Question
What scripture relates to a wife who is saved and a husband who is not and trying to keep her from following Jesus and keeping God’s commandments?
Answer
Although the New Testament does not encourage Christians marrying non-Christians, it does teach how to handle situations in which a Christian is married to a non-Christian spouse. Many times, there will be one who becomes a Christian and the other does not. What should the believer do in these cases?
Just a couple of passages show us the substance of the matter. First, the believer should not separate from the unbeliever, but seek to influence them for good. If they are challenged as to being forbidden to serve the Lord by the spouse, then submission to God must be above all, including submission to a husband. With much prayer, patience and a good example, there have been those who have become Christians by seeing the faith of their mates humbly displayed before them.
1CO 7:12 But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, let him not send her away.
1CO 7:13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, let her not send her husband away.
1CO 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
1CO 7:15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.
1CO 7:16 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?
1PE 3:1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,
1PE 3:2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.
1PE 3:3 And let not your adornment be merely external– braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;
1PE 3:4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
1PE 3:5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands.
1PE 3:6 Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
ACT 5:27 And when they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. And the high priest questioned them,
ACT 5:28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
ACT 5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must obey God rather than men.
ACT 5:30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.
ACT 5:31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
ACT 5:32 “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
By Gary Hunt
