I say this as a concession, not as a command.
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.
In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.
