Bible verses about "celibacy" | LEB

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

¹³ Temptation has not come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make a way out together with the temptation, so that you may be able to endure it.

¹ Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, ² by the hypocrisy of liars, who are seared in their own conscience, ³ who forbid marrying and insist on abstaining from foods that God created for sharing in with thankfulness by those who believe and who know the truth,

² Therefore the overseer must be irreproachable, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching,

⁹ knowing this, that the law is not given for a righteous person but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and totally worldly, for the one who kills his father and the one who kills his mother, for murderers, ¹⁰ sexually immoral people, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and _⌊whatever_⌋* else is opposed to sound teaching,

¹ And I looked, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him one hundred forty-four thousand who had his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. ² And I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the sound that I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. ³ And they were singing something like a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, and no one was able to learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who had been bought from the earth. ⁴ These are those who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were bought from humanity as first fruits to God and to the Lamb, ⁵ and in their mouth a lie was not found; they are blameless.

²⁶ Therefore, I consider this to be good because of the impending distress, that it is good for a man to be thus.

² But because of sexual immorality, 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 sexually immoral people, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor passive homosexual partners, nor dominant homosexual partners,

¹⁰ The disciples* said to him, "If this is the case of a man with his* wife, it would be better not to marry!" ¹¹ But he said to them, "Not everyone can accept this saying but those to whom it has been given. ¹² For there are eunuchs who were born as such from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs* for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this,* let him accept it."*

⁷ I wish all people could be like myself, but each one has his own gift from God, one in this way and another in that way. ⁸ Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am. ⁹ But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.

¹ Now concerning the things about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to touch* a woman." ² But because of sexual immorality, let each man have* his own wife and let each woman have her own husband. ³ The husband must fulfill his obligation to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴ The wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband does. And likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but his wife does. ⁵ Do not defraud one another, except perhaps by agreement, for a time, in order that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and then you should be _⌊together_⌋* again, lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self control. ⁶ But I say this as a concession, not as a command. ⁷ I wish all people could be like myself, but each one has his own gift from God, one in this way and another in that way. ⁸ Now I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain as I am. ⁹ But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire. ¹⁰ To the married I command—not I, but the Lord—a wife must not separate from her husband. ¹¹ But if indeed she does separate, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. ¹² Now to the rest I say—not the Lord—if any brother has an unbelieving wife and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. ¹³ And if any wife has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother, since otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. The brother or the sister is not bound in such cases. But God has called us* in peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? ¹⁷ But to each one as the Lord has apportioned. As God has called each one, thus let him live—and thus I order in all the churches. ¹⁸ Was anyone called after* being circumcised? He must not undo his circumcision. Was anyone called in uncircumcision? He must not become circumcised. ¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. ²⁰ Each one in the calling in which he was called—in this he should remain. ²¹ Were you called while a slave? Do not let it be a concern to you. But if indeed you are able to become free, rather make use of it. ²² For the one who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedperson. Likewise the one who is called while free is a slave of Christ. ²³ You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ Each one in the situation in which he was called, brothers—in this he should remain with God. ²⁵ Now concerning virgins I do not have a command from the Lord, but I am giving an opinion as one shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy. ²⁶ Therefore, I consider this to be good because of the impending distress, that it is good for a man to be thus. ²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek release. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸ But if you marry, you have not sinned, and if the virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have affliction in the flesh, and I would spare you. ²⁹ But I say this, brothers: the time is shortened, that from now on even those who have wives should be as if they do not have wives, ³⁰ and those who weep as if they do not weep, and those who rejoice as if they do not rejoice, and those who buy as if they do not possess, ³¹ and those who make use of the world as if they do not make full use of it. For the present form of this world is passing away. ³² But I want you to be free from care. The unmarried person cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. ³³ But the one who is married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife, ³⁴ and he is divided. And the unmarried woman or the virgin cares for the things of the Lord, in order that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. ³⁵ Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not that I may put a restriction on you, but to promote appropriate and devoted service to the Lord without distraction. ³⁶ But if anyone thinks he is behaving dishonorably concerning his virgin, if she is past her prime* and it ought to be thus, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin. Let them marry. ³⁷ But he who stands firm in his heart, not having necessity, but has authority concerning his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin, he will do well. ³⁸ So then, the one who marries* his own virgin does well, and the one who does not marry her will do better. ³⁹ A wife is bound for as long a time as her husband lives. But if her husband _⌊dies_⌋*, she is free to marry whomever she wishes, only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she remains thus, according to my opinion—and I think I have the Spirit of God.

¹⁸ Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a person commits is outside his body, but the one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God with your body.

³² But I want you to be free from care. The unmarried person cares for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. ³³ But the one who is married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife, ³⁴ and he is divided. And the unmarried woman or the virgin cares for the things of the Lord, in order that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. ³⁵ Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not that I may put a restriction on you, but to promote appropriate and devoted service to the Lord without distraction. ³⁶ But if anyone thinks he is behaving dishonorably concerning his virgin, if she is past her prime* and it ought to be thus, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin. Let them marry. ³⁷ But he who stands firm in his heart, not having necessity, but has authority concerning his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin, he will do well. ³⁸ So then, the one who marries* his own virgin does well, and the one who does not marry her will do better. ³⁹ A wife is bound for as long a time as her husband lives. But if her husband _⌊dies_⌋*, she is free to marry whomever she wishes, only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she remains thus, according to my opinion—and I think I have the Spirit of God.