Bits of Torah Truths – Torah Concept in the NT: Let Not the Believer Put Away the Unsaved Spouse Who Wishes to Remain – Episode 588
1 Corinthians 7:12–13
אֶל הַשְּׁאָר אֲנִי אוֹמֵר, וְלֹא הָאָדוֹן׃ אִם לְאִישׁ מַאֲמִין יֵשׁ אִשָּׁה בִּלְתִּי מַאֲמִינָה וְהִיא רוֹצָה לְהִשָּׁאֵר אִתּוֹ, אַל יַעֲזֹב אוֹתָהּ. וְאִשָּׁה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ בַּעַל בִּלְתִּי מַאֲמִין וְהוּא חָפֵץ לְהִשָּׁאֵר אִתָּהּ, אַל תַּעֲזֹב הִיא אוֹתוֹ,
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1 Corinthians 7:12–13
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, he must not divorce her. 7:13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. (NASB)
https://www.matsati.com/index.php/category/bits-of-torah-truths/
Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 7:12–13, “If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away,” is a profound call to “covenantal faithfulness,” even in spiritually mixed marriages. While the Torah doesn’t directly address the believer/unbeliever dynamic as Paul does, it does offer several “parallels in principle and precedent” that support this ethic of honoring the marital bond when the unbelieving spouse desires peace. In Genesis 16 & 21 – Abraham and Hagar – Though Hagar was not part of the covenant line, Abraham did not cast her out until God explicitly instructed him (Gen. 21:12). Even then, it was done with provision and care. This shows that “covenantal identity did not automatically justify separation” God’s guidance and the other party’s disposition mattered. In Genesis 34 – Dinah and Shechem – Shechem, a non-Israelite, desires to marry Dinah and live peaceably with Jacob’s family. While the story ends tragically due to deception, the initial proposal shows that “peaceful coexistence with non-believers was not inherently forbidden.” In Exodus 12:38 – The Mixed Multitude – “A mixed multitude went up also with them…” At the Exodus, many non-Israelites joined the Israelites. They were not cast out but “welcomed into the covenant community,” provided they respected its boundaries. This reflects Paul’s ethic: if the unbeliever desires to dwell in peace, “do not separate.” In Deuteronomy 21:10–14 – Marriage to Captive Women – An Israelite man could marry a foreign woman taken in war, but he had to treat her with dignity. If he later chose to release her, he could not sell or mistreat her. This command emphasizes “respect and restraint,” even in spiritually or culturally mixed unions. Paul, steeped in Torah, does not contradict it but “extends its principles” to the realities of early Messianic communities, where believers often found themselves married to unbelievers. Note this is how Paul taught Torah, the Torah has not passed away!
