1 Corinthians 7:13

Study note

Setting — Paul addresses the Corinthian church, giving practical guidance to mixed-faith marriages immediately after instructing believing men not to divorce unbelieving wives. He writes as an apostle offering ecclesiastical direction rather than quoting a direct utterance of Jesus.

The words — The Greek ἄπιστον (apiston) literally means "unbelieving" or "without faith," denoting the husband's spiritual condition. The verb ἔχει (echei) simply indicates ongoing possession or union, "has."

The thread — This command mirrors the parallel instruction for believing men in 1 Corinthians 7:12 and connects directly to the household sanctification described in 1 Corinthians 7:14. The passage treats marital continuity as the structural norm for mixed-faith families.

Why it lands — The text commands the believing wife to remain married when her unbelieving husband consents to stay. It requires preserving the marital union rather than initiating separation on religious grounds.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.