1 Corinthians 7

Here we get to the long chapter on marriage. People should have sexual relations with their spouse. With regards to this matter, your body is not your own, but it belongs to your spouse. There is an exception to this, and that is for when a married couple both agree together to refrain from sexual relations with one another to devote themselves to prayer. However, they should both come together again; otherwise Satan will tempt them due to their lack of self-control.

We all know Paul's stance on marriage. He wishes that everyone were like him and were single. However, if you cannot control yourself, then you should get married. Those who are married should not get divorced. There are the cases for which people do get divorced and Paul says that they should remain unmarried unless be reconciled to their original spouse.

There is also the case for which one spouse is a believer but the other is not. The believer should not leave their spouse, but should remain with them. However, if the unbelieving spouse leaves, they should let them leave. You don't know whether you can save your spouse; how would you know?

Paul goes on to tell the people to live as they are called. Some are slaves and should remain as slaves. However, if they can get their freedom, then they should get it. However, some were uncircumcised wishing that they were and some were circumcised wishing that they were not. We are to remain in the condition for which we were called. We are God's and are to remain as the way in which God called us.

This idea of remaining as you are called is applied to marriage. If you're married, don't seek to be free from marriage. In addition, if you're single, don't seek for marriage. However, if you do get married, that's okay as well. But of course, Paul promotes singleness. Those who are single are only worried about the things of God, but a married person must also consider their spouse.

This next section Paul talks about a person and his betrothed. There is much debate over this section and what it means. It ends with a person who marries his betrothed does well but one who refrains from marriage does even better. There is a binding that occurs at marriage and this should be understood well. The binding is released if one is released from marriage if a person's spouse dies. If this happens, the person is free to re-marry, but Paul adds that this is to occur "only in the Lord". It's assumed that you only marry in the Lord; it's assumed that you only marry as you are in the Lord and the other person as well.