1 Corinthians 7:8–16, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
1 Corinthians 7:8–16
Singleness, Marriage, Separation, and Peace Require Care
Peace is the call; enslavement is not.
To the unmarried and the widows: remaining as Paul is good, but if they are not practicing self-control, they should marry. It is better to marry than to be aflame with passion. To the married, not Paul but the Lord: a wife should not separate from her husband, and a husband should not divorce his wife. If she does separate, let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled.
To the rest, Paul not the Lord: if a brother has an unbelieving wife who consents to live with him, he should not divorce her, and the same for a sister with an unbelieving husband. The unbelieving spouse is made holy through the believer, and the children are holy. But if the unbeliever separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband — or you, husband, your wife? The command against separation does not require remaining with abuse, coercion, violence, a credible threat, or unsafe control. Willingness and peace are part of the counsel.
How this should shape us
If a marriage can be kept in peace, keep it without turning the other person into a project. If a spouse is gone, Paul will not call the one who remains a slave. If a home is unsafe, peace is not the same thing as staying to be harmed. Get help. This chapter is not a lock on the door.
Teach it back
Explain 1 Corinthians 7:8–16 in your own words. Include its place in 1 Corinthians, the unit's logic, one material uncertainty, and one use the context rules out.
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Go deeper
The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
Where do careful interpreters disagree?
Best judgment: Remarriage after abandonment, the scope of Jesus's command, the meaning of household holiness, and the link from non-enslavement to status reversal are materially disputed.
How certain? probableResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
1 Corinthians 7:8–16, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and original-language discussion.
SBLGNT official text file 1Cor.txt, 7:8–16
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, textual variants, and interpretive alternatives.
NET Bible 1 Corinthians 7:8–16 print view with translator, study, and textual notes
Supports: Independent morphology and lexical-range cross-check for material Greek claims.
STEP Bible Data repository morphology and lexical records for 1 Corinthians 7:8–16
Supports: Whole-letter movement, Corinthian setting, bibliography, major alternatives, and verse-level interpretation.
Redmond, The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary: 1 Corinthians, introduction and section on 7:8–16
Supports: Current argument on separation, peace, bondage, and divorce, used only within abstract-access limits.
Das, '1 Corinthians 7:15 and the Question of Divorce,' Journal for the Study of the New Testament (2026), official abstract and metadata
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 1 Corinthians 7:8–16, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and original-language discussion.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file 1Cor.txt, 7:8–16
Open the 1 Corinthians Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible - 1 Corinthians with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, textual variants, and interpretive alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible 1 Corinthians 7:8–16 print view with translator, study, and textual notes
Open the official NET 1 Corinthians PDFLexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Independent morphology and lexical-range cross-check for material Greek claims.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data repository morphology and lexical records for 1 Corinthians 7:8–16
Open source ↗modern open commentary
1 Corinthians
Eric C. Redmond
The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023
Supports: Whole-letter movement, Corinthian setting, bibliography, major alternatives, and verse-level interpretation.
Exact location: Redmond, The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary: 1 Corinthians, introduction and section on 7:8–16
Open source ↗peer reviewed exegetical article abstract
'Better Than I Ever Was': 'Not Enslaved' as a Higher Status in 1 Corinthians 7.15
A. Andrew Das
Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 2026
Supports: Current argument on separation, peace, bondage, and divorce, used only within abstract-access limits.
Exact location: Das, '1 Corinthians 7:15 and the Question of Divorce,' Journal for the Study of the New Testament (2026), official abstract and metadata
Open source ↗