1 Corinthians 7:15

a. The Christian wife or husband is not to seek divorce from the non-Christian (1 Corinthians 7:12-14); but if the latter insists on separation, it is not to be refused: “But if the unbeliever separates, he may separate” let the separation take its course (χωριζὲσθω, pr [1049] impv [1050]): for this impv [1051] of consent, cf. 1 Corinthians 7:36; 1 Corinthians 14:38. οὐ δεδούλωται (pf. of fixed condition) “the brother or the sister in such circumstances is not kept in bondage”; cf. 1 Corinthians 7:39 the stronger vb [1052] of this passage implies that for the repudiated party to continue bound to the repudiator would be slavery. Christ's law forbids putting away (1 Corinthians 7:10 ff.), but does not forbid the one put away to accept dismissal. Whether the freedom of the innocent divorced extends to remarriage, does not appear: the Roman Church takes the negative view though contrary to the Canon Law (see Wordsworth, in loc.); the Lutheran Church the affirmative, allowing remarriage on desertio malitiosa; “in view of 1 Corinthians 7:11, the inference that the divorced should remain unmarried is the safer” (so Hn [1053], against Mr [1054]). If, however, the repudiator forms a new union, cutting off the hope of restoration, the case appears then to come under the exception made in Matthew 5:31. With ἐν τοιούτοις, neut., cf. ἐν τούτοις, Romans 8:37; and ἐν οἷς, Philippians 4:11.

[1049] present tense.

[1050] imperative mood.

[1051] imperative mood.

[1052] verb

[1053] C. F. G. Heinrici's Erklärung der Korintherbriefe (1880), or 1 Korinther in Meyer's krit.-exegetisches Kommentar (1896).

[1054] Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary (Eng. Trans.).

1 Corinthians 7:15 b, 1 Corinthians 7:16. ἐν δὲ εἰρήνῃ ὁ Θεός … σώσεις; The Christian spouse forsaken by the heathen is free from the former yoke; but such freedom is undesirable. Two considerations make against it: Peace is better for a Christian than disruption (1 Corinthians 7:15 b); and there is the possibility of saving the unbeliever by remaining with him, or her (1 Corinthians 7:16). Thus P. reverts, by the contrastive δέ, to his prevailing thought, that the marriage tie, once formed, should in every way possible be maintained. On this view of the connexion, the full stop should be set at ἐν τοιούτοις, and the colon at ὁ Θεός. “In peace,” etc. opposed to χωριζέσθω, like καταλλαγήτω in 1 Corinthians 7:11 appeals to the ruling temper of the Christian life, determined once for all by God's call in the Gospel, “ex quo consequitur retinendum esse nobis infidelem, ac omnibus officiis demerendum; nedum ut vel eum ipsi deseramus, vel ad nos deserendos provocemus” (Bz [1055]); cf. Romans 12:18, for the general thought. For the construction of ἐν εἰρήνῃ, cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:7; Galatians 1:6; Ephesians 4:4.

[1055] Beza's Nov. Testamentum: Interpretatio et Annotationes (Cantab., 1642).