1 Corinthians 7:12-16
Amplified Bible
12 To the [a]rest I declare—I, not the Lord [since Jesus did not discuss this]—that if any [believing] brother has a wife who does not believe [in Christ], and she consents to live with him, he must not leave her. 13 And if any [believing] woman has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not leave him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is [b]sanctified [that is, he receives the blessings granted] through his [Christian] wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be [ceremonially] [c]unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner leaves, let him leave. In such cases the [remaining] brother or sister is not [spiritually or morally] bound. But God has called us to [d]peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband [by leading him to Christ]? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife [by leading her to Christ]?
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- 1 Corinthians 7:12 Christians married to non-believers. It is evident that some of the married couples in Corinth had wed before either of them had become Christians, and subsequently the believing spouses probably wondered whether their marriage was legitimate in the eyes of God.
- 1 Corinthians 7:14 The unbeliever is not saved by marriage to a Christian. Each person, whether spouse or child, must make a personal decision to accept and follow Christ to receive salvation and God’s promises.
- 1 Corinthians 7:14 The word used here seems to be borrowed from the language of OT ritual. There were many things that could render a person ceremonially unclean. All these things would disqualify a person from participating in worship, and required cleansing rituals to correct.
- 1 Corinthians 7:15 Probably peace between the spouses, hopefully leading to restoration and salvation (v 16).
1 Corinthians 7:12-16
New American Standard Bible
12 But to the rest (A)I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, he must not [a]divorce her. 13 And [b]if any woman has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not [c]divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through [d]her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are (B)holy. 15 Yet if the unbelieving one is leaving, [e]let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called [f]us (C)in peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will (D)save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
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- 1 Corinthians 7:12 Or leave her
- 1 Corinthians 7:13 One early ms any woman who has
- 1 Corinthians 7:13 Or leave her husband
- 1 Corinthians 7:14 Lit the brother
- 1 Corinthians 7:15 Or then he must leave
- 1 Corinthians 7:15 One early ms you
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