6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7 Now, therefore, there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another: why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. 9 Know ye not, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor | idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now, the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. 14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. 15 Know ye 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. 16 What! know ye not, that he which is joined to an harlot, is one body? for two (saith he) shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord, is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth, is without the body; but he that committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body. 19 What! know ye not, that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. CHAP. VII. PAUL TREATETH OF MAR- NOW concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence; and likewise also the wife unto the husband. her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband; and let not the husband put away bis wife. 12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord; If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave 4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband; and likewise also the husband || him. hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. 6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. 7 For I would that all men were even as I myself: but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. 8 I say, therefore, to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. 9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry for it is better to marry, than to burn. 10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let VOL. IV. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A bro ther or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? 17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk and so ordain I in all churches. 18 Is any man called, being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised; is any called in uncircumcision? let him not become circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the com- || maineth, that both they that have mandments of God. wives, be as though they had none; 20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. 21 Art thou called, being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's free man likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24 Brethren, let every man wherein he is called, therein abide with God. 25 Now, concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. 30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; 31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. 32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried, careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 But he that is married, careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she 26 I suppose, therefore, that may be holy, both in body and this is good for the present dis- in spirit: but she that is martress; I say, that it is good forried, careth for the things of the a man so to be. world, how she may please her husband. 35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. 36 But if a man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he marry. will, he sinneth not; let them 5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven 37 Nevertheless, he that stand-or in earth; (as there be gods eth stedfast in his heart, having many, and lords many ;) no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. 38 So then, he that giveth her in marriage, doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage, doeth better. 6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 7 Howbeit, there is not in every man that knowledge: for some, with conscience of the 39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liv-idol, unto this hour eat it as a eth: but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 9 But take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak. 10 For if any man see thee, which hast knowledge, sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak, be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 11 And through thy knowledge, shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world stand eth, lest I make my brother to offend. CHAP. IX. PAUL'S ZEAL TO GAIN CON VERTS. AM I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. 3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this; 4 Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? 7 Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also ? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Doth 10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plougheth,should plough in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? nevertheless, we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do ye not know, that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel, should live of the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things; neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for, it were better for me to die than that any man should make my glorying void : 16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel. 17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. |