Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.  Here we find the Corinthians ask the question introduced by the Ascetics of the day: Isn’t sexual relations always debasing and sinful? Paul answers that the lack of sexual relations might prevent some problems of the day.

Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.   Paul says that it is better to be married than to practice sexual immorality.

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 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. 

Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. Paul says that because of lack of self control, one may be tempted to sin if celibacy is being practiced.

But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.  For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. In the above Paul answers the question posed by the Ascetic philosophy in regard to sexual relations.  Couples are not to divorce just to avoid sexual relations.

Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.  The point is quite clear.  Married couples are not to divorce.

But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. But if a divorce has occurred, that person is not to remarry but to be reconciled the the spouse.

And a husband is not to divorce his wife.  And the same is to go for the husband as well as the wife.

But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.  Now Paul addresses the Jewish question: Isn’t the believer to rid themselves of the unbeliever?  Don’t divorce because one of the mates is an unbeliever. But if the divorce occurs, the Christian mate is to remain unmarried (see above).

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.

But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. If the unbeliever divorces the believer, the believer, who is not a slave, lets it happen.  But it appears that they are not to remarry.  The word translated bondage in all other cases in the New Testament deals with the state of slavery and so it does here.

But God has called us to peace.  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? 1 Corinthians 7:1-16.

Let each one remain in the same [legal] calling [that is acceptable to God] in which he was called. 1 Corinthians 7:20.

Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called. 1 Corinthians 7:24.  Let each one remain in the calling in which he was called that is acceptable to God.
 

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