What does "not bound" mean in the context of 1 Corinthians 7:15? Canonical Text (1 Corinthians 7:15) “But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. The brother or the sister is not bound in such cases; God has called you to peace.” Immediate Literary Context Paul is addressing mixed marriages created when one spouse has come to faith in Christ after marriage (7:12–16). His prior commands (7:10–11) echo Jesus’ teaching that believers must not initiate divorce. Verse 15 treats the opposite scenario: the unbelieving spouse initiates separation. Historical–Cultural Background In first-century Roman law, the party that walked away from a marriage had de facto ended it; the innocent party could remarry. Corinthian believers, however, worried that Jesus’ command against divorce (Matthew 19:6) forbade any accommodation. Paul clarifies that an abandonment instigated by an unbeliever places the believer in a fundamentally different category: he or she is no longer “enslaved” to preserve what the deserter has destroyed. Biblical Theology of Marriage and Divorce 1. Marriage established (Genesis 2:24), affirmed as lifelong (Matthew 19:4–6). 2. Two explicit dissolving grounds: a. Porneia/sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9). b. Abandonment by an unbeliever (1 Corinthians 7:15). 3. Both grounds center on a breach of covenant by the other party; the innocent spouse is never charged with violating the union (cf. Malachi 2:16). Comparative Scriptural Data • Romans 7:2–3 employs δέω to show the living spouse is “bound” until death. Death ends δέω; desertion ends δουλόω-type “bondage.” • Exodus 21:10–11 allowed an Israelite wife to depart when basic marital obligations were refused, a precedent Paul echoes. • Ezra 10 shows covenantal separation required where marriages violated God’s law, underscoring that covenant fidelity to Yahweh overrides human bonds when they conflict. Early Church Reflection Second-century apologist Athenagoras, citing this verse, taught that abandonment releases the innocent spouse from marital “slavery.” Tertullian, while urging reconciliation, conceded a deserted believer “is loosed” from conjugal duty. Practical Implications 1. Freedom to let the unbeliever depart: no requirement to pursue civil courts, private investigators, or endless efforts at coercion. 2. Freedom to remarry “only in the Lord” (7:39 principle). The same apostle allows widows to remarry; the deserted believer is placed in an analogous non-enslaved status. 3. Pastoral priority is “peace” (7:15). Emotional, spiritual, and even physical safety for the believer and children takes precedence over a one-sided effort to preserve what the deserter has quit. Common Objections Answered • “Paul says nothing about remarriage.” The perfect passive “not enslaved” parallels “free to marry whom she wishes” (7:39). Paul often omits an understood consequence already accepted in Greco-Jewish culture. • “Desertion is not as serious as adultery.” Scripture treats covenant breaking—by sexual sin or by willful desertion—as destructive of the “one-flesh” union (see Hosea 2:2). • “Only death ends marriage (Romans 7:2).” Death ends δέω; desertion ends δουλόω responsibilities. Different verbs, different circumstances, same divine author. Pastoral Counsel Believers should: • Exhaust reconciliation efforts while separation is threatened (Matthew 18:15-17; Romans 12:18). • Seek church oversight; Paul’s instruction is addressed to the community, not merely the individual. • Embrace freedom without guilt if the unbeliever finalizes departure. Conclusion “Not bound” in 1 Corinthians 7:15 declares that when an unbelieving spouse abandons the marriage, the Christian is no longer enslaved to maintain marital obligations and is therefore free—under God’s call to peace—to live without bondage, including the liberty to remarry within the Lord’s will. |
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