1 Corinthians 7:12-16, "But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?"
But to the rest indicates Paul is shifting the focus from the group previously addressed, couples where both partners were Christians. Now, he speaks to any brother who has a wife who does not believe, and the woman who has a husband who does not believe.
I, not the Lord, say: We should not think Paul is any less inspired by the Holy Spirit on this point. When he says not the Lord, he simply means that Jesus did not teach on this specific point, as He had in the previous situation inMatthew 19:3-9. So, if Jesus did not speak on this specific point, Jesus' inspired apostle will!
This is a clue that Paul may not have been conscious of the degree of inspiration he worked under as he wrote 1 Corinthians and perhaps other letters. He simply knows that though he based his remarks in1 Corinthians 7:10-11 on what Jesus taught in Matthew 19:3-9 (yet not I, but the Lord), he has no specific recorded command from Jesus in the case of a Christian married to an unbelieving spouse. He knew he was writing with God's authority to the Corinthians, but he may not have known he was speaking with authority to all the church in all ages, and being used to pen God's eternal Word. But if Paul was not fully aware of how inspired these words were, they are no less inspired because of that.
Let him not divorce her: If there were some Christian couples in the Corinthian church who thought they would be more spiritual if they divorced (addressed in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11), what about Corinthian Christians married to unbelievers? "Certainly," thought the Corinthians, "God can't be glorified if I'm married to an unbeliever; for the sake of spirituality, I should divorce them." To these, Paul says let him not divorce her.
This spiritual concern is a valid - and urgent - reason for not marrying an unbeliever (2 Corinthians 6:14). But it is not a reason for ending an existing marriage with an unbeliever.
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife: Why should a Christian try to keep their marriage to a non-Christian together? Because God can be glorified in such a marriage, and do a work through the believing spouse to draw the unbelieving spouse to Jesus Christ.
Sanctified, in this context, does not mean that the unbelieving spouse is saved just by being married to a Christian. It simply means that they are set apart for a special working in their lives by the Holy Spirit, by virtue of being so close to someone who is a Christian.
Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy: Not only does the presence of a believing spouse do good for the unbelieving spouse, it also does good for the children - and great good, because it can be said now they are holy.
But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart: Paul has counseled that the Christian partner should do what they can to keep the marriage together. But if the unbelieving spouse refuses to be married, then the marriage can be broken; but this isn't to be initiated or sought by the believer.
If the unbelieving spouse should depart, the Christian is not under bondage to the marriage covenant. This means they are, in fact, free to remarry because God has recognized their divorce as a valid divorce.
For how do you know: Paul ends this section with a great deal of hope, because many Christian who are married to unbelievers are discouraged. They should know that with faith and patience, they can look for God to work in their present circumstances, difficult as they might be.
Christians married to unbelievers should also know what Peter says in 1 Peter 3:1-6: that your unbelieving spouse will not likely be led to Jesus by your words, but by your godly and loving conduct.
Dear Glorious God, I pray that You may be glorified by my life of faith in You!
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