1 Corinthians 7:10-16 says...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, which read,
v.10, 11 - But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.
Paul is going to get into some pretty specific instructions to the Christians in Corinth and to us in the church. These first verses are talking to married couples who are Christians. He will make the distinction later about those who are not Christians. So to the Christian couples, here is the instruction that is given right from the Lord.
If you are a Christian couple who are married then you are not to divorce except for adultery that is given by the Lord in Matthew 5:31, 32. If you do divorce for something other than adultery then you are to remain unmarried so that reconciliation can take place. If you think about it, if I and my mate are Christians and we divorce for other reasons than adultery then we need to be reconciled first to what God's word says about marriage before we make any further advancements in our lives.
Some may have arguments with this passage because it seems really restrictive but it is what the Bible says. It doesn't mean that a Christian married couple who have experienced adultery are commanded to get a divorce but that Christian marriages are to be about reconciliation and some Christian marriages that have experienced the damage of adultery have been and can been restored.
v.12, 13 - But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.
This is a reality in the Corinthian world and also a reality in our world today. One of the partners of the marriage becomes a Christian and the other is not. We know from Scripture that we are to marry on the front end of deal a Christian. We are not to be "unequally yoked" is the phrase. But what if you become a Christian after you are married and your spouse has not become a Christian? Wouldn't it be better if I was married to another Christian? Should I divorce my unbelieving spouse to find a believing one? Paul says emphatically "no!"
If the spouse who doesn't believe consents to live with you then you are to be married as husband and wife and you are not going against the Scripture that tells us about being unequally yoked. That is a scripture for those who are Christians who are entering into marriage as a great command and counsel but not for those who are already in marriages. I have asked Christian brothers and sisters after they tell me of the "love of their life" if they are a Christian and they say "no" or "I don't know" then I say that by the Bible you need to find out before you go any further. Remember that the "love of our lives" needs to be first God and what He says.
v.14, 15 - For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.
What can and does happen when the believing spouse and the unbelieving spouse live together? God continues to sanctify the believing spouse in the presence of the unbelieving spouse. The unbelieving spouse gets a front row seat to the work of God in the believing spouse's life, that is what sanctification is. The unbelieving spouse can only be saved by God but the believing spouse will be used by God to call out to that unbelieving spouse. If the believing spouse were to leave the unbelieving spouse for any other reason than adultery then they would not have that front row seat to a person being sanctified, meaning transformed by God, in their midst.
God promises something big here. If I stay with my unbelieving spouse, won't my children be unclean because of that unbelieving spouse's influence? Wouldn't it be better to separate so that the children would not be corrupted in any unholy way? Paul says, "no!" If you are the believing spouse and being transformed by God through sanctification then your children will also receive through you the exposure of God's call. It will probably be even greater because they will be able to watch you stay strong for God when it is not so easy at times. All Christians are called to do this when they say "yes" to God.
Paul goes on to say that if the unbelieving spouse leaves the relationship then you are to let him or her go. The word for leaves is talking about divorce. If the unbelieving spouse gets a divorce from the believing spouse for any reason then the believing spouse is to let them go. The unbelieving spouse is not just rejecting the believing spouse but also rejecting the work of God through that believing spouse.
If this is the case and does happen then the believing spouse in not in the bond of that marriage anymore. Just like the marriage bond that is broken because of adultery if it lets to that or the marriage bond that is broken because of death. The believing spouse is free of the bond to remarry and the Scripture would come into play to marry someone in which you are equally yoked. Some may disagree with me on this point but this is what I see in the scripture when it comes to marriage and divorce and remarriage.
v.16 - 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?
I think you could take this verse in a couple different ways in the context of the passage. It could be taken for the believing spouse who just wants to get out of the relationship with the unbelieving spouse because it is hard to realize that God is working in that situation through him or her and the believing spouse might also have a "front row seat" to their unbelieving spouse becoming a believing one. I think it could also be taken as when a unbelieving spouse divorces the believing spouse and the bonds of that marriage are broken that God will not yet reach to save that spouse in the future. Our efforts will not save or change our spouse but God can definitely use them in the call of that person's life if you are formally married or formally divorced.
A lot to think about today and also another time that the Bible is so relevant to all time. Paul has much more to say about this topic tomorrow. Actually what he says tomorrow is so important to where we might find ourselves today in light of the Scripture we have covered.
"Lord, may I first be married to You before I am married to anyone else. My marriage to You dictates who I may marry and also how I will treat the one I am married to. My marriage to You guides all of my relationships and I am humbled that You would use me to be a God-influence on someone else. I want to be on the front row to see what You will do. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.10, 11 - But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.
Paul is going to get into some pretty specific instructions to the Christians in Corinth and to us in the church. These first verses are talking to married couples who are Christians. He will make the distinction later about those who are not Christians. So to the Christian couples, here is the instruction that is given right from the Lord.
If you are a Christian couple who are married then you are not to divorce except for adultery that is given by the Lord in Matthew 5:31, 32. If you do divorce for something other than adultery then you are to remain unmarried so that reconciliation can take place. If you think about it, if I and my mate are Christians and we divorce for other reasons than adultery then we need to be reconciled first to what God's word says about marriage before we make any further advancements in our lives.
Some may have arguments with this passage because it seems really restrictive but it is what the Bible says. It doesn't mean that a Christian married couple who have experienced adultery are commanded to get a divorce but that Christian marriages are to be about reconciliation and some Christian marriages that have experienced the damage of adultery have been and can been restored.
v.12, 13 - But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away.
This is a reality in the Corinthian world and also a reality in our world today. One of the partners of the marriage becomes a Christian and the other is not. We know from Scripture that we are to marry on the front end of deal a Christian. We are not to be "unequally yoked" is the phrase. But what if you become a Christian after you are married and your spouse has not become a Christian? Wouldn't it be better if I was married to another Christian? Should I divorce my unbelieving spouse to find a believing one? Paul says emphatically "no!"
If the spouse who doesn't believe consents to live with you then you are to be married as husband and wife and you are not going against the Scripture that tells us about being unequally yoked. That is a scripture for those who are Christians who are entering into marriage as a great command and counsel but not for those who are already in marriages. I have asked Christian brothers and sisters after they tell me of the "love of their life" if they are a Christian and they say "no" or "I don't know" then I say that by the Bible you need to find out before you go any further. Remember that the "love of our lives" needs to be first God and what He says.
v.14, 15 - For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.
What can and does happen when the believing spouse and the unbelieving spouse live together? God continues to sanctify the believing spouse in the presence of the unbelieving spouse. The unbelieving spouse gets a front row seat to the work of God in the believing spouse's life, that is what sanctification is. The unbelieving spouse can only be saved by God but the believing spouse will be used by God to call out to that unbelieving spouse. If the believing spouse were to leave the unbelieving spouse for any other reason than adultery then they would not have that front row seat to a person being sanctified, meaning transformed by God, in their midst.
God promises something big here. If I stay with my unbelieving spouse, won't my children be unclean because of that unbelieving spouse's influence? Wouldn't it be better to separate so that the children would not be corrupted in any unholy way? Paul says, "no!" If you are the believing spouse and being transformed by God through sanctification then your children will also receive through you the exposure of God's call. It will probably be even greater because they will be able to watch you stay strong for God when it is not so easy at times. All Christians are called to do this when they say "yes" to God.
Paul goes on to say that if the unbelieving spouse leaves the relationship then you are to let him or her go. The word for leaves is talking about divorce. If the unbelieving spouse gets a divorce from the believing spouse for any reason then the believing spouse is to let them go. The unbelieving spouse is not just rejecting the believing spouse but also rejecting the work of God through that believing spouse.
If this is the case and does happen then the believing spouse in not in the bond of that marriage anymore. Just like the marriage bond that is broken because of adultery if it lets to that or the marriage bond that is broken because of death. The believing spouse is free of the bond to remarry and the Scripture would come into play to marry someone in which you are equally yoked. Some may disagree with me on this point but this is what I see in the scripture when it comes to marriage and divorce and remarriage.
v.16 - 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?
I think you could take this verse in a couple different ways in the context of the passage. It could be taken for the believing spouse who just wants to get out of the relationship with the unbelieving spouse because it is hard to realize that God is working in that situation through him or her and the believing spouse might also have a "front row seat" to their unbelieving spouse becoming a believing one. I think it could also be taken as when a unbelieving spouse divorces the believing spouse and the bonds of that marriage are broken that God will not yet reach to save that spouse in the future. Our efforts will not save or change our spouse but God can definitely use them in the call of that person's life if you are formally married or formally divorced.
A lot to think about today and also another time that the Bible is so relevant to all time. Paul has much more to say about this topic tomorrow. Actually what he says tomorrow is so important to where we might find ourselves today in light of the Scripture we have covered.
"Lord, may I first be married to You before I am married to anyone else. My marriage to You dictates who I may marry and also how I will treat the one I am married to. My marriage to You guides all of my relationships and I am humbled that You would use me to be a God-influence on someone else. I want to be on the front row to see what You will do. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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