1 Corinthians 7:27

Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

Cross-reference

In 1 Corinthians 7:20, Paul commands 'remain in the condition you were called' — the general principle v.27 applies to marriage and singleness.

In 1 Corinthians 7:8, Paul advises the unmarried to stay single, which underlies the 'do not seek a wife' command in v.27.

In 1 Corinthians 7:12-14, Paul applies the 'do not seek to be free' rule to believers married to unbelievers, showing its scope.

In Jeremiah 16:2, God commands Jeremiah not to marry because of coming judgment — a parallel to Paul's advice not to seek marriage due to distress.