Think on These
Things
by Tom McLemore
Question: Sir, What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 7:15?
Answer: (Please read 1 Corinthians 7:12-16). In Corinth,
some Christians were married to non-Christians (likely pagans). Some of these non-Christian spouses found their
husbands or wives’ being Christians so repulsive that they demanded, “Either
cease to be a Christian, or the marriage is over.” Paul responded that in such a case, the
Christian has only one option, to remain loyal to Christ. If that means that the unbeliever leaves,
then so be it. A Christian spouse is not
a slave to the desires of a husband
or wife in such a case. Paul could not
have given a stronger encouragement for Christians to stand their ground
against the attempts of their non-Christian spouses to coerce them into
disloyalty to Christ. May the Christian
who is deserted by his or her non-Christian spouse remarry? The Greek term translated “bondage” in 1 Corinthians
7:15 is different from the marriage “bond.” Paul
simply does not address the issue of remarriage in this verse. We may assume that such a case is not an
exception to Christ’s teaching on remarriage (Matthew 19:9).
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