Bible verses about "monogamy" | EJ2000

¹ ¶ The Word is faithful, If anyone desires the office of a bishop, {to be a pastor or elder in the congregation}, he desires a difficult ministry. ² It is expedient, therefore, that the bishop be blameless, the husband of only one wife, vigilant, temperate, of worldly affections mortified, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ³ not given to wine, not hurtful, not greedy of dishonest gain, but gentle, not contentious, not covetous; ⁴ one that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all integrity; ⁵ (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God?) ⁶ not a novice, lest being puffed up, he fall into judgment of the devil. ⁷ Moreover he must have a good report of those who are outside lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. ⁸ ¶ Likewise the deacons must be honest, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of dishonest gain; ⁹ holding the mystery of the faith together with a pure conscience. ¹⁰ And let these also first be proved; then let them minister, if they are blameless. ¹¹ The wives likewise are to be honest, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. ¹² Let the deacons be the husbands of only one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. ¹³ For those that minister well purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ ¶ These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly ¹⁵ But if I tarry long, that thou may know how it is expedient to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth. ¹⁶ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

¹⁸ Neither shalt thou take a woman together with her sister, to make her a rival, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her lifetime.

⁷ For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall join to his wife; ⁸ and they that were two shall be made one flesh, so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.

² It is expedient, therefore, that the bishop be blameless, the husband of only one wife, vigilant, temperate, of worldly affections mortified, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

¹ ¶ Now concerning the things of which 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. ⁴ The wife does not have authority of her own body, but the husband; and likewise also the husband does not have authority of his own body, but the wife. ⁵ Do not defraud one another, except it be with mutual consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer and come together again, that Satan not tempt you for your incontinency. ⁶ But I speak this by permission, and not by commandment. ⁷ For I would that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one after this manner and another after that. ⁸ I say, therefore, to the unmarried men and widowers, It is good for them if they abide even as I. ⁹ But if they do not have the gift of continence, 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 separate from her husband; ¹¹ and if she separates, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife. ¹² But to the rest I speak, not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that does not believe, and she consents to dwell with him, let him not put her away. ¹³ And the woman who has a husband that does not believe and if he consents to dwell with her, let her not leave him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbelieving spouse separates, let them separate. The brother or the sister is not under slavery in such cases, but God has called us to peace. ¹⁶ For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or what knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? ¹⁷ ¶ But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let them walk. And so I ordain in all the congregations {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}. ¹⁸ Is anyone called being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Is anyone called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments of God. ²⁰ Let each abide in the same calling in which he was called. ²¹ Art thou called being a slave? care not for it; but if thou may be made free, use it rather. ²² For he that is called in the Lord, being a slave, is the Lord’s freeman; likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s slave. ²³ Ye are bought with a price; do not make yourselves the slaves of men. ²⁴ Each one, brothers, in that state in which he was called, let him abide with God. ²⁵ ¶ Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord, yet I give my advice, as one that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. ²⁶ I hold, therefore, this to be good because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to be thus: ²⁷ Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. ²⁸ But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have affliction in the flesh, but I forbear you. ²⁹ But this I say, brothers, the time is short; for the rest, let those that have wives be as though they had none; ³⁰ and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they possessed not; ³¹ and those that use this world, as not using it as their own, for the fashion of this world passes away. ³² But I would have you without worry. He that is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord; ³³ but he that is married cares for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. ³⁴ There is a difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but she that is married cares for the things of the 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 honourable and that ye may attend upon the Lord without impediment. ³⁶ ¶ But if anyone thinks it uncomely regarding his daughter, if she passes the bloom of life, and need so requires, let him do what he will, he does not sin: let them marry. ³⁷ Nevertheless, he that stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has liberty regarding his own, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his daughter, does well. ³⁸ So then he that gives her in marriage does well, but he that does not give her in marriage does better. ³⁹ ¶ The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free and may be married to whom she will, if it is in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she shall be more blessed if she so abides, after my counsel, and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

¹⁷ Neither shall he multiply wives unto himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver or gold.

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