New Living Translation
1 Corinthians 7:15
15(But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.)
1 Corinthians 7:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.
Context of 1 Corinthians 7:15
13And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 14For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.) 16Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you? 17Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 71 Corinthians 7:15 word by word
εἰ δὲ ὁ ἄπιστος χωρίζεται, χωριζέσθω· οὐ δεδούλωται ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἡ ἀδελφὴ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις· ἐν δὲ εἰρήνῃ κέκληκεν ὑμᾶς ὁ θεός.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- the unbelievingἄπιστοςapistos · unbelievingG571
- departχωρίζωchōrizō · to separate/leaveG5563
- A brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- orἤē · orG2228
- a sisterἀδελφήadelphē · sisterG79
- isοὐou · noG3756
- under bondageδουλόωdouloō · to enslaveG1402
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- suchτοιοῦτοςtoioutos · such as thisG5108
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- hath calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
- usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- peaceεἰρήνηeirēnē · peaceG1515
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 7:15
- Matthew 12:50Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
- James 2:15Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,
- 1 Corinthians 14:33For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.
- Romans 12:18Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
- Romans 14:19So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
- 2 Corinthians 13:11Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
- Galatians 5:22But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- Hebrews 12:14Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
- James 3:17But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 7:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15But if the unbelieving, depart - Whether husband or wife: if such obstinately depart and utterly refuse all cohabitation, a brother or a sister - a Christian man or woman, is not under bondage to any particular laws, so as to be prevented from remarrying. Such, probably, the law stood then; but it is not so now; for the marriage can only be dissolved by death, or by the ecclesiastical court. Even fornication or adultery does not dissolve the marriage…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15But if the unbelieving depart - If they choose to leave you. Let him depart - You cannot prevent it, and you are to submit to it patiently, and bear it as a Christian. A brother or a sister is not under bondage - Many have supposed that this means that they would be at liberty to marry again when the unbelieving wife or husband had gone away; as Calvin, Grotius, Rosenmuller, etc. But this is contrary to the strain of the argument of the apostle. The…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 10-16 Man and wife must not separate for any other cause than what Christ allows. Divorce, at that time, was very common among both Jews and Gentiles, on very slight pretexts. Marriage is a Divine institution; and is an engagement for life, by God's appointment. We are bound, as much as in us lies, to live peaceably with all men, Ro 12:18, therefore to promote the peace and comfort of our nearest relatives, though unbelievers. It should be the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15If the unbeliever ends the marriage, the believing husband or wife can let them go. God wants his people to live in peace, not in the unbearable conflict of a mixed marriage that the non-Christian spouse no longer wants.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. if ... depart--that is, wishes for separation. Translate, "separateth himself": offended with her Christianity, and refusing to live with her unless she renounce it. brother or a sister is not under bondage--is not bound to renounce the faith for the sake of retaining her unbelieving husband [Hammond]. So De 13:6; Mt 10:35-37; Lu 14:26. The believer does not lie under the same obligation in the case of a union with an unbeliever, as in the case of one…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 7:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries