Divorce. 3

DIVORCE Part 3

November, 1947

That to which we have called attention in the last three paragraphs, supplies a forcible illustration and an unmistakable demonstration of the imperative need for the child of God to subject himself unto the written Word, and to be regulated by its teaching in all the practical concerns of his life. The utter inadequacy of his own understanding (even now that it has been renewed by the miracle of regeneration), and the definite insufficiency of his "new nature" to serve as his monitor, appear no more plainly than in the inability of each to solve this problem according to the mind of God.

It might be supposed that "sanctified common sense"—and still more so, "the spiritual promptings"—of a born-again Arab or Japanese would intimate that it was his bounden duty to separate from a heathen wife who positively refused to give the Gospel a hearing and who was determined to remain an idol worshiper. Nevertheless, such a decision would be the very opposite of what God has prescribed in 1 Corinthians 7:12: "If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her"! Learn—then, dear reader, your imperative need of having a"thus says the Lord" for your rule of conduct.

But we must turn now to an examination of the apostle's language here. We will not dwell upon 1 Corinthians 7:1-9, where Paul was replying to the question, "Should a young Christian remain single or marry?" further than to say a few words upon verse 6. From his "I speak this by permission, and not of commandment," some have drawn the erroneous inference that Paul was not here writing by inspiration of God—but was merely recording his own personal opinion. The reader will find it easier to follow the apostle's line of thought if he places verses 3-5 in parentheses, for it is evident that verses 7-9 are a continuation of verse 2; and therefore, the "this" of verse 6 looks back to what had been said in verse 2—confirmed by the opening "for" of verse 7.

The contrast between "permission" and "commandment" in verse 6 is not that of Paul writing as a private individual, and as an inspired apostle (as verse 10 shows); but rather, that marriage itself is a thing allowable—but not ordered by God—as the extreme Jewish element taught. God has neither forbidden or commanded His children to marry: marriage is optional. Whichever you decide upon—you do not sin. He who marries does well; he who marries not, does better—provided he has the gift of celibacy.

From verse 10 to the end of verse 17, the apostle deals with the matter of a believer who is already married to an unbeliever; and in the case of the Gentile Corinthians, of a believer who previously was a heathen, and whose mate is still an avowed idolater. "And unto the married I command—yet not I—but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband" (1 Corinthians 7:10).

The apostle deals first (as what follows makes clear) with the case of those saints who, in the circumstances described above, contemplated the taking out of a divorce. And he tells them that, so far as this matter was concerned, there was no need for them to apply unto him for instruction: Christ Himself had already authoritatively declared that the marriage covenant could not be broken at the option of either of the parties, nor even by mutual consent. Except for the one sin of adultery—the wife had no right to leave her husband under any circumstances whatever, nor was the husband permitted to repudiate his wife for any cause. This the apostle, as His ambassador, emphatically enforces—as his "I command" unmistakably shows. His "yet not I—but the Lord" means that such a binding statement originates not from me; but rather, it is a maintaining of what the Lord Jesus laid down before me.

"Let not the wife depart from her husband" (1 Corinthians 7:10) signifies, let her not be unfaithful to her marriage vows, nor under any pretense,desert her husband. Difference of religion is not to cause a separation. No divorce is permissible, except for the one cause which Christ specified. "Salvation did not dissolve the marriage covenant—but bound it the faster by bringing it back to the original institution, limiting it to two people, and binding them together for life" (Matthew Henry, 1662-1714). Even though the husband is an infidel, a persecutor, and a blasphemer; nevertheless, it is the Christian wife's duty to still live with him and meekly bear his taunts and opposition. The trial of such a union is to be patiently endured, and the duties thereof cheerfully performed; and thereby, she would adorn her profession, and honor and magnify her Savior.

Such a trial, sore and protracted as it may be, affords opportunity for her to prove the sufficiency of divine grace. If God, in His sovereignty, be pleased to bless her kindness and good example, and hear her fervent prayers, the unbelieving husband may first be ashamed; and then "won," as his heart is brought to seek and find Christ for himself (1 Peter 3:1).

"But if she does [separate], she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife" (1 Corinthians 7:11). This is not said as countenancing such a departure—but rather is giving directions what each party is required to do—where such a thing had happened. If the wife, upon being made a partaker of the saving grace of God, has hurriedly or rashly forsaken her heathen partner—yet such a procedure has not annulled the marriage; and therefore, she is not free to wed a Christian. She must either remain in the separate, but married state, or "be reconciled to her husband": that is, seek him out, acknowledge her fault in leaving him, ask his forgiveness, and avow her willingness to live with him in peace.

That was her bounden duty. First, because of her marriage vows; and second, to prevent reproach being brought upon the Gospel, and however humbling it might be unto pride, to own her mistake; and though against her spiritual inclinations—yet she must spare no effort to re-establish normal relations with the one who was still her husband.

Widening the scope from this particular case of a Christian woman united to a heathen, let us consider that of a Christian woman whose husband is not an idolater—but yet a godless man who mistreats his wife. It has been said, "There are cases undoubtedly which justify a woman in leaving her husband, which do not justify divorce. Just as there are cases which justify a child leaving, or being removed from the custody of a parent" (Charles Hodge, 1797-1878). We agree—yet must add, such cases are not common, and plainness of language is needed to specifically define them—otherwise, too wide a door will be opened, and many not warranted to do so will consider themselves entitled to avail themselves of it.

Nothing can possibly justify a man in separating from his wife, nor a woman from her husband—be either one a believer or an unbeliever —except such things as really make it impossible for them to dwell together: neither dislike, differences of opinions, wasteful extravagance, nor even drunkenness and abuse—warrant one to forsake another whom he or she has solemnly promised to love and live with "until death do us part."

"We can only conceive of two cases which might warrant a wife's leaving her husband:

(1) If he be abandoned to the vilest profligacy. He may be unfaithful to her—but unless sunk in shameless profligacy, we do not think even that a sufficient cause for her leaving him. But if he brings prostitutes to his house, lived in shameless adultery with the servant under her own roof, or by his immoral conduct entails on her personal suffering, we think she may, after exertion made to reclaim him—to leave him. But even then, not fully, nor finally—but be willing to return and forgive him, if he is really reclaimed from his immoral ways and is desirous for her to come back.

(2) Where violence is pushed to the edge of cruelty and life endangered; where there is a continued course of cruelty, an attempt made upon life or limb, and from abandoned drunkenness or insanity, the wife's life is really in danger, and she cannot procure protection from the law, or from any other quarter; then, we think, she may leave her husband, for who would counsel her to stay to be murdered?" —J.C. Philpot, 1802-1869 (Gospel Standard, 1855, page 384).

But even should he spend his remaining years in prison or in an insane asylum, she is still his wife, and is not free to marry another.

"But to the rest I speak—not the Lord" (1 Corinthians 7:12). We are not acquainted with any commentator who appears to have apprehended the force of the first four of those words. All whom we have consulted assume that the apostle is addressing himself to precisely the same class as he did in verses 10 and 11; yet one had thought the language here used was sufficiently explicit to preclude that idea.

In the two preceding verses, Paul was giving counsel to those who wondered if it was their duty to obtain a divorce from their heathen partners.

That is clear, first, from his "I command—yet not I—but the Lord" (1 Corinthians 7:10), for the only relevant matter upon which Christ had legislated or adjudicated was that of divorce. Since nothing but adultery was a just ground for a divorce, "Let not the wife depart from her husband."

Second, from the disjunctive "But" at the beginning of verse 12, and "to the rest [that is whose particular problem was not contemplated in verses 10 and 11] I speak" shows that a different class is about to be addressed. The added words, "I speak, not the Lord" supply further confirmation that he is taking up another subject—or dealing with a separate problem.

Before considering the same, however, let us free that clause from a misconception which some have entertained of it. In their hostility to the doctrine of the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, enemies of God have searched diligently to find something in the Word which seemed to militate against that vital truth; and their wish being "father to the thought" led them to conclude they had found what they were looking for, in the sentence now before us—that is that here the apostle acknowledged, in this place at least, he was giving out his own thoughts, that it was not the Lord who was speaking by him; which goes to illustrate the trite saying, "The Bible can be made to prove anything." So it can—if we fail to understand what it says; if we allow ourselves to be misled by the sound of its words—instead of going to the pains of ascertaining their intended sense; if we come to the Bible with our minds already made up of what it reveals—instead of humbly approaching it with the sincere and earnest prayer, "Teach me what I cannot see" (Job 34:32).

Nor is it only the more-or-less open enemies of the Truth who have wrested such statements as occur in 1 Corinthians 7:12, etc., for some who, in the main, were sound in their teaching, have erred grievously thereon. One such commentator, who exercised considerable influence in the second half of last century, interpreted the apostle to mean, "I do not claim, in this advice, to be under the influence of inspiration," which at once repudiates 2 Timothy 3:16. But when the apostle declared, "to the rest I speak, not the Lord," he was not drawing an antithesis between what isinspired—and what is uninspired.

But the meaning is rather: Paul simply differentiates between what the Lord Jesus had taught while He was here on earth—and what Paul himself was now "moved by the Holy Spirit" to give out. "The Lord" is not the equivalent of "God," but of the Mediator (Hebrews 8:6), compare 7:22; 10:21-22; 11:23; where in each instance, the reference is clearly unto Christ. On the subject of divorce, the Lord Jesus had given express commandment (1 Corinthians 7:10); but upon the wider problem which the apostle was now taking up, Jesus had said nothing. Since there was not anything in Christ's teaching which met this particular case, Paul was now authorized by Him to give His people that necessary instruction which met the exigencies of their trying situation.

Under the Mosaic economy, the Lord had expressly forbidden His people to wed any of the heathen: "Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons" (Deu 7:3). Because some of them had defied that statute in Babylon, upon the return of the remnant of Israel unto Palestine, Nehemiah "contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them" (Neh 13:23-25); and Ezra the priest (Ezra 7:12) gave orders to "separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives"; and accordingly, "They vowed to divorce their wives, and they each acknowledged their guilt by offering a ram as a guilt offering" (Ezra 10:11, 19).

Though silent thereon after His incarnation, through Ezra and Nehemiah, the Lord had revealed His will. It had therefore been the very height of presumption had Paul here given such directions without divine warrant. "It would amount to the most outrageous blasphemy if the apostle had not felt that in using this language, he was the mouth of God, and had he ventured to say of his own proper authority, 'It is not the Lord—but it is I! I, I say, and not the Lord'"—Louis Gaussen, 1790-1863.

Here—then, is a contrast between the requirements of the two dispensations. Under the Old Testament economy, one of God's people who wedded an idolater must put her away; under the milder regime of the Gospel, he is not to do so. In His earthly ministry, Christ confined Himself to Palestine and restricted His teaching unto those who were under the old covenant. It was therefore fitting that His apostle unto the Gentiles should be His mouthpiece in resolving this difficulty for the Corinthian saints.

Having solemnly ratified, as God's messenger, the primitive ordinance of marriage and asserted its unalterable validity (1 Corinthians 7:10-11), he turned to consider a case of lesser gravity—namely, whether a voluntary separation was proper, yes, advisable, where one party was a Christian and the other was not so. In the apostle's "I command, yet not I—but the Lord" (1 Corinthians 7:10) and his "But to the rest speak I, not the Lord," we have indubitable proof that he was dealing with different cases. In both instances, he was addressing married people, in both instances where one was a believer and the other an unbeliever; but in the former, where a divorce was contemplated; in the latter, where a separation only was in question.

"If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her" (1 Corinthians 7:12). The Corinthian, like most of the first Christian churches, was comprised of believing Jews and believing Gentiles. Some of those Jews had before conversion adhered more or less strictly to the Mosaic law—but others of them were lax (as many of their descendants today) and had learned "the way of the heathen" (Jeremiah 10:2), and had taken wives from them. But now, with the fear of God in their hearts, they too would be most uneasy, apprehensive that probably they must do as their forebears did in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. 'No!' says the apostle, such a drastic course is not now required, nor is even a separation called for. Christianity requires no believer to turn away from his wife, even though she is unconverted. On the contrary, if she still loves him and desires to live with him—the Lord Jesus permits her to do so. Christianity is not intended to overthrow the natural relations of life—but to strengthen, to enrich, to elevate them!

"And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him" (1 Corinthians 7:13). The apostle puts the case both ways, so that there might be no uncertainty. There was also a needs-be for him to do so, for since the husband is "the head of the wife" (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:23) and her "lord" (1 Peter 3:6), she is required to be in loving subjection. The wife, recently converted, might think that her unconverted partner no longer had any authority over her, and that she was at full liberty to follow her own inclinations. Not so—even though her husband is destitute of faith, if he is willing for her to remain with him—she must do so. The marriage vows are to be held sacred, and not broken because any difference of religious opinion or experience has arisen.

When the love of God is shed abroad in the heart, its favored recipient will not be less—but far more solicitous for the welfare of those near and dear unto them. A Christian wife whose husband is an unbeliever has a God-given opportunity to let her light shine before him and to commend unto him the excellency of Christ. Then let her—by affection, kindness, patience, and prayer—seek to win him.

"For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy" (1 Corinthians 7:14). Care needs to be taken to interpret this verse in strict accord with its context, and not read into it what is entirely foreign to the subject under discussion. To make it teach the eligibility of such childrenfor Christian baptism, is to force into it what is far removed from the matter which the apostle was speaking of, as some pedo-baptists have themselves honestly admitted.

In this fourteenth verse, as its opening "For" intimates, the servant of Christ was pointing out the needlessness of any separation, since the unbelieving one is "sanctified" by the believing partner. And second, he shows how disastrous would be the consequence if the idea were entertained that the conversion of one, makes the marriage void and requires that they should part. If such were the case—then it would necessarily follow that the children born unto them were "unclean."

The precise meaning of the words "sanctified," "unclean" and "holy" in this verse—we must now endeavor to show. Bearing carefully in mind the nature of the particular case that the apostle was here dealing with—that of a Christian married to a heathen—it is clear that in this fourteenth verse, he was anticipating an objection. In the preceding verse, he had bade the believing wife to remain with her unbelieving husband. By so doing, her conscience was likely to demur and say, "Will I not be spiritually polluted, by maintaining such a connection? Will I not incur moral defilement in the sight of God—by continuing to live with one who is an open idolater? If an Israelite during the Mosaic economy who had married a heathen became legally defiled, and his offspring were legally "unclean"—as is obvious from Ezra 10:3—then will not my children be in the same deplorable case?"

No—the cases are by no means parallel. Those Israelites had contracted unlawful marriages. But your case is otherwise: the matter upon which you have sought my counsel is one where the conversion of one has occurred after a legal marriage. That is easily resolved: the sanctity of the marriage relationship still obtains. "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by [or 'to,' as the same Greek preposition is rendered in the next verse] the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by ['to'] the husband" (1 Corinthians 7:14).

First, let us point out what these words do not signify. They cannot mean that God regards the unbeliever as a Christian, merely because he is united to a wife who has become such; nor that he is internally sanctified, for that is effected only by the operations of the Holy Spirit. It does not mean that her having become a believer—has brought the husband into a holier relationship, or (as one expresses it) has "diffused a kind of holiness over the unbelieving partner." There is no reference either to moral character or ecclesiastical status.

He or she is "sanctified" only in connection with that which is here under discussion: they are "sanctified" maritally. The unbelieving member is "sanctified" to the purpose of the marriage relation—otherwise marital contact could not be maintained. Since marriage is a divine institution, cohabitating therein is a holy thing, sanctioned by God Himself. In His sight, the two are "one flesh"; and therefore, by continuing in the marriage state, it is "sanctified" to both of them.

The word "sanctified" is by no means used uniformly in the Scriptures—but instead, in a variety of senses. It rarely expresses any subjective or internal change. Occasionally, it imports the bare separation of one thing or person—from others; but much more frequently, the setting of it (or him) apart unto God, for His service.

"The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife" neither means that he is made inwardly holy nor federally holy—but that he is sanctified unto her as an instrument for a holy purpose. Marriage is sacred: by continuing in the marriage relationship, it was sanctified to each of them. Though an unbeliever, nevertheless, the husband is sanctified to his wife for a sacred end—for the lawful enjoyment of marital privileges.

The question at issue was, "Is it proper for such a couple to continue living together?" The answer is, Yes, because they were—and still are—indissolubly united by the holy ordinance of God. In proof thereof, the apostle points out by logical inference what the other alternative would necessarily entail: "else [otherwise] were your children unclean." Not spiritually so—for all are "shaped in iniquity" and conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5), nor ceremonially so; but legally. If your connection has become unlawful and an abomination before God—then your children are illegitimate children. If you take the ground that a separation is now necessary—then you are saying to the world that your marriage is no longer valid, that it has become improper for you to remain with your husband, and thereby, you expose your children to the stigma of disgrace.

"But now [rather] are they holy" shows the error of such a supposition: therefore, a continued cohabiting with your husband must be sanctioned by God. "But now are they holy" means in the same sense that the parents are "sanctified"—that is in a legal and civil way: your children are legitimate offspring. They are "a godly seed" (Malachi 2:15), that is, they are reckoned by God as being born in lawful wedlock.

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