Part 210

6:9. Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers:

6:10. Nor the effeminate nor liers with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners shall possess the kingdom of God.

6:11. And such some of you were. But you are washed: but you are sanctified: but you are justified: in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God.

6:12. All things are lawful to me: but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful to me: but I will not be brought under the power of any.

All things are lawful, etc. . .That is, all indifferent things are indeed lawful, inasmuch as they are not prohibited; but oftentimes they are not expedient; as in the case of lawsuits, etc. And much less would it be expedient to be enslaved by an irregular affection to any thing, how indifferent soever.

6:13. Meat for the belly and the belly for the meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord: and the Lord for the body.

6:14. Now God hath raised up the Lord and will raise us up also by his power.

6:15. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid!

6:16. Or know you not that he who is joined to a harlot is made one body? For they shall be, saith he, two in one flesh.

6:17. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

6:18. Fly fornication. Every sin that a man doth is without the body: but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

6:19. Or know you not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from God: and you are not your own?

6:20. For you are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body.

1 Corinthians Chapter 7

Lessons relating to marriage and celibacy. Virginity is preferable to a married state.

7:1. Now concerning the things whereof you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

7:2. But for fear of fornication, let every man have his own wife: and let every woman have her own husband.

Have his own wife. . .That is, keep to his wife, which he hath. His meaning is not to exhort the unmarried to marry: on the contrary, he would have them rather continue as they are. (Ver. 7:8.) But he speaks here to them that are already married; who must not depart from one another, but live together as they ought to do in the marriage state.

7:3. Let the husband render the debt to his wife: and the wife also in like manner to the husband.

7:4. The wife hath not power of her own body: but the husband. And in like manner the husband also hath not power of his own body: but the wife.

7:5. Defraud not one another, except, perhaps, by consent, for a time, that you may give yourselves to prayer: and return together again, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.

7:6. But I speak this by indulgence, not by commandment.

By indulgence. . .That is, by a condescension to your weakness.

7:7. For I would that all men were even as myself. But every one hath his proper gift from God: one after this manner, and another after that.

7:8. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they so continue, even as I.

7:9. But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burnt.

If they do not contain, etc. . .This is spoken of such as are free, and not of such as, by vow, have given their first faith to God; to whom if they will use proper means to obtain it, God will never refuse the gift of continency. Some translators have corrupted this text, by rendering it, if they cannot contain.

7:10. But to them that are married, not I, but the Lord, commandeth that the wife depart not from her husband.