The Apostle clearly states both his authoritative advice AND commandments from the risen Christ Jesus.
I say this to give you permission. It is not a command.
1 Corinthians 7:6 ICB
Commandments for Christians from the Lord
Now I give this command for the married people. (The command is not from me; it is from the Lord.)
1 Corinthians 7:10 International Children’s Bible
A wife should not leave her husband.
Paul previously has already conceded to those who are single, ‘..because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.’ – 1 Corinthians 7:2 NKJV
The New King James Version HEADS this section of Paul's Epistle: Keep Your Marriage Vows
NOW Paul must address how a corinthianized saint of Christ’s Church in Corinth ought to apply such commands of the Lord.
‘Do NOT be unequally yoked’ is good pre-marital advice from the Bible.
– referring to Paul’s Second letter to the Corinthians 6:14
Divorce
A wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband.
And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
Let’s be clear on this command:
- For most of history ONLY the HUSBAND could sign a certificate of divorce.
- In this Common Era a WIFE is JUST AS LIKELY to sue her husband for divorce.
OR a ‘liberated‘ woman may simply leave (or evict) the husband of her vows, rather than seeking to reconcile their marital relationship as commandments of the Lord and scripture clearly state.
Any Exceptions or Advice?
(In deference to our own vows before the Lord, sometimes the hardness of a heart is that of our spouse.)
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.
13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.
The Apostle also makes clear his desire for fidelity in marriage between a CHURCH MEMBER and an unbeliever.
Scripture is clear: DO NOT commit adultery applies to HUSBAND and WIFE alike.
What about the kids?
The husband who is not a believer is made holy through his believing wife.
And the wife who is not a believer is made holy through her believing husband.
If this were not true, then your children would not be clean. But now your children are holy.
1 Corinthians 7:14 International Children’s Bible
Sanctified, the King James Version instructs.
ἁγιάζω – Strong’s G37 – hagiazō – From ἅγιος (G40) the same word scripture uses for ‘Holy’ and for ‘saint,’ the name identifying members of Christ’s church.
- to separate from profane things and dedicate to God
- to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin
- to purify internally by renewing of the soul
MARRIAGE is HOLY, ITS TWO SAINTS ONE with each other and with CHRIST.
The saints of the church are Christ's SANCTIFIED ones, yet are our christian MARRIAGES a HOLY witness of CHRIST?
The Good News About Marriage also reveals the divorce rate among those active in their church is 27 to 50 percent lower than among non-churchgoers.
Jeff Feldhahn, husband of Shaunti Feldhahn, marriage researcher in 2019 CBN interview
Which spouse claiming to be christian while embracing adultery is NOT ACTIVE in worship in their local church?
So they divorce, often calling themselves, ‘single mom’ or ‘single dad,’ as if they had never been bound to any vow.
And they witness falsely to the world that they are ‘christians‘ (though in name only) who DIVORCE as FREELY and frequently as the rest of the world, those who vilify Christ our Lord, His Church and every Christian family.
but IF the ..
ἄπιστος apistos – (note some meaning from various translations)
[departs, insists on leaving, leaves, separates, wants a divorce],
χωρίζω chōrizō – let him depart
.. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
ἄπιστος apistos
And what does the Bible call this person breaking their vows of marriage by divorce?
- unbelieving or unbeliever, KJV & NKJV
- the husband or wife who isn’t a believer, NLT
- unbelieving one, LSB
- unbelieving partner, AMP & RSV
- infidelis, VUL
In fact, since
they trouble Christ,
divide the saints and
cast chaos into the world of witness in Jesus Christ,
those church members who DIVORCE become anti-Christs in the eyes of the world.
Let it be so. – 7:15b NIV
Concerning Change of Status
When this happens, the brother or sister in Christ is free. God called us to a life of peace. 16 Wives, maybe you will save your husband; and husbands, maybe you will save your wife. You do not know now what will happen later.
1 Corinthians 7:15c International Children’s Bible
This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.
Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.
1 Corinthians 7:17 New Living Translation
Paul addresses the men - Jewish saints of the church as well as Greek or Roman converts to Judaism, now also saints adopted into Christ.
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. 20 Each person should remain [abide] in the situation they were in when God called them.
This, of course, opens another relational question for women, as well as questions of status of Jews the circumcision, Greek Corinthians and Roman Corinthians, both the uncircumcision.
Slaves – δοῦλος –doulos
Rome had slaves.
(Most Bible translations prefer the less-offensive word, servants), but even employee labor is bought by your employer.) Some are slaves to their work. Others, slaves to
Lose a war, as the Greeks had to the Romans, and your citizens become subject to a government over which you have no control. Jews, whether in Corinth or Jerusalem were also either Roman citizens, free aliens or slaves to a Roman, Greek or other master, their lord.
- a slave
- metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
- devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests
For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord.
Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.
So note here Paul's all-important metaphor:
You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants [doulos] of men.
So, brothers, [v.29 meaning ‘brothers and sisters’] in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
The Apostle uses ABIDE once again in v.23, his fourth of five times in 1 Corinthians 7.
Situation of the unmarried and widowed
25 Now I write about people who are not married. I have no command from the Lord about this, but I give my opinion. And I can be trusted, because the Lord has given me mercy.
Remedies for this present distress
I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—
Paul's advice is both personal AND circumstantial: to the single (virgins and unmarried men), engaged (betrothed), married, widowed (no longer bound to a spouse), divorced (once again single and unbound to another).
- 27 Are you pledged to a woman?
- Do not seek to be released.
- 28 Are you free from such a commitment?
- Do not look for a wife.
- 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned;
- and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.
- But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
The time is short
We do not have much time left. So starting now... 1 Corinthians 7:29b International Children's Bible
What’s the historical context of which Paul speaks? (This seems somewhat prophetic, but certainly the handwriting on the wall is whispered in every province of the Empire.)
AD 55 – Six years ago Caesar Claudius had expelled some of the Jews from Rome. And now Nero has succeeded him as Emperor.
- ‘Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus was self-indulgent, cruel, and violent as well as a cross-dressing exhibitionist.’
- Nero planned his mother’s death with great care
- After Nero and [his second wife] argued late one night (Nero liked to stay out late), he supposedly kicked her in the stomach, killing both her and the unborn child.
And, of course we know Nero’s evil reputation best from an incident about to take place in the burning of most of Rome just nine years from now [AD 64] and more malicious persecutions of Christ followers, including Paul, who viewed Nero as an anti-Christ.
The Apostle writes twice to the Corinthians during turbulent times.
..the time is short, so that from now on
even those who have wives should be as though they had none,
- those who weep as though they did not weep,
- those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice,
- those who buy as though they did not possess,
- and those who use this world as not misusing it.
For the form of this world is passing away.
Paul’s first Epistle to the Corinthians 7:29-31 NKJV
Free from earthly cares
Again, a list from Paul confirming motivations of men and women in their relationships - freedom apart from the commandments of the Law and rules concerning marriage.
A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives;
1 Corinthians 1:39a NKJV
- The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord. – 1 Cor 7:32b BSB
- But the married man is concerned about the affairs of this world, how he can please his wife, – v.33
- The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit:
- but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. – v. 34b KJV
cautions for your profit and not restraint
to promote propriety and undistracted devotion to the Lord.
If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. – v.36 ESV
But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. – v.37 NLT
So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.
1 Corinthians 7:38 NIV – Paul’s advice for uncertain times
.. but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
Once again, from the KJV, Paul's fatherly Apostolic opinion:
40 But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.
NEXT: a Corinthian Culinary Conscience
Numbers 30:13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.