1 Corinthians 7:15 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
1 Corinthians 7:15 kjv
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.
1 Corinthians 7:15 nkjv
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 to peace.
1 Corinthians 7:15 niv
But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.
1 Corinthians 7:15 esv
But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.
1 Corinthians 7:15 nlt
(But if the husband or wife who isn't a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.)
1 Corinthians 7 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:24 | "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." | Origin of marriage bond, "one flesh." |
| Deut 24:1 | "When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce..." | OT provision for divorce. |
| Mal 2:16 | "For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. | God's disposition against divorce. |
| Matt 5:32 | "But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery..." | Jesus' teaching on divorce, the "porneia" exception. |
| Matt 19:6 | "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." | God's ideal for marital unity. |
| Matt 19:9 | "And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." | Reinforces Jesus' exception. |
| Mk 10:11-12 | "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her..." | Jesus' teaching, without the "porneia" exception explicitly stated. |
| Lk 16:18 | "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery." | Jesus' teaching on divorce and remarriage. |
| Rom 6:18 | "having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." | Believer's freedom from sin, now in spiritual service. |
| Rom 7:2 | "For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage." | Law binds until death; understanding marital obligations. |
| 1 Cor 7:10-11 | "To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife." | Paul reiterates Jesus' command to Christian spouses. |
| 1 Cor 7:12-13 | "To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him." | Paul's instruction for mixed marriages before the unbeliever departs. |
| 1 Cor 7:39 | "A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord." | Reinforces marital bond until death; permission for remarriage to a believer. |
| 2 Cor 6:14 | "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" | Counsel against forming new unequal yokes. |
| Gal 5:1 | "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." | Believer's freedom in Christ. |
| Col 3:15 | "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." | God's call to inner peace. |
| Heb 12:14 | "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." | Christian pursuit of peace. |
| Ps 34:14 | "Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." | Command to pursue peace. |
| Rom 12:18 | "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." | Exhortation to live peacefully where possible. |
| Phil 4:7 | "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." | The divine nature of peace for believers. |
| 1 Pet 3:1 | "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives..." | Wives' conduct in mixed marriages (when unbeliever remains). |
| 1 Pet 3:11 | "Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it." | Similar exhortation to Ps 34:14 for all believers. |
1 Corinthians 7 verses
1 Corinthians 7 15 meaning
First Corinthians 7:15 addresses a specific situation in mixed-faith marriages where an unbelieving spouse chooses to depart from their believing partner. In such an event, the verse declares that the Christian spouse is no longer bound or enslaved to the marriage, implying they are free from marital obligations. This liberation is framed within God's call to peace for believers, suggesting that enduring constant strife from an unwilling, departing unbelieving spouse contradicts God's peaceful purpose for their lives. It establishes a divine allowance for separation, and by strong implication, for remarriage, for the believing spouse under these specific conditions.
1 Corinthians 7 15 Context
First Corinthians chapter 7 is Paul's detailed response to questions from the Corinthian church concerning marriage, divorce, and celibacy. The Corinthians were dealing with issues such as spiritual purity, asceticism, and sexual relations within and outside marriage, likely influenced by their pagan culture and emerging Christian ideals. Paul addresses these by outlining general principles (e.g., marriage is good, but singleness can be advantageous for devotion), and then providing specific advice for different scenarios. Verses 10-11 reconfirm Jesus' teaching against divorce for believing couples. Verses 12-14 deal with mixed marriages where the unbelieving spouse is willing to remain, instructing the believer not to initiate separation, as their presence sanctifies the household and holds potential for the unbeliever's conversion. Verse 15 directly follows this, addressing the exception: what happens when the unbelieving spouse unwillingly remains or initiates separation. The verse is part of Paul's practical pastoral counsel to the church, clarifying the boundaries and freedoms within God's divine will, especially concerning the believer's call to peace and sanctification. There's no direct polemic, but it subtly counters any potential zealot idea that a believer must endure an impossible marriage simply for the sake of 'keeping the marriage together' even when the other party is entirely unwilling.
1 Corinthians 7 15 Word analysis
- But if (Εἰ δὲ / Ei de): This conjunction introduces a contrasting condition to the preceding verses (1 Cor 7:12-14), which advised against the believer initiating separation. It signals an exception to the general rule.
- the unbelieving partner (ὁ ἄπιστος / ho apistos): "Apistos" literally means 'unfaithful,' 'unbelieving,' or 'not trustworthy.' It clearly refers to the spouse who is not a Christian, distinguishing them from the "brother or sister" (the believer). The issue is not just spiritual difference, but a fundamental orientation of faith.
- separates (χωρίζεται / chōrizetai): This verb in the Greek is present tense, middle voice, implying the unbelieving spouse is the agent or subject of the separation. It means "to depart, withdraw, put asunder, separate oneself." Crucially, it signifies that the unbeliever initiates or insists upon the separation. It is not the believer leaving the unbeliever.
- let it be so (χωριζέσθω / chōrizesthō): This is an imperative in the Greek, implying a permissive command or an allowance. It doesn't encourage separation but states that if the unbeliever insists on it, the believer should not prevent it or chase after them to force the marriage to continue. It essentially says, "let him or her go."
- In such a case (ἐν τοιούτῳ / en toioutō): This phrase restricts the application of the subsequent statement to the specific circumstance described: only when the unbelieving partner separates. It emphasizes the conditional nature of the freedom granted.
- the brother or sister (ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἡ ἀδελφή / ho adelphos ē hē adelphē): This refers specifically to the Christian spouse, using familial terms common within the early church to denote fellow believers.
- is not enslaved (οὐ δεδούλωται / ou dedoulōtai): The key phrase. "Dedoulōtai" is the perfect passive indicative of "douloo," meaning "to enslave, make a slave." The perfect tense implies a continuing state. "Not enslaved" means they are no longer in bondage to the marriage covenant that would otherwise compel them to stay or be reconciled, particularly when the other partner rejects it and leaves. Many interpreters understand this as granting freedom to remarry. The previous verses established a "binding" for a believer not to leave; this phrase breaks that binding under this specific condition.
- God has called you to peace (καὶ ἐν εἰρήνῃ κέκληκεν ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός / kai en eirēnē keklēken hēmas ho Theos): While the Greek uses "us" (hēmas), it functions contextually as "you" (the believers). "Keklēken" (perfect active indicative of "kaleo") signifies a divine calling with lasting implications. "Eirēnē" (peace) is multifaceted, encompassing not merely the absence of conflict, but also spiritual well-being, wholeness, prosperity, reconciliation, and the tranquility that comes from God. This means God's purpose for the believer is peace, implying they are not bound to live in constant, unresolvable strife within a rejected marriage. This peace is both internal (tranquility of mind and spirit) and external (harmonious relationships, not living in constant contention over faith).
1 Corinthians 7 15 Bonus section
The interpretation of "not enslaved" has historically generated considerable discussion. While some conservative views restrict "not enslaved" to simply freeing the believer from pursuing the unbeliever, most prominent scholars and Reformed traditions interpret it as releasing the Christian from the marital bond, making them free to remarry in the Lord, similar to how a person is free upon a spouse's death (1 Cor 7:39). This view understands the desertion by the unbeliever as a breaking of the one-flesh union from their side, a de facto "dissolving" of the marriage. This interpretation emphasizes the believer's well-being and freedom in Christ over an unattainable and unholy coerced union. The reference to "peace" (eirēnē) often encompasses the holistic well-being of the believer—spiritual, mental, and relational. Living in a home perpetually divided by religious animosity or experiencing constant abandonment contradicts this divine call. Furthermore, Paul's advice in 1 Corinthians often weighs spiritual fruitfulness and the believer's conduct (like avoiding fornication in chapter 7 generally), and a constant battle within a home over fundamental belief could greatly hinder a believer's peace and witness. This verse stands out as a unique pastoral allowance, recognizing the spiritual implications and practical difficulties of being deserted by an unbelieving spouse due to faith differences.
1 Corinthians 7 15 Commentary
First Corinthians 7:15 serves as a crucial clarification on divorce and remarriage for Christians within mixed-faith marriages. Paul outlines that while a believer should not initiate divorce from an unbelieving spouse willing to live with them (vv. 12-14), if the unbeliever unilaterally chooses to depart, the Christian spouse is not to impede them. In this specific scenario, the believing partner is declared "not enslaved," which scholars largely interpret as release from the marital bond, thereby permitting remarriage without committing adultery. This exception, often called the "Pauline Privilege," differs from the "porneia" (sexual immorality) exception Jesus gave. The grounding for this release is God's calling to "peace" – meaning not perpetual conflict, but spiritual well-being, an unhindered walk with God, and the absence of ongoing strife within the primary sphere of one's life. The verse underscores that God's desire for His children is not endless contention for a relationship that the other party has rejected, prioritizing their spiritual and relational peace within God's larger call. It liberates the Christian from an impossible situation, safeguarding their spiritual integrity and well-being.
- Example 1: A wife becomes a Christian, and her unbelieving husband, hostile to her new faith, leaves her for good. She is free.
- Example 2: A Christian husband's unbelieving wife decides she can no longer live with his Christian values and permanently moves out. He is free.