1 Corinthians 7:15
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
1 Corinthians 7:15
15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
Chapter Context
1 Corinthians 7 is a pastoral epistle chapter in the New Testament that explores themes of righteousness, wisdom, prayer. Written during Paul's third missionary journey (c. 55 CE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: The church existed in a prosperous, cosmopolitan, morally permissive Roman colony.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-40: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it demonstrates God's faithfulness despite human unfaithfulness. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within 1 Corinthians and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
1 Corinthians 7:15
15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
Analysis
But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart—the verb chōrizetai (χωρίζεται, "separates/divorces") indicates the unbeliever's choice to leave. Paul's permission chōrizesthō (χωριζέσθω, "let him/her depart") releases the believer from the obligation to preserve the marriage. A brother or a sister is not under bondage uses dedoulōtai (δεδούλωται, "enslaved/bound").
The phrase "not under bondage" has been debated: does it merely permit separation, or allow remarriage? The verb dedoulōtai suggests release from marital obligation. Many interpreters see here the "Pauline privilege"—the believer is free to remarry when the unbeliever abandons the marriage. Paul's rationale: but God hath called us to peace (en eirēnē, ἐν εἰρήνῃ, "in peace").
Paul will not require believers to remain in contentious marriages where the unbeliever refuses to stay. Forced cohabitation contradicts the peace to which God calls His people. This exception (like Jesus' exception for sexual immorality in Matthew 19:9) protects the abandoned believer while upholding marriage's ideal permanence.
Historical Context
In Greco-Roman and Jewish contexts, conversion to Christianity could prompt unbelieving spouses to divorce. Paul's teaching that believers are "not bound" in such cases provided pastoral care for abandoned Christians, protecting them from being trapped in marriages the unbeliever had dissolved.
Reflection
- What does it mean that believers are "not bound" when an unbeliever departs—does this permit remarriage?
- How does God's call to "peace" inform decisions about remaining in difficult mixed marriages?
- How should the church support believers who are abandoned by unbelieving spouses?
Word Studies
- God: Θεός (Theos) G2316 - God
Cross-References
- Peace: 1 Corinthians 14:33, Romans 12:18, 14:19, 2 Corinthians 13:11
- Parallel theme: Matthew 12:50