We are continuing our series in the book of 1 Corinthians on Sundays. This past Sunday, we reached 1 Corinthians 7. Whilst much of the chapter is dedicated to issues of marriage, singleness and divorce – issues that Paul does directly address – the primary principle of the chapter is not really about these things per se. Rather, these things provide the occasion for Paul to apply his broader point about our ability to be godly in all stations in life and in all the varying circumstances in which we might find ourselves as believers. This is Paul’s primary point and he uses (because it is a pressing issue in Corinth and part of what they have asked him) concerns about marriage, divorce, singleness and sex to make it.

However, I just wanted to zone in on one particularly controversial verse here; namely 1 Corinthians 7:14 (though I will include vv14-16 here for reference):

¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is made holy by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. ¹⁵But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. ¹⁶Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife. (CSBA)

What precisely is Paul talking about here? In what way are the children of one believing parent not unclean, but holy? How is an unbelieving husband, by the same token, similarly made holy?

The context of these verses concerns married couples in which one partner has become a believer whilst the other remains an unbeliever. Paul’s basic command is clear: if you’re married to an unbeliever, don’t leave your marriage. If the unbelieving partner is willing to tolerate your Christian faith, remain married to them. If they wish to leave, you are not obligated to remain married. So far, so straightforward.

These verses give two reason why these marriages should stay together: (1) you aren’t defiled by an existing marriage to an unbeliever; (2) given you aren’t defiled by an existing marriage to an unbeliever, staying in the marriage might convert your spouse.

Clearly, when Paul says the unbeliever is made holy, he doesn’t mean the unbeliever becomes a Christian by marriage. In v16, there’s no guarantee of salvation for the unbelieving partner simply because they’re married to a believer. It says ‘you might save your husband’ and ‘you might save your wife’ (my emphasis). No guarantees, just a possibility. All despite the unbeliever nevertheless being counted holy.

Nor can being made holy mean the unbelieving partner is included in the covenant. The New Covenant is quite specific in its demands. Here is Jeremiah specifically on that:

³³ “this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ³⁴ No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.

The New Covenant involves a heart that believes. It specifies Yahweh being a person’s God and they part of his people. All included in the New Covenant know the Lord. All included in the New Covenant have their iniquities forgiven and their sin nevermore remembered. None of these things are true of a professing unbeliever, even one married to a believing spouse.

In the context, Paul is clearly using the word ‘holy’ in contradistinction to the word ‘unclean’. The opposite of holiness here is uncleanness. That’s why he says ‘your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy‘ (my emphasis). The opposite of holy children is unclean children. The problem with uncleanness is that, generally speaking, to be in contact with it makes you unclean. The question Paul is addressing here is to do with what might defile a person.

That is why Paul brings up children. Paul states categorically that they are not to be viewed as defiling. They are, in that sense, made holy to the believer. In other words, we all recognise that you are not defiled by living with unbelieving children. More specifically, it would obviously not be appropriate to disassociate yourself from your children because they are not believers. If you aren’t defiled by your children – they are holy in that sense – there is no need to separate yourself from your children. They do not defile you.

This is really the question being posed in the context. Will a believer, made holy in Jesus, be defiled by a marriage to an unbelieving husband or wife? More specifically, if such a marriage would defile them, isn’t the only appropriate course of action to separate so that what is holy is not defiled by what is unholy? In other words, should a believer divorce an unbeliever so they are not defiled by them?

Paul’s answer is that you obviously wouldn’t abandon your children who are not believers on that basis. They’re clean, holy to you, so you are not defiled by them. If you wouldn’t abandon your children because you’re not defiled by them, why would we be made defiled and unclean by an unbelieving spouse?

Just as when Jesus touched leprous people, he didn’t become defiled by them but rather they became clean. It’s worth noting, those who became clean because of Jesus – those healed of their leprosy – were not all saved (cf. Luke 17:11-19). In exactly the same way, a believer who is married to an unbeliever – because the Holy Spirit dwells within them – is not defiled by that marriage; their partner is clean to them. Their partner may not be saved – though remaining in the marriage makes it more likely that they may be – but the marriage itself does not defile the believer. It is, in that sense, holy. By the same token, as noted above, the children in that same marriage are also holy. That is, they are not defiling either. Rather, they are clean and holy to the believer.