Commentary on 1 Corinthians
Lecture 2
Marriage indissoluble
7:10 But to them who are married, not I, but the Lord, commands that the wife depart not from her husband. [n. 336]
7:11 And if she departs, that she remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife.
7:12 For to the rest I speak, not the Lord. If any brother has a wife who believes not and she consents to dwell with him: let him not put her away.
7:13 And if any woman has a husband who believes not and he consents to dwell with her: let her not put away her husband.
7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife: and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband. Otherwise your children should be unclean: but now they are holy.
336. After presenting teachings about the contract of marriage, the Apostle now instructs those who have already contracted marriage, that they must not dissolve the marriage.
First, he teaches those already joined in marriage to continue in it;
second, he gives them a useful teaching as to all the states or conditions of men, at as God has called everyone: so let him walk (1 Cor 7:17).
In regard to the first he does two things.
First, he deals with the indissolubility of marriage, as it applies to those who are of one worship;
second, when there is disparity of cult, at for to the rest I speak.
In regard to the first he does two things.
First, he lays down a precept about the indissolubility of marriage;
second, he teaches what should be done when the marriage is broken by separation, at and if she departs.
337. First, therefore, he says: I have said to the unmarried, i.e., virgins and widows, that it is better for them to remain as they are; but to them who are married, the same condition does not prevail. For to them I give the charge, not I, by the authority entrusted to me, but the Lord commands this.
Chapter 7. Supplement
Lecture 2. Supplement
Marriage indissoluble
7:10 But to them who are married, not I, but the Lord, commands that the wife depart not from her husband.
7:11 And if she departs, that she remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife. [n. 338]
7:12 For to the rest I speak, not the Lord. If any brother has a wife who believes not and she consents to dwell with him: let him not put her away. [n. 341]
7:13 And if any woman has a husband who believes not and he consents to dwell with her: let her not put away her husband.
7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife: and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband. Otherwise your children should be unclean: but now they are holy. [n. 344]
What God has joined together, let no man put asunder (Matt. 19:6). I command, I say, that the wife depart not from her husband, except on account of fornication, an exception which Christ made and is not mentioned here, because it is well known. The Lord made this the sole exception; all other troubles he commands to be patiently endured for the faith of the marriage: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery (Matt 19:9).
According to a Gloss of Augustine, what is said here is understood of the union of matrimony when both are faithful.
338. But if she departs, namely, on account of fornication, that she remain unmarried, as long as the husband is alive, because although the marriage is dissolved as to bed and board, not as to bond. Or be reconciled to her husband, namely, if the husband is not continent. And let not the husband put away his wife, except on account of fornication. A similar form is kept in regard to the man and to the woman. Hence it is necessary to supply what was said about the wife, namely, that if he dismissed her completely, he should not get another, but be reconciled to his wife.
339. But Ambrose, commenting here, seems to say something contrary to this. He says: he does not say the same things for the man as for the woman, because it is lawful for the husband to marry another woman, for the inferior does not use this law as fully as the superior.
But the Master says that this was added by a falsifier and should not be maintained at all.
340. It should be noted here that there are seven cases when a husband cannot dismiss his wife on account of fornication. The first is when he himself prostituted her; the second, when he commits fornication with another woman; the third is when he gave her the occasion of fornication, as when he is unwilling to render the debt; the fourth is when she has probable certitude that her husband is dead and she married another; the fifth is when she has been violently oppressed by him; the sixth is when she was known by another who seemed to be her husband; the seventh is when she has been manifestly caught in adultery, but is retained by her husband.
341. Then when he says, for to the rest I speak, he treats of the inseparability of marriage between persons of disparate cult, when one is a believer.
First, he says that the believer should not dismiss an unbelieving spouse, who is willing to continue living together without insulting the Creator;
second, that if the unbeliever does not wish to live together, the believer is not bound to follow, but can marry another, at but if the unbeliever departs (1 Cor 7:15);
third, that unless the unbeliever leaves first, the believer should patiently remain together, at for how do you know (1 Cor 7:16).
In regard to the first:
first, he gives an admonition;
second, the reason for the admonition, at for the unbelieving husband.
In regard to the first:
first, he speaks in general to men and women;
second, in particular to the men, at if any brother has a wife;
third, in particular to the women, at and if any woman has a husband.
342. He says therefore, for to the rest, i.e., where both are not believers, but one is a believer and the other an unbeliever, I speak, by way of counsel and not of command, not the Lord. As if to say: I say this from the Lord, although he does not say it with his own lips. This is what I say: if any brother, a believer, is converted to the faith while married. For this is understood of those who married as unbelievers, not of those who are in disparity of cult; for then there was no marriage, and they would have to be separated as Ezra did in Ezra 10. If a brother, I say, has a wife who believes not and she consents to dwell with him without insulting the Creator, let him not put her away. It is a counsel not a precept, so that if one does the contrary, he is not a transgressor, according to a Gloss.
343. Then when he says, and if any woman, he speaks in particular to women, where he first of all supposes faith in someone; second, unbelief in this other when he says, has a husband who believes not; third, the unbeliever is willing to live together, when he says, and he consents to dwell with her; fourth, he advises the believer to remain with him when he says, let her not put away her husband.
He says, therefore: and likewise, if any woman has a husband who believes not and he consents to dwell with her without insulting the Creator; for if he were unwilling to live with her without insulting the name of Christ, the believer should divorce him, because insulting the Creator dissolves a marriage, as a Gloss says, and she may marry again. If, I say, that is the case, let her not put away her husband. It is a counsel, not a precept; for it is lawful for the unbeliever to divorce the believer, but then it was not expedient.
344. Then when he says, for the unbelieving husband, he gives the reason for the admonition just given. First, he proposes an example; second, the danger, at otherwise your children; third, the fruit, at but now they are holy.
345. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he gives the example of an unbelieving husband; second, of an unbelieving wife, at and the unbelieving wife.
He says, therefore, the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife; as if to say: the wife who believes should not divorce the unbelieving spouse willing to live with her, because he is sanctified by the believing wife.
This is read in two ways. In the first way thus: the unbelieving husband is sometimes sanctified by the believing wife, i.e., it sometimes happens that one is converted to the faith by the other. And this has probably happened already, as Sisinnius was converted to the faith in Rome by Theodora during the reign of Clement. Likewise, the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband, namely, by his admonition and doctrine.
In another way it can be read thus: so the believer should not divorce the unbeliever, for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, i.e., the believer does not contract uncleanness by cohabiting with or uniting with the unbelieving spouse, but preserves true modesty, according to Augustine.
346. Then when he says, otherwise your children, this is read in two ways: first, of children to be born; second, of children already born.
In the first way it is read thus: otherwise, if you depart and you both have relations with others, your children, who would be born of this union, should be unclean, i.e., spurious, because not born of a lawful union. But now, if you endure, they are holy, i.e., clean, because they are born of a lawful union.
In the second way it is read thus: otherwise, namely, if you separate, your children already born should be unclean, i.e., would remain in unbelief, following the majority, which would be unbelievers; but now, if you remain together, they are holy, i.e., become Christians.
347. Then when he says the husband who is not a believer is sanctified by a believing wife,
One recalls the theme of the feast of Blessed Cecilia, who converted her husband to the faith.
Among everything that directs man in the way of salvation the greatest is entering fellowship with the saints. The psalmist shows this by his words, when he says: with the holy you will be holy; Cecilia shows this by her deeds, as is here said: the husband is sanctified, in which words three things commend her, namely nature, grace and teaching.
Human nature, which is observed in the woman: grace, which is observed in the sanctification of her husband, so that she is honorable in herself by nature, humble toward God by faith, useful to her neighbor by teaching. For the teaching is rendered particularly praiseworthy to one who considers its act, its object, and its opposite.
The act is sanctification, its object is the man, its opposite is unbelief. Unbelief is a particularly obstinate fault: the manly sex particularly resistant to change: to sanctify a particularly difficult act. Yet though she was a woman, by her teaching she converted the unbeliever, softened the firm, cleansed the unclean, and thus sanctified the unbelieving husband.
Many indeed are the commendable properties of woman that she possesses: three properties as to the act of her heart, three as to the act of the mouth, and three as to the work she does.
The first three are: wisdom in regard to the rational part: a wise woman builds a house for herself (Prov 14:1); purity in regard to the concupisible: the building of a city will confirm her name, and upon it she will be reckoned an immaculate woman (Sir 40:19); constancy in regard to the irascible: all people know you to be a woman of virtue (Ruth 3:11).
The second three are: modesty against over-speaking: an intelligent and silent woman is not a change for a learned soul (Sir 26:18); truth against lying: all that she has said is true (Jdt 8:38); discretion against foolish talk: she was a most wise and most beautiful woman (1 Kgs 25:3); there is no other such woman on earth in appearance, beauty, and in wisdom of words (Jdt 11:19).
The last three are: sanctity in deed: pray for the people, since you are a holy woman (Jdt 8:29); modesty in signs: a holy and modest woman is grace upon grace (Sir 26:19); gracefulness in conversing: a gracious woman will find glory (Prov 11:16).
By reason of her eminence in these properties it is said of the Blessed Virgin Mary: blessed are you among women.