Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is well for a man not to touch a woman.”
But because of cases of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.
The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
Do not deprive one another except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
This I say by way of concession, not of command.
For I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind.
To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain single as I am.
But if they are not practicing self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.
To the married I give charge—not I but the Lord—that the wife should not separate from her husband—
but if she does separate, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband—and that the husband should not divorce his wife.
To the rest I say—not the Lord—that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.
And a woman who has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.
For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
But if the unbeliever leaves, let them leave. The brother or the sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to peace.
For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Only, as the Lord has assigned to each, as God has called each, so let them walk. I give this rule in all the churches.
Was anyone called being circumcised? Let them not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called in uncircumcision? Let them not be circumcised.
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing; but obeying the commandments of God is everything.
Let each remain in the condition in which they were called.
Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.
For the one who was a slave when called by the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; likewise, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.
You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of human beings.
So, brothers and sisters, in whatever condition each was called, there let them remain with God.
This is the Patristics text that appears when you select Patristics.
