Bible verses about "courtship" | Worsley

¹ As to what remains therefore, my brethren, we intreat and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received instructions from us, how ye ought to walk and to please God, ye would abound therein more and more. ² For ye know what commandments we gave you from the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, even your sanctification: that ye should abstain from fornication, ⁴ and that every one of you should possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, ⁵ not in the passion of lust, like the heathens who know not God. ⁶ That no one over-reach, or wrong his brother in any thing: because the Lord is an avenger of all such crimes, as we also told you before, and testified to you. ⁷ For God hath not called us to impurity, but to holiness. ⁸ He therefore who rejecteth us, rejecteth not man, but God; who hath given us his holy Spirit.

¹² Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

¹ Be ye then imitators of me, as I also am of Christ. ² Now I commend you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. ³ But I would have you know that Christ is the head of every man; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. ⁴ Every man praying or prophesying, having a veil on his head, dishonoureth Him who is his head. ⁵ But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonoureth man her head; for it is even all one as if she were shaved. ⁶ For if a woman be not covered, she may as well be shorn: but if it be shameful to a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. ⁷ For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, he being the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. ⁸ For the man was not of the woman; but the woman was taken out of the man: ⁹ nor was the man created for the sake of the woman, but the woman for the man. ¹⁰ For this reason ought the woman to have power on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹ Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord. ¹² For as the woman was originally from the man, so also is the man by the woman: but all things are from God. ¹³ Judge in yourselves, Is it decent for a woman to pray to God uncovered? ¹⁴ Doth not even nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a disgrace to him? ¹⁵ but if a woman have long hair it is a glory to her; because the hair was given her as for a veil. ¹⁶ But if any one is pleased to contend for the contrary, I answer, We have no such custom, nor any of the churches of God. ¹⁷ But whilst I am declaring this, I do not commend you, that ye assemble together not for the better, but for the worse. ¹⁸ For first when ye come together in the church, I hear there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it. ¹⁹ For there must be even heresies among you, that they who are approved may be made manifest among you. ²⁰ When therefore ye thus assemble together, this is not eating the Lord's supper: ²¹ for in eating every one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry, and another is glutted. ²² What! have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or do ye despise the church of God, and shame those that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. ²³ For I received from the Lord, that which I also delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread: ²⁴ and gave thanks, and brake it, and said, "Take and eat; this is my body, which is going to be broken for you: this do in remembrance of me." ²⁵ And in the same manner He took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant ratified in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink of it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶ As often then as ye eat of this bread, and drink of this cup, ye commemorate the Lord's death till he come. ²⁷ So that whosoever eateth this bread, or drinketh of the cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup: ²⁹ for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgement against himself, not distinguishing the Lord's body. ³⁰ For this many among you are weak and infirm, and several are fallen asleep. ³¹ If then we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged: ³² but when judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. ³³ Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait for one another: ³⁴ and if any one be hungry, let him eat at home, that ye may not come together to your condemnation. And as to other things, I will set them in order when I come.

²² Flee youthful passions: and follow righteousness, fidelity, love, and peace, with all those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart:

²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after having received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins;

²⁷ Ye have heard, that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not commit adultery: ²⁸ but I tell you, that whosoever looketh on a woman, so as to lust after her, hath already debauched her in his heart. ²⁹ And therefore if thy right eye cause thee to offend, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee that one part of thee perish, than that thy whole body should be cast into hell: ³⁰ and if thy right hand cause thee to offend, cut it off and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee that one of thy limbs should perish, than that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

¹ Now as to the things concerning which ye wrote to me: it were good for a man not to touch a woman.

⁵ and be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh:

² Nevertheless to prevent whoredoms, let every one have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

¹⁸ Flee from whoredom. Every other sin, that a man committeth, is without the body; but he, that committeth whoredom, sinneth against his own body.

¹ Now as to the things concerning which ye wrote to me: it were good for a man not to touch a woman. ² Nevertheless to prevent whoredoms, let every one have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. ³ Let the husband render to the wife due benevolence; and in like manner also the wife to the husband. ⁴ The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband; and in like manner also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. ⁵ Do not withdraw from one another, unless by consent for a season, that ye may attend to fasting and prayer: and come together again, least Satan tempt you through your incontinency. ⁶ But I say this by way of permission, not of command: ⁷ for I could wish that all men were as I myself am; but every man hath his proper gift from God, one of one kind and another of another? ⁸ Now to the unmarried and widows I say, it is good for them to continue so, as I do. ⁹ But if they have not the gift of continence, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with lust. ¹⁰ But those that are married, not I command, but the Lord, that the wife be not separated from her husband; ¹¹ (but if she separate, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband;) and that the husband put not away his wife. ¹² But to the rest say I, not the Lord, If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she like to dwell with him, let him not put her away. ¹³ And if any wife hath an unbelieving husband, and he like to dwell with her, let her not leave him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband: else were your children unclean; but they are holy. ¹⁵ But if the unbeliever depart, let them depart; a brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. ¹⁶ But God hath called us to peace; for how knowest thou, O wife, but thou shalt save thy husband; or how knowest thou, O husband, but thou shalt save thy wife? ¹⁷ However, as God hath distributed to every man, and as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk: and thus I order in all the churches. ¹⁸ Is any one called that is circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised: is any one called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised: for circumcision is nothing, ¹⁹ and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God. ²⁰ In the calling in which every one was called, let him continue. ²¹ Wast thou called being a slave, be not anxious about it; but if thou canst be made free, prefer it. ²² For he that is called in the Lord being a slave, is the Lord's freed-man: and he likewise that is called being free is the servant of Christ. ²³ Ye are bought with a price, do not become the slaves of men. ²⁴ Brethren, in whatever condition every one was when called, let him abide therein with God. ²⁵ But concerning single persons I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgement as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. ²⁶ I think then, that it is---better on account of the present distress,---that it is better, I say, ²⁷ for a single man to be so. Art thou bound to a wife indeed? seek not to be loosed: but art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. ²⁸ Though, if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned: such however will probably have more trouble in life: but I spare you. ²⁹ But this I say, brethren, that the time is short: it remains therefore, that even those, who have wives, be as though they had none; ³⁰ and they, that weep, as if they wept not; and they, that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they, that buy, as if they possessed not; ³¹ and they, that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. ³² And I would have you without anxiety. Now he, that is unmarried, careth for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but he, ³³ that is married, is in care about the things of the world, and how he may please his wife. ³⁴ There is a difference also between a wife and a virgin: she, that is unmarried, careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but she, that is married, is in care about the things of the world, and how she may please her husband. ³⁵ And this I say for your own benefit, not that I may cast a snare upon you, but in order to recommend that which is fit and becoming before the Lord without distraction. ³⁶ But if any one think that he acts unbecomingly towards his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and that it ought to be so, let him do what he will; he doth not sin: let them marry. ³⁷ But he, that is stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doth well. ³⁸ So that he, who giveth her in marriage, doth well; but he, that giveth her not in marriage, doth better. ³⁹ The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth: but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord: ⁴⁰ but she is happier, in my opinion, if she continue as she is: and I think I have the Spirit of God.

¹² Let no one have cause to despise thy youth; but he thou an example to believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.