15Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them members of a harlot? Far be it! 16Know ye not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For the two, says he, shall be one flesh. 17But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man commits is without the body; but he that commits fornication, sins against his own body. 19Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom ye have from God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
VII. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman; 2but because of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3Let the husband render to the wife her due; and in like manner the wife also to the husband. 4The wife has not power over her own body, but the husband; and in like manner the husband also has not power over his own body, but the wife. 5Defraud not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come again together, that Satan may not tempt you on account of your incontinency.
6But this I say by way of permission, not of command. 7But I would that all men were as myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8And I say to the unmarried and the widows, it is good for them if they remain as I also am. 9But if they have not self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn.
10And the married not I command, but the Lord, that the wife depart not from the husband. 11But if she have departed, let her remain unmarried, or let her be reconciled to her husband; and let the husband not put away his wife.
12But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that believes not, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13And a woman who has a husband that believes not, and he is pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband. 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband; else your children are unclean; but now they are holy.
15But if the unbelieving departs, let him depart. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases; but God has called us to peace. 16For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? Or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? 17Only, as the Lord apportioned to each one, as God has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.
18Was any one called being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has any one been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20Let each one abide in the same calling wherein he was called. 21Wast thou called being a servant? Care not for it; but if thou canst become free, use it rather. 22For he that was called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freedman; in like manner also the freeman, being called, is Christ's servant. 23Ye were bought with a price; become not servants of men. 24Brethren, let every man, wherein he was called, therein abide with God.
25Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give my judgment, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. 26I consider therefore that this is good on account of the present necessity, that it is good for a man so to be. 27Art thou bound to a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. 28But if also thou marry, thou sinnedst not; and if a virgin marry, she sinned not. But such shall have affliction in the flesh; but I spare you[28].