1 Corinthians 7:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband?" Returning again to the exhortation that the wife must not leave her husband, he proposes the present question. For if, he says, he does not quarrel with you, remain with him and exhort him. Perhaps you will accomplish something. He presents success as doubtful for two reasons. On the one hand, he does this so that they will not think he lays on the wife the absolute duty of completely persuading her husband. On the other hand, he sustains in her the hope of her husband's conversion and prevents despair. "Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? Only, as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk." Some read it thus: "Or how do you know, O husband.

See Mt 5:32. Custom commands wives to keep their husbands, even if they commit adultery and live in fornication. Therefore I do not know whether a woman living with a man abandoned by his wife can rightly be called an adulteress. Here the blame falls upon the woman who left her husband, according to the reason for which she withdrew from the marriage. If it was because she was beaten and could not endure the blows, she ought rather to have endured than separated from her companion. If it was because she could not endure loss of property, this excuse also is unworthy of regard. And if it was because her husband lives in fornication, we do not have this observance in ecclesiastical custom.

For how does the believing husband know whether he will save the unbelieving wife? Or how does the wife know whether she will help her idolatrous husband take the first steps of faith?

He says this because those who do not hate the name of Christ may still come to believe.

"For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? Only, as God has apportioned to each." With good hope, says the Apostle, take the labor upon yourself. You have God as the helper of your zeal. "Let each one walk as he was called by the Lord. And so I command in all the churches." Here the Apostle clearly showed that he did not command people to be joined to unbelieving husbands or wives, but gave this law to those who had already been joined when they were called. Then, according to his custom, he passes from the subject before him to others, prescribing fitting laws for all.

The Apostle spoke with certainty when he said that an unbelieving husband is sanctified by a believing wife: "he is sanctified," and so on, in verse 14. But he speaks with uncertainty about whether he may be saved by his wife: "How do you know?" and so on. Therefore that sanctification does not yet give salvation. One must reason similarly about children. Although they are sanctified somewhat through their very origin from believing parents, they are not sanctified so fully that other and more certain pledges of salvation are unnecessary, such as baptism, chrismation, and the other Mysteries.

Having set forth the essential thoughts concerning marriage and celibacy, the Apostle now teaches the indissolubility of marriage, whether both spouses are Christians or only one of them. In relation to Christians, this teaching is proclaimed as a commandment of the Lord, already known in the Old Testament. For persons in a mixed marriage, it is given as personal counsel, since the Lord’s commandment could not have binding force for an unbelieving person. When he commands the wife not to leave her husband, and the husband not to put away his wife, Paul seems to give preference to the husband. But this is clearly nothing more than the usual way of presenting the form of divorce then practiced.

"If your husband does not trouble you, then remain with him," he says. "Some benefit may come from this. Remain, exhort, advise, and persuade him. No teacher can persuade as a wife can. Yet the Apostle does not compel her, nor does he require this from her absolutely, lest he again lay too heavy a burden upon her. He counsels her not to despair and leaves the matter uncertain, because the future is unknown" (Chrysostom). "With good hope," he says, "take up the labor. You have God as helper for your zeal" (Theodoret). The work of conversion to the faith is accomplished by grace. But how this happens is a mystery. Grace has many instruments. Yet through which of them it will pass into a sinful or unbelieving soul, and whether it will pass at all, no one can determine.