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him depart. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such
cases: but God hath called us to peace." "IF the unbelieving
depart" -- IF he or she so deeply resents the mate for letting GOD
come into his or her life, with His Holy Spirit, and he or she
refuses to live longer with the converted partner, let him depart.
Pray, what else could one do? A brother or sister, in such a
situation, having been married BEFORE conversion, IS NOT BOUND BY
GOD!
And if GOD had not bound the marriage, then the newly
converted one is FREE TO MARRY -- but ONLY a converted mate IN THE
LORD! And THAT marriage, of course, would be BOUND by GOD.
God's teaching here is that, if possible -- if the unconverted
mate is willing--the converted mate should CONTINUE LIVING WITH THE
UNCONVERTED one. The unbelieving one is SANCTIFIED -- set apart
for holy matrimony BY GOD -- through the converted one. In other
words, GOD THEREUPON, for the first time, SANCTIFIES that marriage.
But if the unconverted refuses and leaves, and divorces, the
converted one is NOT bound in marriage by God to the unconverted.
This is NEW KNOWLEDGE to those of us in God's Church.
But what of the CHILDREN? I give you here, since God has not
revealed this in this scripture, what I take the prerogative to say
to God's Church -- and I think I have the mind of Christ in this.
Since the marriage in question was a LEGAL, not a holy one, the
human courts would have to decide the custody of the children. IF
the children stay with the converted partner, they are sanctified
through the converted one. If they go with the unconverted mate,
they are NOT "holy" (or under God's special blessing or protection)
-- though of course they are legitimate.
Another reason for continuing such a marriage, if the
unconverted partner is willing: the chance that the unconverted
may become converted through the converted one (verse 16). Let
everyone (if possible) continue in the state in which God called
him to conversion (verse 17). And all of this, PAUL ordained in
all the churches.
THIS EXPLAINS why we find no record of Paul bringing up these
cases that have plagued God's ministers today. This new (to us)
teaching SOLVES all these knotty, troublesome cases and borderline
cases at once. Let us be glad and rejoice!
Paul continues, in verses 18-24, to give illustrations of
remaining in the state in which one is called (if possible).
Then this leads to, beginning in verse 27: "Art thou bound
[by God] unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from
a wife? [that is, divorced] seek not a wife." This refers to one
who had been married and divorced prior to conversion. Continuing:
"But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin [at
the time of conversion] marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless
such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you."
A more technically-detailed booklet will be issued as soon as