14 though food is for the belly, and the belly for food; God will destroy both it and them :

15 but, the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body: and, as God hath raised the Lord, so also will he raise us, by his power.

16 Know ye not, that your bodies are members of Christ?

17 shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them members of an harlot? God forbid!

18 or, know ye not, that he who is joined to an harlot, is one body with her? for "The "two," saith he, "shall be as

19 but, he who is joined to the Lord, is one spirit with him.

20 Flee fornication: every other sin that a man doth, is without the body; but, he who committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body:

21 or, know ye not, that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit that is within you, and that ye are not your own? for, ye have been bought with a price:

22 glorify God, therefore, in your body.

CHAPTER VII.

AND, as to those things con

cerning which ye wrote:

It is good, that a man should not 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 to the wife her due; and so also the wife, to the husband:

the wife hath not authority over her own body, but the husband; and likewise also, the husband hath not authority over his own body, but the wife:

5 deprive not one the other, unless it be with consent, for a season, that ye may have leisure for prayer; and be together again, that Satan may not tempt you by inconti

nency.

6 But this I say as a permission, not as a command; for I would, that all men were even as I am myself:

7 but, each hath his own gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that:

8 I say, therefore, to the unmarried, and to the widows, It will be good for them, if they continue even as I am;

9 but, if they cannot contain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn.

10 And to the married I enjoin, yet not I only, but also the Lord, That a wife depart not from her husband;

11 but if she depart, let her

either remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not a husband put away his wife.

12 But, as to the rest, I speak, 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 who hath an husband that believeth not, if he also be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband:

14 for, the unbelieving husband is sanctified by his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband who is a brother otherwise, truly, your children would be unclean; but now they are holy. 15 But, if the unbelieving husband or wife depart, let him depart a brother, or a sister, is not under bondage in such cases; and God hath called us

to peace:

16 for, how knowest thou, O wife, if thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O husband, if thou shalt save thy wife?

17 Only, as the Lord hath apportioned to each, as God hath called each, so let him walk; and thus I ordain in all the churches:

18 Hath any one been called, being circumcised? let him not seek to become uncircumcised: hath any one been called in

uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised:

19 circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but, keeping the commandments of God is every thing. 1 Sam. xv. 22. 20 Let each continue in the calling, in which he is called: 21 art thou called, being a servant? care not for it: but yet, if thou canst become free, use it rather:

22 for, the servant that is called by the Lord, is the Lord's freed-man; and, the free-man that is called, is Christ's servant.

23 Ye have been bought with c. vi. 21. a price; become not servants of men :

24 Brethren, in whatever condition each is called, in that let him continue with God.

25 But, concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; yet I give my opinion, as one who hath been accounted by the Lord, to be faithful:

26 I think, therefore, this is good, on account of the present distress; that it is good, for a man to be thus:

27 art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed: art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife:

28 but yet, if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned: nevertheless, such will

Matt. xxiv. have trouble in the flesh; and

19.

I would spare you.

29 But this I say, brethren, that the time is short:

30 it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as if they had them not; and they that weep, as if they wept not; and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not;

31 and they that buy, as if they possessed not; and they that use the world, as not misusing it:

32 for, the fashion of this world passeth away; and I wish to be without cares: you

33 he who is unmarried, careth for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but, he who is married, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife.

34 And there is difference, also, in the woman:

35 both the unmarried woman, and the virgin, careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in body and in spirit; but, she that is married, careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband:

36 and I say this, for your benefit; not that I may lay a snare for you, but with respect to that which is decorous, and which may enable you to attend on the Lord, without distraction.

37 Yet, if any one think that he behaveth unduly to his betrothed virgin, and not as ought to be done, if she pass the flower of her age, let him do what he will, he sinneth not; let them marry:

38 nevertheless, he who standeth firm in his heart, having no necessity; and who hath power over his own will, and hath so determined in his heart, to keep his betrothed a virgin, will do well:

39 so that, he who taketh his virgin in marriage, will do well; but he who taketh her not in marriage, will do better.

40 The wife is bound, so long Rom. vii. 2 as her husband liveth; but, if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she will; only let it be in the Lord:

41 but, she is happier if she so continue, according to my judgment: for I think, that I also have the Spirit of God.

CHAPTER VIII.

NOW concerning idol-sacri

fices, We know indeed, that we all have knowledge; 2 yet, knowledge alone puffeth up, but love buildeth up:

3 if any one thinketh that he hath known any thing, he c. iii. 18.

knoweth it not yet, as he ought to know it;

4 but, if any one loveth God, God is known by him.

5 Concerning, therefore, the eating of idol-sacrifices; we know, that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one:

6 for, though there are what are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, (as indeed there are many called gods, and many called lords),

7 to us, there is but one God,

the Father, from whom are all things, and we for him: and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

8 But this knowledge is not in all for some, through custom of the idol, eat it to this hour, as a thing sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled:

9 but, food will not commend us to God: neither, if we eat it not, are we inferior, or if we eat it, are we superior:

10 but take heed, that this your liberty become not, in any way, a cause of stumbling to the weak:

11 for, if any one see him who hath knowledge sitting at table in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he be weak, be emboldened to eat the idol-sacrifices?

12 and thus the weak brother,

for whom Christ died, perisheth through knowledge :

13 but, if ye so sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

14 Wherefore, if my food cause my brother to stumble, I will never more eat flesh, that I may not cause my brother to stumble.

CHAPTER IX.

AM not I free? am not I an apostle? have not I seen our Lord Jesus? are not ye my work in the Lord?

2 if I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you; for ye are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 My answer to those who question me, is this,

4 have we not authority to eat, and to drink?

5 have we not authority to lead about a sister for a wife, as well as the other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Kephas?

6 or, have I only, and Barnabas, no authority to refrain from working?

7 What soldier ever serveth at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not its fruit? or, who tendeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

8 Say I these things only as

X

a man? or doth not the law also say the same?

9 for it is written in the law Deut. xxv. 4. of Moses, "Thou shalt not "muzzle the ox, that treadeth " out the corn :"

Rom. xv. 29.

2 Cor. xi. 9.

x. 17.

10 doth God take care for oxen only? or saith he this altogether for our sakes? 11 for our sakes, truly, this is written; for, he who ploweth, ought to plow in hope, and he who thresheth, to thresh in hope, of partaking.

12 If we have sown for you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things?

13 if others partake of this authority over you, should not we rather? yet, we have not used this authority; but endure all things, that we may not cause any hinderance to the gospel of Christ.

14 Know ye not, that they who serve at the sacrifices, eat of the sacrifice? and that they who attend at the altar, partake with the altar?

15 even so the Lord hath ordained, that they who preach the gospel should live by the gospel.

16 But I have not used any of these things; nor have I written these things, that it might so be done to me: for, it were better for me to die, than that any one should make void my glorying.

17 But though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for a necessity is laid on me: for, wo is to me, if I preach not the gospel!

18 for, if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, still a dispensation is committed to me.

19 What then is my reward? That, in preaching the gospel, I may make the gospel unchargeable, by not misusing my authority in the gospel:

20 for, though I am free from all men, yet I have made myself a servant to all, that I may gain the more:

21 yea, to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews: to those that are under the law, as under the law, (though I am not under the law,) that I might gain those that are under the law: 22 to those that are without the law, as without the law, (not as being without the law of God, but under the law of Christ,) that I might gain those that are without the law:

23 to the weak, I became as weak, that I might gain the weak I become all things to all men, that I may by all

means save some:

24 and I do all these things for the sake of the gospel, that I may be a joint-partaker of it.

25 Know ye not, that when