Question:
Could you please explain the fifteenth verse of the seventh chapter of 1 Corinthians? Does it refer to a situation where a person was married before their spouse accepted Christ, and then the spouse departs? Or does it imply that both individuals were in Christ at the time? In the first case, would the person be considered an adulteress?
Answer:
The verse states: “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.”
From verse 11, we understand that if a wife cannot live in peace with her husband and decides to separate, she should either remain unmarried or seek reconciliation. The following verse explains that if a brother has a wife who does not believe and she is willing to stay with him, he should not send her away or leave her. In verse 13, similar guidance is given to the wife.
Verse 15 states, “If the unbelieving depart”—meaning if the unbeliever chooses not to stay with the believer—”let him depart.” In this case, a brother or sister is not bound to force the other party to remain in a state of continual discord. If the unbelieving partner departs, the believer does not have the right to remarry without a legal separation. Biblically, there would be no grounds for a legal separation based solely on belief or unbelief. According to scripture, there is only one valid reason for separation that allows for Scriptural remarriage while both parties are still living, which our Lord clarifies in Matthew 5:32.
