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.
7:11. And if she depart, that she remain unmarried or be reconciled to
her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife.
7:12. For to the rest I speak, not the Lord. If any brother hath a wife
that believeth not and she consent to dwell with him: let him not put
her away.