1 Corinthians 7:12-16

Scripture: 1 Cor. 7:12 To the rest I say (I, 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.

1 Cor. 7:13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.

1 Cor. 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

1 Cor. 7:15 But if the unbeliever partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

1 Cor. 7:16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

Teaching: Up to this point, Paul has addressed both the married faithful (verse 8) and the unmarried (verse 10), so now as he says, “to the rest,” we understand this to mean the married with one spouse does not have faith in Christ. Some confuse Paul parenthetical addition “(I, not the Lord)” as him saying that his next instruction is not inspired or can be taken more loosely in interpretation. However, such an understanding would undermine the authority of Scripture – we either see it as inspired, inerrant, and authoritative, or we do not. We do not get to pick and choose. What Paul means here is that contrary to his previous instruction that he has heard teaching directly from Jesus, this teaching comes from Paul; but, it should be seen as just as authoritative because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s instruction in these verses is for believers to remain married to their unbelieving spouses. When one comes to faith, one’s entire worldview and outlook on life and eternity changes. One’s priorities, methods, and understandings shift. Today, that is no small thing even amongst a friend group – it often leads to some level of separation from old, unbelieving friends, whether spiritual or physical. This pull can be even stronger inside of a marriage. However, Paul calls the Christian to remain with their spouse, trusting that the Lord has good purpose in it. We cannot know the plans of the Lord, but it is a good thing and a powerful testimony to an unbelieving spouse and their children to have a believer in the home. In the event the unbelieving spouse separates from the believing (not an endorsement of this, but merely an acknowledgement of reality), the believer should not despair, for as Paul says, God called them to “peace.” The word “peace” here is eirene, which Jesus uses often in the Gospels to describe the state of being of people who have received God’s grace in salvation, and thus have nothing to fear from God and are content with their earthly position. This kind of peace is more that simply not being at war, but rather what flows from an abiding trust in the Lord and understanding of His grace and promises. So, rather than worry over what one could or could not have done, the divorced spouse in this situation should rather look to the Lord and rest in His peace.

Takeaway: These verses describe a very common situation in today’s world, where one spouse has placed their faith in Christ and the other has not. Most often, studies show, it is the wife who believes and is the spiritual influence upon the house. Barna Group has done studies over the years that show how if the husband is the spiritual leader of the household, the percent chance of the entire household believing is significantly higher. God can and does lead people to faith by their spouse. Whether it is the wife or the husband who believes, Paul’s instruction here is clear: marriage is important, to the extent one is able, stay in it. Coming to faith is not a reason to leave a marriage. Marriage to an unbeliever can and should be avoided, but if one finds themselves in such a marriage, there is still hope. The same God who brought you to faith can do the same for your spouse and can use you to do so. So, keep your trust in the Lord, rest in His peace, and above all, remember that prayer is powerful. Hearts are changed by prayer and marriages have been saved by the same.