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."

As we consider another difficult passage that has received a good amount of attention and discussion in recent years, I must utter a caution similar to the one I uttered when I wrote the article entitled, Preaching to the Spirits in Prison. That is, if one arrives at a conclusion that conflicts with other Scriptures or contradicts other Scriptures on the same subject, then the conclusion must be questioned and is very likely false.

In this short study, we must also consider other Divine teaching on the subject of marriage, divorce, and remarriage. The foundational principles regarding this subject are Jesus' teachings in Matthew 19:3-9 when the Pharisees tempted Him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" (Matthew 19:3) In answering the question, Jesus referred back to what God said at the beginning after He created mankind (and is applicable to all people in every age). He said, "Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?'" (Matthew 19:4-5; cf. Genesis 2:24)

Further, in Jesus discussion of divorce, He said in verse 6, "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Then He said in verse 9, after He answered the Pharisees' reply regarding Moses giving a writing of divorcement (verses 7-8), that one could divorce his mate for one, and only one, cause--fornication! Jesus said, "And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." (Matthew 19:9) So, how did Jesus answer the original question: "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" His answer was NO!

To ignore these fundamental principles and other Bible passages, including the context of 1 Corinthians 7:1-15, would be dangerous. Also, injecting emotion into this subject would likely lead to an incorrect conclusion. Brother R.E. Phillips wrote:

The immediate context of 1 Corinthians 7:1-15 is lawful marriage (God's law) and instructions regarding circumstances that could arise in marriage. I should point out that God recognizes all marriages--whether lawful or unlawful. The fact that God recognizes unlawful or unscriptural marriages does not mean He approves of such marriages.

In the case of Herod and Herodius, it is abundantly evident that their union was a marriage that God recognized, but at the same time condemned (Mark 6:17, 18). Paul began the chapter (1 Corinthians 7) by saying in verses 1-2, "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." In these verses Paul warned about the danger of sexual immorality, or having sex outside of marriage, which is one of the many forms of fornication. He explicitly stated that to avoid committing fornication, every man (alien and Christian) is to have his OWN wife, and every woman (alien and Christian) is to have her OWN husband. In the case of Herod and Herodias, Herodias was the wife of Phillip, Herod's brother. But Herod and Herodias were married, and John told Herod, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife." (Mark 6:18)

In verses 3-5, Paul dealt with the conjugal rights of the husband and wife in a lawful marriage. Since God created mankind with sexual desires, mankind is to satisfy these desires in lawful marriage. Thus, neither the husband nor the wife is to deny these rights to the other, "except it be with consent for a time," lest they be tempted by Satan (vs.5). The husband is to have regard for the wife's sexual needs, and the wife must have regard for the husband's sexual needs. The word defraud means to steal or rob, so, when one mate defrauds the other, he/she robs his/her mate of the sexual relationship or "due benevolence," which is an allowed right in a lawful marriage.

In verses 6-9, Paul gave his advice, which was to remain unmarried in view of the "present distress" mentioned in verse 26. Since marriage carries with it certain obligations, he advised that it would be better not to marry, due to the "present distress." But, he said that if they could not contain (control their sexual desires), it would be better to marry than to burn with the passions of sexual desire.

In verses 10-11, Paul next gave the married Divine instructions, using a "but and if" condition or an "if then" condition. Specifically, he commanded that the wife not depart (divorce) the husband. We can know that Paul meant divorce here because he said in verse 11, "But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband." So, the mate who chooses to "depart" is told to "remain unmarried." Paul also gave an equal command to the husband by saying, "And let not the husband put away his wife." The implication is that if the husband divorces his wife, then he, as well, is commanded to "remain unmarried, or be reconciled" to his wife. When divorce for a cause other than fornication occurs, there are no other God-approved choices--only these two.

In verses 12-15, Paul gave instructions to those in mixed marriages (Christians married to non-Christians), and he directed his instructions primarily to believers. By stating that he, and "not the Lord," was speaking, Paul was not saying that he was just giving his own human opinion about the matter, or offering a personal commentary on the subject. Rather, he was dealing with an aspect of marriage that Jesus had not specifically discussed. Remember that Paul said later, "The things I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." (1 Corinthians 14:37) So, in Paul's letter to those in Corinth, he appealed to them through his apostolic authority; but the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5:31,32; Matthew 19; Mark 10:11,12; and Luke 16:18; and the institution of marriage in Genesis 2, all of which apply to the entire human race, are the foundational underlying principals.

It is possible that some in Corinth thought that believers married to unbelievers (non-Christians, who were considered pagans) should divorce for this reason. But Paul commanded that they not do this because, in the gospel age, such marriages were approved by Christ. He went on to mention that being married to an unbeliever did not make the believer unclean. Rather, "the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband."

Further, according to Paul, the children from such a marriage were not illegitimate (or unclean), even though during the era of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the Israelites married pagan people of the land (cf. Nehemiah 13:23-31), their children were unclean. Ezra said, "...Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do His pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives." (Ezra 10:10-11) Some of these marriages with pagan wives produced children, who were also classified as unclean and to be rejected along with the "strange wives" (Ezra 10:3; Nehemiah 10:31). In the gospel age, children born of mixed marriages are not unclean.

It is evident that Paul knew that some would not abide by Divine commandments concerning marriage; in verse 15, he gave another "but if" or "if then" condition. If the unbeliever departs or divorces the believing mate because of the believing mate's deep faith and primary desire to serve God, then let it happen. For there to be a marriage, both the husband and wife must consent to living together. And If the unbeliever is not content or will not abide with the believer, then the believer is not to attempt to force the unbeliever to consent to living together; Christians are "called ... in peace." If the believer, by begging, fighting, ongoing pleading, or threatening, tried to force the unbeliever who desired to divorce to remain in the marriage, it would most likely lead to an un-peaceful situation. In this circumstance, Paul said, "let him depart."

Further, Paul said that the believer is "not under bondage in such cases." The phrase "not under bondage" does not refer to the marriage bond that Paul mentioned in Romans 7:2-3 and 1 Corinthians 7:39. The Greek word translated bondage is douloo, which means to make a slave of or reduce to bondage, according to Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. In Romans 7:2 and 1 Corinthians 7:39, the Greek word deo is used in reference to the bond placed by God.

In a circumstance where the believer is put away by the unbeliever, the believer is not obligated to give up his faith or to continue the marriage obligations if the unbeliever no longer wishes to be married. The number-one priority is the believer's relationship to Christ. The phrase "not under bondage" does not mean that either one is free to marry again to another mate! The phrase, "not under bondage," is translated from the Greek words ou dedoulotai where ou means not and dedoulotai is the third person singular perfect indicative passive of the word douloo (Analytical Greek Lexicon, p. 85). Additionally, it cannot be established from Scripture that dedoulotai is used with reference to the marriage bond in the New Testament. To force such a meaning on this phrase and encourage one who has been put away by an unbelieving mate to remarry would be most dangerous and unwise.

Proponents of the post-divorce putting-away position (those who believe the believer who was divorced unjustly by the unbeliever is free to marry again), are obligated to provide Divine authority; a thus saith the Lord; or book, chapter, and verse to justify remarriage to a new mate! Remember, Jesus taught that the only reason one can put away or divorce his mate and marry again is IF AND ONLY IF the mate commits sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9). And, we must not forget what Paul said in verses 10, and 11 of this chapter: "Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife."

Admittedly, this short analysis is not a comprehensive study of this entire chapter or the subject of marriage, divorce, and remarriage. But by reviewing the first 15 verses of the chapter, along with other key texts of Divine Scripture that deal with this subject, it is possible to come to a proper understanding of the question posed in the article title.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 7, Paul addressed some conditions that Jesus did not discuss; nevertheless, Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:31-32; 19:9; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18, as well as God's institution of marriage in Genesis 2, are the foundational principles that are forever binding. Paul addressed in detail various situations in marriage that Jesus did not address, but Paul did not deal with remarriage in 1 Corinthians 7:15. In 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 and 12-15, Paul made some important distinctions. Jesus taught, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder ... Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." (Matthew 19:6, 9) Paul specifically dealt with the situation of the unbeliever departing (or putting away) the believer, but he gave no indication that the believer can remarry if put away by the unbeliever.

Is the believer who has been unjustly divorced guilty of sin? No! Must the believer give up his/her faith in Christ and remain in servitude to please the unbelieving mate? No! Must the believer who has been divorced fulfill the marriage obligations and render "due benevolence" to the unbelieving mate in such a situation? No! Must the believer exert great effort to counter and oppose the action of the unbelieving mate? No! Is the believing mate free to remarry because of the unbelieving mate's unjust treatment? Some would say YES, but the inspired Apostle Paul said NO! In 1 Corinthians 7:39 Paul wrote, "The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord." In Romans 7:2-3 he said, "For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. "

Therefore, the Divine answer to the question posed in the title of this article is NO! God ties the knot that binds both the man and woman in a lawful marriage, and it is valid until one of the mates dies. Even though lawful marriages are "put asunder" at an alarming rate, resulting in unscriptural divorces and adulterous relationships, which will result in lost souls, no man can unbind what God has bound. Remember, Jesus taught, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." (Matthew 19:9) There is no express command, apostolic example, or necessary implication for divorce for any cause other than fornication.

Finally, it is crucial that we teach all whom we have opportunity to teach, especially our teenagers, that marriage is a life-long commitment and that we must respect and obey God's commands. When those who have never been married come to the point in life when they are considering choosing a mate, may they resolve to choose a Christian whose desire is to go to heaven, and who will be an asset in helping them live faithfully so as to also gain the heavenly reward. May we all heed and respect the teaching of Christ and His inspired apostles and never forget the Hebrew writer's admonition, "Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:4, ASV)