1 Corinthians 7:12

1 Corinthians 7:12

Keep Your Marriage Vows

10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the ^aLord: ^bA 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.

12 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.

13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise ^ayour children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

15 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 ^ato peace.

16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will ^asave your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Live as You Are Called

17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And ^aso I ordain in all the churches.

18 Was anyone called while circumcised? ^aLet him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.

Commentaries:

Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)

<< 1 Corinthians 7:11

1 Corinthians 7:13 >>

But to the rest say I, not the Lord (toiv de loipoiv legw egw, oux o Kuriov). Paul has no word about marriage from Jesus beyond the problem of divorce. This is no disclaimer of inspiration. He simply means that here he is not quoting a command of Jesus.

An unbelieving wife (gunaika apiston). This is a new problem, the result of work among the Gentiles, that did not arise in the time of Jesus. The form apiston is the same as the masculine because a compound adjective. Paul has to deal with mixed marriages as missionaries do today in heathen lands. The rest (oi loipoi) for Gentiles (Ephesians 2:3) we have already had in I Thessalonians 4:13; I Thessalonians 5:6 which see. The Christian husband married his wife when he himself was an unbeliever. The word apistov sometimes means unfaithful (Luke 12:46), but not here (cf. John 20:27).

She is content (suneudokei). Late compound verb to be pleased together with, agree together. In the papyri.

Let him not leave her (mh afietw authn). Perhaps here and in verses I Corinthians 7:11, I Corinthians 7:13 afihmi should be translated "put away" like apoluw in Mark 10:1. Some understand afihmi as separation from bed and board, not divorce.

**Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing 1 Corinthians 7:12:**

Romans 1:32
1 Corinthians 7:13
1 Corinthians 7:25
1 Corinthians 7:29
Titus 1:15

<< 1 Corinthians 7:11

1 Corinthians 7:13 >>

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Keep Your Marriage Vows

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