14. The husband who is not a believer is set apart for God through his believing wife. And the wife who is not a believer is set apart for God through her believing husband. If this were not true, your children would be unfit for God’s use. But now they are set apart for him.
15. But if the husband or wife who is not a believer decides to leave, let them leave. When this happens, the brother or sister in Christ is free. God chose you to have a life of peace.
16. Wives, maybe you will save your husband; and husbands, maybe you will save your wife. You don’t know now what will happen later.
17. But each one of you should continue to live the way the Lord God has given you to live—the way you were when God chose you. I tell people in all the churches to follow this rule.
18. If a man was already circumcised when he was chosen, he should not change his circumcision. If a man was without circumcision when he was chosen, he should not be circumcised.
19. It is not important if anyone is circumcised or not. What is important is obeying God’s commands.
20. Each one of you should stay the way you were when God chose you.
21. If you were a slave when God chose you, don’t let that bother you. But if you can be free, then do it.
22. If you were a slave when the Lord chose you, you are now free in the Lord. You belong to the Lord. In the same way, if you were free when you were chosen, you are now Christ’s slave.
23. God paid a high price for you, so don’t be slaves to anyone else.
24. Brothers and sisters, in your new life with God, each one of you should continue the way you were when God chose you.
25. Now I write about people who are not married. I have no command from the Lord about this, but I give my opinion. And I can be trusted, because the Lord has given me mercy.
26. This is a time of trouble. So I think it is good for you to stay the way you are.
27. If you have a wife, don’t try to get free from her. If you are not married, don’t try to find a wife.
28. But if you decide to marry, that is not a sin. And it is not a sin for a girl who has never married to get married. But those who marry will have trouble in this life, and I want you to be free from this trouble.
29. Brothers and sisters, this is what I mean: We don’t have much time left. So starting now, those who have wives should be the same as those who don’t.
30. It should not be important whether you are sad or whether you are happy. If you buy something, it should not matter to you that you own it.
31. You should use the things of the world without letting them become important to you. This is how you should live, because this world, the way it is now, will soon be gone.