I Corinthians 7:15 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 7:15 Commentary: Not Under Bondage
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegetical study of 1 Cor 7:15: Paul's teaching on the believer's freedom when an unbelieving spouse departs. Examines δεδούλωται and the call to peace.
Research Summary
- Meaning: An unbelieving spouse who voluntarily leaves is not to be forced to stay; the believer is not enslaved in such cases.
- Key words: dedoulōtai (has been enslaved, perfect passive) and en eirēnē (in peace, sphere of calling).
- Main debate: Whether freedom from bondage includes the right to remarry or only release from pursuit.
- Theological theme: God's calling is defined by peace, not by coercion or slavery, even in marriage.
- Best use: Offering pastoral guidance to believers facing desertion by an unbelieving spouse.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us in peace.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And, if the unbelieving doth separate himself--let him separate himself: the brother or the sister is not under servitude in such cases , and in peace hath God called us;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But if the unbeliever go away, let them go away; a brother or a sister is not bound in such [cases], but God has called us in peace.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But if the unbeliever depart, let him depart. For a brother or sister is not under servitude in such cases. But God hath called us in peace.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Pero si el infiel se aparta, apártese: que no es el hermano ó la hermana sujeto á servidumbre en semejante caso; antes á paz nos llamó Dios.
Mas se o descrente se separar, separe-se também . Em tal situação o irmão ou a irmã não estão sujeitos à servidão; mas Deus vos chamou para a paz.
Si le non-croyant se sépare, qu’ il se sépare; le frère ou la sœur ne sont pas liés dans ces cas-là. Dieu nous a appelés à vivre en paix.
So aber der Ungläubige sich scheidet, so laß ihn scheiden. Es ist der Bruder oder die Schwester nicht gefangen in solchen Fällen. Im Frieden aber hat uns Gott berufen.
Maar indien de ongelovige scheidt, dat hij scheide. De broeder of de zuster wordt in zodanige gevallen niet dienstbaar gemaakt; maar God heeft ons tot vrede geroepen.
Però, se il non credente si separa, si separi pure; in tali casi, il fratello o la sorella non sono vincolati; ma Dio ci ha chiamati a vivere in pace;
A jeźli ten, co jest niewierny, chce się odłączyć, niechże się odłączy; albowiem nie jest niewolnikiem brat albo siostra w takowych rzeczach; aleć ku pokojowi nas Bóg powołał.
Если же неверующий хочет развестись, пусть разводится; брат или сестра в таких случаях не связаны; к миру призвал нас Господь.
倘若 那不信 的人要離去，就由他離去吧！無論是弟兄， 是姊妹，遇著 這樣 的事都不 必拘束。 神 召 我們 原是 要 我們和睦。
But if the one who is not a Christian has a desire to go away, let it be so: the brother or the sister in such a position is not forced to do one thing or the other: but it is God's pleasure that we may be at peace with one another.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 7:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this verse creates a specific exception within Paul's general command for believers to stay with their unbelieving spouses (1 Cor 7:12-14). The Greek introduces the situation with ei de (if however), signalling a turn. The unbeliever is actively separating (chōrizetai, present passive indicative); the believer is to let that happen (chōrizesthō, present passive imperative). The critical term dedoulōtai (perfect passive indicative of douloō) negates bondage: the brother or sister is not enslaved. Vincent notes this is a strong word, set against the milder dedetai ('is bound') in verse 39. The meaning is that the believer is not compelled to force the unbeliever to stay or to renounce the faith to preserve the marriage. The final clause, 'God has called us in peace' (en eirēnē), positions peace as the sphere of God's calling, not merely a goal. Calvin, Gill, and the Cambridge Bible all hold that willful desertion releases the believer from the normal constraints of the marriage bond, though they differ on whether that release includes the right to remarry.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Freedom to remarry: Calvin, Gill, Cambridge Bible (citing Lapide); argument that 'not under bondage' (οὐ δεδούλωται) implies dissolution of the marriage bond, allowing remarriage.
- Freedom only from pursuit: Barnes, Wesley; argument that the context (v. 16, hope of salvation) and later verse 39 ('bound as long as he lives') limit the freedom to release from coerced cohabitation, not remarriage.
What is clear: The believer is not required to force the departing unbeliever to stay and is not enslaved to the marriage bond in a way that would require renouncing the faith.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom from bondage (δεδούλωται) | All traditions agree the believer is not enslaved to the departing spouse and is not required to force them to stay. | Catholic interpreters (e.g., Lapide, Ambrosiaster) and many Reformed interpreters (Calvin, Gill) hold that this freedom includes the right to remarry. Barnes and Wesley limit it to release from pursuit, not dissolution of the marriage bond. |
| Meaning of 'called in peace' | The calling is fundamentally oriented toward peace, not conflict or enslavement. | Some understand peace as the condition of the separation ('let them depart in peace'), while others see it as the broader sphere of Christian life that should govern the believer's conduct. |
| Application to modern mixed marriages | The verse applies when an unbeliever leaves because of the believer's faith. | Debate exists over whether 'unbeliever' includes a spouse from a different religion or merely a non-Christian, and whether the principle extends to other forms of irreconcilable abandonment. |
| Role of the hope of reconciliation | Verse 16 shows the believer may hope for the spouse's salvation, so the door is not entirely closed. | Interpreters differ on how long the believer should wait before considering the marriage effectively ended, and what practical steps (e.g., legal divorce) are permissible. |
Historical & Cultural Context
First-century Corinth was a port city with a volatile religious mix. Many new Christians were married to non-believers. The church's questions likely came from Jewish converts familiar with Ezra 10, where Israelite men were required to divorce pagan wives. Paul must correct any assumption that Christianity demands the same. He explicitly says this instruction is his own, not a direct word from the Lord (v. 12). This is not a claim that his teaching lacks authority; it shows the Spirit guiding him to apply Jesus' principles to a situation the earthly Jesus never addressed directly.
In Roman law, marriage gave the husband immense power. A wife's conversion could be seen as rebellion. A husband might leave to preserve his household religion. Paul's answer is pastoral: the believer does not initiate separation. If the unbeliever insists on leaving, the believer is not bound to coerce them. The phrase 'in peace' may echo the standard Jewish greeting shalom, but here it carries the weight of God's kingdom order. As Romans 12:18 and Hebrews 12:14 show, peace with others is a defining mark of Christian calling. For believers in mixed marriages, this meant trusting God with the outcome rather than fighting to keep a spouse who has rejected them.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The wording is stable across the major manuscript traditions. The only minor variation appears in the pronoun in the final clause: some manuscripts read 'you' (ὑμᾶς) and others 'us' (ἡμᾶς). The difference does not affect the sense, as both emphasize the identity of the called community.
Reception History
Early Christian writers such as Ambrosiaster and Jerome viewed this verse as allowing remarriage when a pagan spouse departed. The Latin Vulgate rendering influenced medieval canon law, which generally did not permit remarriage after desertion. During the Reformation, Calvin and other Protestant commentators read the verse as dissolving the marriage bond entirely, granting freedom to remarry. Catholic tradition, following the Council of Trent, held that even in such desertion the bond remains until death. In modern evangelical circles, interpretations range from complete freedom to remarry (favored by Gill and many Baptists) to a narrower reading that permits only legal separation (favored by Wesley and some Methodists). The verse has been a key text in debates about divorce and remarriage across denominations.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Let the departing go. The unbeliever who chooses to leave must be allowed to go. Paul does not bless divorce; he recognizes a reality the believer cannot control.
- You are not enslaved. The perfect tense dedoulōtai (has been enslaved) points to a settled state. The believer is not bound to follow the departing spouse or to renounce Christ for the marriage.
- Called in peace. God's calling happened in peace, not in slavery or conflict. That peace defines the believer's identity and conduct.
Five-point outline
- Recognize the initiator. The unbeliever departs, not the believer. This preserves the believer's integrity.
- Release without resistance. The command is imperative: 'let him separate himself.' No coercion.
- Understand the limits of bondage. Dedoulōtai carries the idea of complete enslavement. The believer is not enslaved to maintain the union at any cost.
- Trust the nature of God's call. The perfect tense keklēken (has called) indicates a completed action with ongoing effect. God's call was and is in peace.
- Live in the peace of that calling. The peace that frames the call now shapes how the believer moves forward.
Illustration hooks
- A spouse who says, 'I will only stay if you stop going to church.' The believer faces the choice between faith and marriage.
- A story about letting go when someone insists on leaving. The natural impulse is to hold tighter; Paul says let them go in peace.
- Comparing human bonds to a rope: if the other person cuts their end, the rope is no longer whole. The believer is left with frayed ends but not responsible for the cut.
Questions your congregation is asking
- 'Did my spouse's departure end our marriage in God's eyes?'
- 'Is it a sin if I secretly hope the unbeliever will leave so I can have peace?'
- 'How long do I wait before I can consider myself free from the marriage?'
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in Paul's broader teaching on marriage and calling. The Corinthians lived with mixed marriages and the tension of unequal faith. Paul gives a pathway: do not initiate separation, but if the unbeliever insists on leaving, let them go. The believer is not enslaved in such cases. The phrase 'in peace' anchors everything.
Discussion questions
- What does the verse say about who starts the separation? Why does that matter?
- Look at the Greek word dedoulōtai (has been enslaved). How does the perfect tense change how you understand the believer's situation?
- Paul says the unbeliever 'departs' (present tense). What does this suggest about the timing or process of separation?
- Compare this verse with verse 39. How does the language of 'bound' versus 'enslaved' affect the meaning?
- Why does Paul end with 'God has called us in peace'? How does that shape what you do next after a separation?
- If a friend told you their unbelieving spouse had left, what would you say from this verse?
- This verse is often used in debates about remarriage. How does the rest of the chapter (especially v. 16 and v. 39) inform that question?
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)
| Matthew 12:50 | For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.” |
| Romans 12:18 | If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. |
| Romans 14:19 | So then, let’s follow after things which make for peace, and things by which we may build one another up. |
| I Corinthians 14:33 | for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints. |
| II Corinthians 13:11 | Finally, brothers, rejoice! Be perfected. Be comforted. Be of the same mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. |
| Galatians 5:22 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, |
| Hebrews 12:14 | Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord, |
| James 2:15 | And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, |
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
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the "not under bondage" phrase does not permit remarriage after desertion. He insists marriage is dissolved only by death or an ecclesiastical court; even adultery, fornication or long separation does not give the abandoned party freedom to remarry. The presumption of death after seven years is unreliable.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that when an unbelieving spouse forcibly departs, the believer is not freed to remarry but is freed from the obligation to compel the spouse to stay. The call to peace means accepting the separation quietly rather than pursuing contention, since God has called believers to live peacefully in all relationships.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin draws a sharp distinction: a believer is free when an unbelieving spouse chooses to leave, because the unbeliever breaks the bond with God, not the believer. He then warns against applying this principle to separation from Catholics in his day, insisting the cases differ and believers must not rashly pursue divorce.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible notes that the Christian husband or wife is not bound to remain unmarried if their pagan spouse refuses to live with them after conversion. Catholic authorities like Lapide and Ambrosiaster held that remarriage was allowed in such cases. The phrase "to peace" refers to the peaceful spirit in which God called us.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note argues that when an unbelieving spouse chooses to leave, the believing partner is not bound to remain in subjection. The believer is free from that marital obligation, because God has called His people to live in peace, not to force the union.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill’s distinctive point is that when an unbelieving spouse leaves because of hostility to the faith, the believer is not obligated to hold them back or compromise conscience. Such desertion effectively breaks the marriage bond, and the believer is free to remarry, as long as all reasonable efforts at reconciliation have been tried.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that when an unbelieving spouse insists on leaving, the believing partner is not bound to force them to stay. The Christian calling is to peace, not conflict, so the believer may let the unbeliever go. This differs from a marriage between two believers,
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the unbelieving spouse is not sanctified by faith or future conversion, but by a Christian theocratic consecration through the vital union with the believer. The marriage remains acceptable to God, and children are holy because they belong to God's people through their parents' connection to the church.
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 highlights that the Greek word for bondage is stronger than the usual word for bound, showing Christianity does not make marriage a form of slavery for believers. Willful desertion by an unbeliever frees the believing spouse. Such forced enslavement contradicts God’s calling, which is a call to peace.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that when the passage calls a Christian "a brother or a sister," it means they are at full liberty, not enslaved in the marriage bond. Yet he immediately balances this with the believer's calling to peace, urging them to live peaceably with the departing spouse if that is possible.