"But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 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. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches."
In today's quote, Paul instructs the children of God whom are married to un-believers not to divorce them because of their disbelief. But rather, Christian people are at liberty to marry whomever they choose and are to remain with their un-believing spouses in hopes that they too might be sanctified by the believers faith. "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband:" "O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?"
Paul also makes it clear that an un-believer can legitimately abandon the marriage if he/she so chooses, and the believer is not responsible for the dissolution of that marriage; "But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases:".
Many of today's "Christian" isms, contrary to Paul's explicit instructions in today's quote, contend that Christian people are to refrain from marrying un-believers. That assertion is totally unfounded and untrue. Those who make this assertion do so claiming the following verse from second Corinthians 6:14 as a qualifier; "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers".
The problem with backing their assertion with this quote is that the quote is not referring to marriage at all, it is referring to who might form alliances with people or groups whom are teaching false doctrines. If this were not a fact Paul would be directly contradicting his own words as stated in today's lesson.
"Yoked together", as that phrase is applied in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians means to work along side, or to form a spiritual alliance with, someone who is teaching a doctrine contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ crucified.~
NOTE: The second Corinthians issue will be fully discussed when we reach that point with these lessons.
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