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marriage; he is dealing with specific issues related to the
Corinthians. After setting forth some general principles
related to marriage and celibacy (7:1–9) Paul gives
advice to married people relating to divorce (7:10–16).
We might summarize these verses in the form of three
questions: first, “Is divorce permissible in a marriage
in which both partners are believers (7:10–11)? 9 Paul
states that Jesus has spoken to this matter and that they
should not divorce, but if they do, they are not permitted
to remarry unless they remarry one another.
The second question is more pertinent to our study:
“Is divorce permissible in a marriage where one spouse is
a believer and the other spouse an unbeliever” (7:12–16)?
This is a more complex issue than the previous question.
It is possible that neither spouse were Christians when
they married, or possibly one of them was a Christian and
married an unbeliever. It seems more likely in the original
setting that neither spouse was a believer when they
married. One specific example of this situation is Eunice,
Timothy’s mother (2 Tim. 1:3–5; Acts 16). It seems that
although she was Jewish she married a Gentile. We will
look closer at her situation below.
Paul deals with two different scenarios here. In the
first, he addresses the issue of a mixed marriage where
the unbeliever wants to remain married (7:12–14) and
in the second where the unbeliever insists on a divorce
(7:15–16). The first of these two situations is more
important for our present considerations: a believer
married to an unbeliever who is willing to continue the
marriage relationship. While Jesus did not specifically
address this issue (unlike 7:10–11), Paul writes with the
authority of an apostle writing under the inspiration
of the Spirit (7:12). The continuation of the marriage
is greatly dependent on the attitude of the unbelieving
spouse (7:13). Paul is clearly not dealing with the
exception Jesus made for adultery (Mark 10:11–12).
The believing spouse might fear for the spiritual wellbeing
of their children and think that they should seek
a divorce for the sake of their children or even for her
own spiritual well-being. Paul, however, provides the
rationale for preserving the marriage: there are derivative
blessings for the non-Christian spouse and children
that come from having even one member of the family
that knows the Lord. Paul makes clear in verse 16 that
“sanctified” and “holy” cannot mean “saved.” Rather
they refer to the moral and spiritual impact of the life of
the believer on the rest of the family, making those other
members set apart in a very special place as God’s object
of blessing. These comments should put the believing
spouse/parent at ease in God’s care and give them great
hope in what God can do through them in their family.
Next, Paul addresses the case of a believer married
to an unbeliever who refuses to continue the marriage
relationship (7:15–17). Paul’s advice is to acquiesce in
such a situation (7:15). Of course we should not assume
that Paul is suggesting that one merely give up at the
first mention of divorce; that seems to go against the
tenor of the entire discussion. However, once the unbeliever
is determined to proceed with a divorce and there
seems to be no preventing it, the believer should finally
relent. Paul gives three reasons for this approach: (1) the
believer is not bound in such a case (7:15b; cf. 7:39);
(2) the believer has been called to peace (7:15c); (3)
the possibility of the spouse’s conversion is uncertain
(7:16). 10
Many suppose that it is better to live happily
divorced than unhappily in marriage. This common way
of thinking is fallacious on several levels. First, most who
think they will be happier divorced soon discover that
they are not happier. Second, even those who do experience
some measure of happiness themselves do not take
adequate account of the effects on their children or their
ex-spouse. Finally, the premise of such an argument is
self-centered and flies directly in the face of the fundamentally
selfless nature of Christian living.
THE INFLUENCE OF A GODLY MOTHER
IN A MIXED MARRIAGE: EUNICE AND
TIMOTHY
The final passage that we will consider gives hope to
every Christian parent in a mixed marriage. Paul’s second
epistle to Timothy provides a specific example of
a believer married to an unbeliever. In Acts 16, Timothy’s
mother is identified as a believer and his father an
unbeliever. Palestinian Judaism considered intermarriage
between Jews and pagans to be a horrible sin. 11 It
appears that the Jewish community at Lystra was likely
quite small and this might explain the intermarriage (cf.
18