I Corinthians 7:14 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 7:14 Commentary: Sanctified in the Spouse
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Paul explains in what sense an unbelieving spouse is 'sanctified' through the believing partner, and what this means for the holiness of their children.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The unbelieving spouse is set apart as legitimate in the marriage through the believing partner; the union is not defiled.
- Key words: ἡγίασται (sanctified, perfect tense, passive, a status conferred), ἅγιος (holy, as belonging to the covenant community).
- Main debate: Is sanctification a covenantal status (the marriage is hallowed) or does it describe the unbeliever's affiliation with the church? (Vincent, Barnes vs. Clarke, Calvin)
- Theological theme: The holiness of the believer extends to the family sphere, not as automatic salvation but as a recognition of God's presence in the home.
- Best use: To relieve the conscience of believers in mixed marriages and to affirm the place of their children in the Christian community.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
for the unbelieving husband hath been sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife hath been sanctified in the husband; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother; since [otherwise] indeed your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife: and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband. Otherwise your children should be unclean: but now they are holy.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque el marido infiel es santificado en la mujer, y la mujer infiel en el marido: pues de otra manera vuestros hijos serían inmundos; empero ahora son santos.
Porque o marido descrente é santificado pela mulher; e a mulher descrente é santificada pelo marido. Pois de outra maneira vossos filhos seriam impuros; porém agora são santos.
Car le mari non-croyant est sanctifié par la femme, et la femme non-croyante est sanctifiée par le frère; autrement, vos enfants seraient impurs, tandis que maintenant ils sont saints.
Denn der ungläubige Mann ist geheiligt durchs Weib, und das ungläubige Weib ist geheiligt durch den Mann. Sonst wären eure Kinder unrein; nun aber sind sie heilig.
Want de ongelovige man is geheiligd door de vrouw, en de ongelovige vrouw is geheiligd door den man; want anders waren uw kinderen onrein, maar nu zijn zij heilig.
perché il marito non credente è santificato nella moglie, e la moglie non credente è santificata nel marito credente; altrimenti i vostri figliuoli sarebbero impuri, mentre ora sono santi.
Albowiem poświęcony jest mąż niewierny przez żonę i żona niewierna poświęcona jest przez męża; bo inaczej dziatki wasze byłyby nieczystemi, lecz teraz świętemi są.
Ибо неверующий муж освящается женою верующею, и жена неверующая освящается мужем верующим. Иначе дети ваши были бы нечисты, а теперь святы.
因為 不信 的丈夫 就因著 妻子 成了聖潔，並且 不信 的妻子 就因著丈夫（原文是弟兄）成了聖潔。不然，你們 的兒女 就 不潔淨，但 如今 他們 是聖潔的了。
For the husband who has not faith is made holy through his Christian wife, and the wife who is not a Christian is made holy through the brother: if not, your children would be unholy, but now are they holy.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 7:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators broadly agree that the sanctification described here is not a moral transformation of the unbeliever. Vincent's Word Studies states that ἡγίασται means the unbeliever is 'affiliated to the Christian community' by virtue of being one flesh with a believer. Barnes notes that the word cannot mean the unbeliever becomes a Christian, because that would contradict experience; rather, the marriage union itself is consecrated, so that the believer is not defiled by it. Calvin argues that the piety of the believing spouse has more effect in sanctifying the marriage than the impiety of the other in polluting it, so the connection remains pure. Clarke adds that 'sanctified' refers to the Christian state: the unbeliever is reputed as sanctified on account of the spouse, so the marriage is not unlawful. Gill takes the term from Jewish betrothal language, where 'sanctify' means to espouse, making the marriage legitimate. Across these views, the shared conviction is clear: this sanctification is relational and covenantal, not inward regeneration.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Covenantal status view: The unbeliever is set apart as part of the marriage bond, which is consecrated by the believer's faith (Calvin, Clarke).
- Affiliation view: ‘Sanctified’ means the unbeliever is considered part of the Christian community in terms of outward relation (Vincent, Barnes).
- Betrothal language view: Paul uses ‘sanctify’ as a technical term for espousal, so the marriage is legally valid (Gill).
What is clear: The children are considered 'holy' in contrast to 'unclean,' meaning they belong to the sphere of God's people and are not outsiders.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'sanctified' | The term does not mean the unbeliever is morally purified or saved. | Vincent and Barnes see it as affiliation with the Christian community; Clarke as an imputed status for outward things; Calvin as the purity of the marriage bed itself; Gill appeals to Jewish betrothal language. |
| Status of the children | Children of a believing parent are considered 'holy' in a covenantal sense, not outside the people of God. | Some traditions (e.g., Reformed, Catholic, Anglican) see here a basis for infant baptism; others stop at a general recognition of their place in the church without a specific sacrament. |
| Legitimacy of the mixed marriage | The marriage is not to be dissolved on grounds of the spouse's unbelief. | All agree the marriage remains valid, but there is some difference on whether Paul permits remarriage if the unbeliever leaves (v. 15). |
Historical & Cultural Context
First-century Corinth was a Roman colony steeped in pagan worship and moral practices that would have shocked Jewish and Christian converts. Mixed marriages were a pressing pastoral reality. Many believers had come to faith while already married to an unbelieving spouse. The Old Testament precedent, seen in Ezra 9, 10, commanded the people of God to separate from foreign wives, a context Paul's readers would have known. But that prohibition targeted marriages made in defiance of God's covenant, not unions entered before conversion.
The Jewish background sharpens Paul's language. The words 'unclean' (ἀκάθαρτος) and 'holy' (ἅγιος) carried strong ceremonial and covenantal weight. Israel was called a holy nation, and Gentiles were often considered unclean. By the first century, rabbinic literature used the verb 'sanctify' (קדש) to describe betrothal itself, as Gill documents at length. Paul adapts this vocabulary to a new reality: the believing spouse does not contract impurity from the unbeliever; instead, the marriage and its children are drawn into the sphere of holiness that belongs to the Christian community. This reversal of expectation would have reassured anxious believers who worried that their close bond with an unbeliever rendered their own walk with God suspect.
Textual Notes
The main textual variant in this verse appears in the second clause: some manuscripts read 'in the wife' (ἐν τῇ γυναικί) while others read 'in the brother' (ἐν τῷ ἀδελφῷ), as seen in the ASV, Darby, and some Greek witnesses. The variant 'brother' would mean 'the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother,' referring to the believing husband as a fellow Christian. The majority of manuscripts support 'husband' (ἀνδρί), and most modern translations follow that reading. The meaning is not greatly affected: the believing husband is a 'brother' in Christ. The consulted sources note no other significant variant.
Reception History
This verse has played a key role in several historical debates. In the early church, it was cited to uphold the validity of marriages where one spouse converted after the wedding, against rigorist movements that demanded separation. During the Reformation, Calvin and the Reformed tradition used it to argue against divorce in such cases, while still forbidding new mixed marriages. The Cambridge Bible notes that Hooker in his Ecclesiastical Polity appealed to this verse to argue for the right of children of a believing parent to receive baptism. In the modern era, it has been a source of comfort for Christians in spiritually divided homes, though it has also been used in ways that over-promise the safety of the unbelieving spouse. Across traditions, the verse has consistently been read as ruling that the faith of one parent draws the family into the orbit of God's covenant.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The fear answered, A believer living with an unbelieving spouse is not contaminated. Paul counters the natural worry that close union with an unbeliever defiles.
- The ground of confidence, The marriage is sanctified through the believing partner. This is not a guarantee of the unbeliever's salvation but a recognition that the bond is holy in God's sight.
- The fruit of this truth, The children are considered holy, not unclean. This points to their place in the covenant community and opens the door for their inclusion in the life of the church.
Five-point outline
- Paul addresses Christians who were converted after marriage (vv. 12, 13).
- The objection: a close union with an unbeliever might defile the believer (v. 14a).
- Paul's answer: the unbelieving husband or wife is 'sanctified' in the believing spouse (v. 14b).
- The supporting evidence: otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy (v. 14c).
- The pastoral application: if the unbeliever chooses to stay, the believer should remain in peace (v. 15).
Illustration hooks
- A wife whose husband does not share her faith but still comes to church events and encourages the children in Sunday school. She once worried that her marriage was somehow second-class; this verse shows her that God sees her union as consecrated.
- A single parent raising children after a divorce initiated by an unbelieving ex-spouse. The verse assures that the children's holiness is not undone by the other parent's unbelief.
- A couple where one partner converted after years of marriage and the other remained skeptical. The fear of 'defilement' can be paralyzing; Paul's words release that fear and call the believer to peace.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does my unbelieving spouse get saved automatically because of me?
- Are our children automatically Christians because I am a believer?
- What if my spouse wants to leave? Am I still bound to them?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in a passage where Paul gives practical guidance for believers married to unbelievers. The Corinthians were wondering whether such marriages were valid or even allowed. Paul's answer cuts through fear: the marriage is sanctified, not defiled, by the believer's presence. In a small group, read the passage aloud and then work through these questions together.
Discussion questions
- What specific fear or objection is Paul answering when he says the unbelieving spouse is 'sanctified'?
- The Greek verb ἡγίασται is in the perfect tense ('has been sanctified'). What does this grammatical form suggest about the timing and permanence of this sanctification?
- How does the argument about the children ('otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy') serve as proof for Paul's point about the spouse?
- In what ways does the Old Testament background (Ezra 9, 10) help us understand the Corinthians' concern, and how does Paul's teaching differ from that older command?
- If a believer today has an unbelieving spouse, what does 'sanctified' mean for their daily life together? What does it not mean?
- How might this verse shape the way a church welcomes children from mixed-faith families?
- What does Paul mean in verse 15 when he says 'God has called us in peace'? How does that connect back to the sanctification of verse 14?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Ezra 9:1 | Now when these things were done, the princes came near to me, saying, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, following their abominations, even those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. |
| Ezra 9:2 | For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy offspring have mixed themselves with the peoples of the lands. Yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass.” |
| Isaiah 52:1 | Awake, awake! Put on your strength, Zion. Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city, for from now on the uncircumcised and the unclean will no more come into you. |
| Malachi 2:15 | Did he not make you one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? Why one? He sought godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. |
| Malachi 2:16 | One who hates and divorces”, says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “covers his garment with violence!” says Yahweh of Armies. “Therefore pay attention to your spirit, that you don’t be unfaithful. |
| Acts 10:23 | So he called them in and provided a place to stay. On the next day Peter arose and went out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. |
| Romans 11:16 | If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. |
| I Corinthians 6:15 | Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that "sanctified" here means a legal standing, not a moral change. The unbelieving spouse is considered holy because of the union, much like Jews considered covenant members holy by birth. This relative sanctity made the marriage lawful and allowed the children to be received into the Christian Church as members.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that Paul uses "sanctified" not in a moral or spiritual sense, but to mean the marriage bond itself remains lawful and undefiled despite one partner being a believer. The point is about the legitimacy of the union and the children, not about conversion or baptism.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that the Greek verb is past tense: the believer "has been sanctified" by conversion. This sanctity overflows into the marriage, so that the unbelieving partner is not left profane but receives a kind of sacred contagion through wedlock. The same principle extends to children, who are regarded as holy from birth.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes explain that the unbelieving spouse is sanctified not in personal salvation but in the marriage bond, set apart for God through the believing partner. This makes the marriage lawful and the children holy, meaning they belong within the church's covenant community rather than being excluded.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that "sanctified" here means legally married, not made holy inwardly. He points to Jewish marriage customs where the word is used for espousal. The children are called "holy" in the sense of being legitimate, not spiritually set apart, and the passage upholds the validity of such marriages.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that Paul's statement about the unbelieving spouse and children being "sanctified" establishes a principle of covenant inclusion for the children of one Christian parent. This gives them a claim to Christian baptism in infancy, just as circumcision was given to infants under the old covenant. The child's inability to understand does not negate the right, any more than an heir's incapacity nullifies an inheritance.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Paul introduces a new principle here, not found in Jesus' own teaching: the believing spouse "sanctifies" the unbelieving partner. This sanctification means the unbeliever is brought into a sphere of Christian consecration through the marriage bond, not that they are converted. He stresses this does not support infant baptism, since Paul never mentions baptism in this argument.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Paul clarifies two different levels of authority: Christ directly commanded believers not to divorce, but Paul himself, not the Lord, addresses the case of mixed marriages. Still, the principle holds: believers should remain with an unbelieving spouse who is willing to stay, because the marriage is sanctified through the believing partner.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent argues that "sanctified" here means affiliation with the Christian community through marriage, not moral purification. Because the husband is one flesh with his Christian wife, he is brought into the family of believers.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley points to the children as visible proof that the unbelieving spouse is sanctified through the believing one: the children are raised as Christians, not heathens. This practical evidence shows that the marriage itself becomes a holy context for the family.