有家室的人总免不了许多人生的苦恼，我是盼望你们能够免去这些苦恼。
29弟兄们，我告诉你们，时日不多了，从今以后，那些有妻子的，要像没有妻子的； 30哭泣的，要像不哭泣的；欢喜的，要像不欢喜的；置业的，要像一无所有的。 31享用世界之物的，不要沉溺其中，因为现今的世界很快就要过去了。
32我希望你们无牵无挂。未婚的男子可以专心于主的事，想着怎样讨主的喜悦。 33但已婚的男子挂虑世上的事，想着如何取悦妻子， 34难免分心。没有丈夫的妇女和处女可以专心于主的事，叫身体和心灵都圣洁；已婚的妇女挂虑世上的事，想着如何取悦丈夫。 35我这样说是为了你们的好处，不是要束缚你们，是要鼓励你们做合宜的事，好叫你们殷勤、专心事奉主。
36若有人觉得对待自己的未婚妻有不合宜之处，女方的年纪也够大，自己又情欲难禁，就成全他的心愿，让他们结婚吧！这并不算犯罪。 37如果这人心里确信自己没有结婚的需要，又能自己作主，打定主意不结婚，这样做也好。 38所以，与未婚妻完婚是对的，但不结婚则更好。
39丈夫还活着的时候，妻子必须忠于丈夫。如果丈夫去世了，她就自由了，可以再婚，只是要嫁给信主的弟兄。 40然而，照我的意见，她若能不再婚就更有福了。我想自己也是受了上帝的灵感动才说这番话的。
Advice for Those Who Are Married
1Now I want to deal with the things you wrote me about. Some of you say, “It is good for a man not to sleep with a woman.” 2But since sexual sin is happening, each man should sleep with his own wife. And each woman should sleep with her own husband. 3A husband should satisfy his wife’s needs. And a wife should satisfy her husband’s needs. 4The 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. 5You shouldn’t stop giving yourselves to each other. You might possibly do this when you both agree to it. And you should only agree to it to give yourselves time to pray. Then you should come together again. In that way, Satan will not tempt you when you can’t control yourselves. 6I say those things to you as my advice, not as a command. 7I wish all of you were single like me. But you each have your own gift from God. One has this gift, and another has that one.
8I speak now to those who are not married. I also speak to widows. It is good for you to stay single like me. 9But if you can’t control yourselves, you should get married. It is better to get married than to burn with desire.
10I 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. 11But 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.
12I 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. 13And suppose a woman has a husband who is not a believer. If he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14The 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.
15But if the unbeliever leaves, let that person go. In that case, the believer does not have to stay married to the unbeliever. God wants us to live in peace. 16Wife, how do you know if you will save your husband? Husband, how do you know if you will save your wife?
Stay as You Were When God Chose You
17But each believer should live in whatever situation the Lord has given them. Stay as you were when God chose you. That’s the rule all the churches must follow. 18Was 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. 19Being circumcised means nothing. Being uncircumcised means nothing. Doing what God commands is what counts. 20Each of you should stay as you were when God chose you.
21Were 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. 22The person who was a slave when the Lord chose them is now the Lord’s free person. The one who was free when God chose them is now a slave of Christ. 23Christ has paid the price for you. Don’t become slaves of human beings. 24Brothers and sisters, each person is accountable to God. So each person should stay as they were when God chose them.
Advice for Those Who Are Not Married
25Now 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. 26Times are hard for you right now. So I think it’s good for a man to stay as he is. 27Are you engaged to a woman? Then don’t try to get out of it. Are you free from such a promise? Then don’t look for a wife. 28But if you do marry someone, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries someone, she has not sinned. But those who marry someone will have many troubles in this life. I want to save you from this.
29Brothers 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. 30Those who mourn should live as if they did 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. 31Those who use the things of the world should not become all wrapped up in them. The world as it now exists is passing away.
32I 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. 33But a married man is concerned about the matters of this world. He wants to know how he can please his wife. 34His 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. 35I’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.
36Suppose someone is worried that he is not acting with honor toward the virgin he has promised to marry. Suppose his desires are too strong, and he feels that he should marry her. He should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37But 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. 38So then, the man who marries the virgin does the right thing. But the man who doesn’t marry her does a better thing.
39A 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. 40In my opinion, she is happier if she stays single. And I also think that I am led by the Spirit of God in saying this.
