Bible verses about "celibacy" | CAB

¹ Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation, He will also make the way out, so as for you to be able to bear it.

¹ But the Spirit explicitly says, that in latter times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having been seared with a hot iron as to their own conscience, ³ forbidding to marry, commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who are believers and have come to know the truth.

² It is necessary, therefore, for a bishop to be irreproachable, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, well-behaved, hospitable, skillful at teaching;

¹ And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father having been written on their foreheads. ² And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And the voice which I heard was as of harpists playing on their harps. ³ And they sang a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one was able to learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. ⁴ These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever He may go. These were redeemed by Jesus from among men, firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. ⁵ And no guile was found in their mouth, for they are blameless.

⁹ knowing this: that the law is not laid down for the righteous, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for killers of fathers and killers of mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is opposed to sound doctrine,

²⁶ Therefore I consider this to be good because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to be as he is:

² Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,

¹⁰ His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." ¹¹ But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but it is for those to whom it has been given: ¹² For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it."

⁷ For I wish that all men would be as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this way and another in that. ⁸ But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they should remain as I also remain; ⁹ but if they are not exercising self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

¹ Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ² Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ³ Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ⁵ Do not deprive one another, except by mutual agreement, and that for a season, so that you may devote yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. ⁷ For I wish that all men would be as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this way and another in that. ⁸ But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they should remain as I also remain; ⁹ but if they are not exercising self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. ¹⁰ Now to those who have married I command, yet not I, but the Lord: A wife is not to be separated from her husband-- ¹¹ and even if she does separate, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband--and a husband is not to divorce his wife. ¹² But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, let him not divorce her. ¹³ And a wife who has an unbelieving husband, if he consents to live with her, let her not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbelieving spouse separates, let him or her separate; the brother or the sister has not been bound in such cases; but God has called us to peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? ¹⁷ Otherwise as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I command in all the churches. ¹⁸ Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God. ²⁰ Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. ²¹ Were you called as a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather make use of it. ²² For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's free man. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ's slave. ²³ You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ Brothers, let each one remain with God in the state in which he was called. ²⁵ Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord; but I give judgment, as having received mercy by the Lord to be faithful. ²⁶ Therefore I consider this to be good because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to be as he is: ²⁷ Have you been bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Have you been released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸ But even if you should marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin should marry, she has not sinned. But such will have trouble in the flesh, and I would spare you. ²⁹ But this I say, brothers, the time has been shortened; so that from now on even those having wives should be as though they had none, ³⁰ and those weeping as though not weeping, and those rejoicing as though not rejoicing, and those buying as though not possessing, ³¹ and those using this world as not using it up. For the form of this world is passing away. ³² But I want you to be without anxiety. The unmarried man cares about the things of the Lord--about how he may please the Lord. ³³ But the man having married cares about the things of the world--about how he may please his wife. ³⁴ And the wife and the virgin are different. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the woman having married cares about the things of the world--about how she may please her husband. ³⁵ And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a snare upon you, but for that which is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction. ³⁶ But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past her prime, and thus it must be, let him do what he desires. He does not sin; let them marry. ³⁷ But he who stands in his heart, not having necessity, but has power over his own desire, and has decided this in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well. ³⁸ So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better. ³⁹ A wife has been bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband also dies, she is free to be married to whom she desires, only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is more blessed if she remains as she is, in my opinion--and I think I also have the Spirit of God.

¹⁸ Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits fornication sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

³² But I want you to be without anxiety. The unmarried man cares about the things of the Lord--about how he may please the Lord. ³³ But the man having married cares about the things of the world--about how he may please his wife. ³⁴ And the wife and the virgin are different. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the woman having married cares about the things of the world--about how she may please her husband. ³⁵ And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a snare upon you, but for that which is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction. ³⁶ But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past her prime, and thus it must be, let him do what he desires. He does not sin; let them marry. ³⁷ But he who stands in his heart, not having necessity, but has power over his own desire, and has decided this in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well. ³⁸ So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better. ³⁹ A wife has been bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband also dies, she is free to be married to whom she desires, only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is more blessed if she remains as she is, in my opinion--and I think I also have the Spirit of God.