Year: 1867

Luut Illutcu,


Doddridge:


'.If the unbelicving party, in such
circumstances as these, be absolutely
determined, and will depart, let him
or her Gepart and take the course
they think best !; and the consequence
is that brother or sister who hath
been united to such a wife or husband
in matrimoial bonds, is by such con-
duct of former partner discharged
from future obligation.


Mcknight:


The Apostle had declared that the
married party who malicionsly desert
ed the other was rot at liberty TO mar
~ during the others. FIFE. Here he
declares that the party who was will
ing to continue the marriage, but was
deserted, notwithstanding a reconcile
alton had been attempted, was at lib
ertv to marry And his decision is
lust; because there is no reason WHY
the innocent party, through the fault
of the guilty party, should be exposed
to the sin of committing adultry."


DIR. John Owen:


The Apostle Paul expressly sets
the party at liberty to marry, who Is
maliciously and obstinatcly deserted !;
affirming that the Christian religion
doth not prejudice the natural right
and privilege of men IN such cases.
If a person obstnhatelv depart, on
pretense of religion or otherwise, and
Will no more co-habit with a husband
or wife, it is known by the law of ma
ture and the usage Of all nations the
deserted party is at liberty to marry
What shall brother or sister that is
Christian do III this case if he is so
departed from Saith the A Apostlc
: They are not in bondage; they are
free and at liberty to marry again.
This is the constant doctrine of all the
churches in the word


Afford:


The meaning Is, let the unbeliever
depart rather than by attempting to
retain the union, endanger that peace
of household and peace of spirit
which is part Of the calling of Chris
tian. Observe there is no contradic.
tion in this license of breaking off
such Il marriage to the command of
our Lord, Matt. V. 32.... " e NAV
safely assume that where the Apostle
Is distinctly referring to our Lords
command, and supplying what it did
not contain, there can be no real in
consistency if such appear it must
be in our apprehension, not in his
words"


Whitby:


If then these words: "a brother
or sister is not under bondage" do so
import, they are not obliged to live
unmarried; such total and perpetual
desertion must desolye the matrmonY
and render the deserving person as
dead unto the other.


DR.. Gill:


Nor are thcv bound to remain nm
married but are free to marry anoth-
er person after all proper methods
have been tried for reconcilia ton.
Desertion, in such case and attended
with such circumstances, Is a breach
of the marriage contract and dlssolu-
tion of the bond.


De Wette;


Undoubtedly the meaning here is
that the marriage bond is broken.-
The positive side of this thought, the
right to marry again. * may be
inferred by correct deduction.


DIR. Hodgei


The command III the preceding verse
was founded on the assumption that
the unbelieving party consented to re.
main in the marriage relation. If the
unbeliever refused thus to remain, the
believer was then free. The believer
was not to repudiate the unbellevIng
husband or wife; but if the unbeliever
broke up the marriage, the Christian
partner was thereby liberated from
the contract. r.


This is the Interpretation which
Protestants have almost universally
given to this verse. 1t Is q passage
of great Importance, because Vt is the
foundation of the Protestant doctrine
that wilful desertion is Legitimate
ground of divorce. And such Is GER
tainlv the natural sense Of the pas
sage.


The question before the Apostle
was. Nv hat is to be done in the case
of these mixed marriages 2 His ans
wer il, Let not the believer put
away the unbeliever, for Christ has
forbidden man to put away his wife
for any canse save that of adultery"
Matt. V 50. But if the unbeliever
break up the marriage, the believer is
nc .onger bound There is no conflict
here between Christ's command and
Panls instructions. Both say man
cannot put away his wife tnor, Of
course. the wife her husband) on ac-
count of difference of religion, or for
anv other reason than the cne above
specified. The Apostle only adds
that if the believing party be without
just cause put away, he or she Is free.
If the unbeliever consent to remain,
the believer Is bound if the unbeliev-
er Will not consent, the believer Is not
bound. In the one case the marriage
contract binds him in the other case
it does not bind him. This seems TO
be the simple meaning OF the passage.


Others understand the Apostle as