Nov 27 - 1 Corinthians 7-9
1 Corinthians
1Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.4The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.6I say this as a concession, not as a command.7I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.8Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.10To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.12To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.13And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.14For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.16How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?17Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.18Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised.19Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts.20Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.21Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so.22For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave.23You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.24Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.25Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.26Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are.27Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife.28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.29What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none;30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep;31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.32I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord.33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife--34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband.35I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.36If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married.37But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin--this man also does the right thing.38So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better.39A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.40In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is--and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
1Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.2The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.3But the man who loves God is known by God.4So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one.5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"),6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.7But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.8But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.10For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols?11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?2Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.4Don't we have the right to food and drink?5Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?6Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk?8Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing?9For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned?10Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?13But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast.16Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.18What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.