In 1 Corinthians 7-14, Paul responds to questions the Corinthian brethren had written to him. Chapter 7 focuses primarily on marriage. Their questions range from whether it is right to remain unmarried, to whether one may remarry after the death of a spouse. Among these concerns were questions about Christians married to unbelievers: Does God recognize such marriages? What should a believer do if an unbelieving spouse wishes to remain in the marriage? And what if the unbelieving spouse chooses to leave?
To the last question, Paul writes, “Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases;…” This statement has been widely discussed, with many concluding that it grants the believer the right to remarry after the unbeliever departs. However, I do not believe this reflects the apostle’s teaching.
From the beginning, God’s will for marriage has been a lifelong union between one man and one woman. Scripture reveals only two circumstances in which a person is free to remarry. First, when a spouse dies, the surviving spouse is free to marry again. Paul states clearly, “A wife is bound for so long time as her husband liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39). This final phrase will be considered more fully in a future study.
Second, remarriage is permitted if a spouse has been guilty of fornication. Jesus spoke plainly on this matter: “Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery” (Matthew 19:9).
God does not maintain one standard for believers and another for unbelievers. His law of marriage applies to all. Paul reminded the Corinthians that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, listing among them fornicators and adulterers, and adding, “And such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:11). This shows that even before their conversion, they were accountable to God’s moral law, including His law of marriage.
This truth still applies today. When a believer and an unbeliever, both free to marry, enter into marriage, God joins them together. They are bound to one another for life. Therefore, if the unbelieving spouse departs without committing fornication, God still regards the marriage bond as intact.
But what does Paul mean when he says the believer is “not under bondage”? It means that the believer is free from the command that if the unbelieving mate desires to live with the believing mate, the believer must remain with the unbelieving mate. But, if the unbeliever departs, the believer has done what God has commanded; he is not party to the sin the unbeliever commits should he remarry and enter into an unlawful relationship. The believer would be party to that sin if he or she refused to live with the unbelieving mate who wanted to continue the marriage with the believer.
Some may feel these teachings are difficult. Even the disciples responded to Jesus’ words on marriage by saying, “If the case of the man is so with his wife, it is not expedient to marry” (Matthew 19:10). Many today echo that same sentiment. Yet, however challenging they may be, these are the Lord’s commands, and they call us to trust and obedience.
Jim McDonald