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"I would like you to understand a very important point. On page 167 and 168 you stated that 'if an unbelieving spouse leaves a believer, the believer is not bound to the marriage relationship, but is free to remarry.5' That is a falsehood! It simply is not true. What such a situation does induce is the freedom for the believer to 'remain unmarried' mene'tow a'gamos (I Cor 7:11, 15). "I have enclosed my papers, "Restoration" and "Excommunication." I also further admonish you in love, fear and admonition in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: 'Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.' (Heb.13:4) 'For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And Again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.' (Heb.10:30, 31)." The letter was closed with "Sincerely," and I signed my name. Take note of his distinct, defiant condonation of adultery—"free to remarry"—through his partial, negligent, and contradictory misinterpretation. From another excerpt of "Restoration," you can see Jesus and the Apostle Paul related scrupulously, tenaciously and ethically to this matter: "Paul emphasizes unto the married woman that it is the Lord who commands her not to depart from her husband (I Cor. 7:10). However, the woman who departs from her husband has two choices: (1) she may remain single, never to marry another man while her husband is living, or (2) she may be reconciled to her husband. Paul also emphasizes to the married man that it is the Lord who commands him not to put away (leave) his wife (I Cor. 7:11). Of course, this applies to a chaste wife (Dt. 24:4). (Note) the contrast of the speakers in I Cor. 7:12.
Back to beginning About the Hesedken site Learn Hebrew Update (Apr. 24, 2026) Cognizance factor: purity has no memory of defilement Two people that join physically but are unclean cannot form a biblical marriage. They can become as one flesh but only in an unclean way. When a cognizant, married woman and a man other than her husband concur this realization of knowing each other in a defiled, pro-creative manner, the woman's mind no longer holds the intellectual purity of knowing only one, living, man anymore. Penetration of the vagina is an accepted opinion that would determine such defilement; however, actually the issue of discernment of sexual cleanliness bears upon the consciousness of the individuals involved. (Dry sex—no penetration of the vagina but rubbing the external vulva—out of marriage would be filthy but not as intimate. However, it may be enough for a man to refuse a woman. Purity and cleanliness must be stressed.) Her life, psychological and physical state becomes divided (cognizant of two men) and unclean, leaving repentance and a life of sexual singleness as the only peaceful resolve. No one is ever allowed to remarry. Remarriage is adultery. The divorced spouse is free to remain single. Pat Robertson once wrote to me and attempted to falsely convince me of his erring theology. Either Pat didn't understand the verse under discussion and just blurted out something for an explanation or willfully misinterpreted it, I would like to think probably the former. Realizing his fallacy (Robertson 167-68), I reproved, “I would like you to understand a very important point. On page 167 and 168 you stated that 'if an unbelieving spouse leaves a believer, the believer is not bound to the marriage relationship, but is free to remarry.5' That is a falsehood! It simply is not true. What such a situation does induce is the freedom for the believer to 'remain unmarried' mene'tow a'gamos (1 Cor 7:11, 15).” I want to go into this a little bit. Let’s look at the verses from the critical edition, Koine Greek text, NA26, 1 Cor. 10-11: 10Τοῖς δὲ γεγαμηκόσιν παραγγέλλω, οὐκ ἐγὼ ἀλλὰ ὁ κύριος, γυναῖκα ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς μὴ χωρισθῆναι,- 11ἐὰν δὲ καὶ χωρισθῇ, μενέτω ἄγαμος ἢ τῷ ἀνδρὶ καταλλαγήτω,- καὶ ἄνδρα γυναῖκα μὴ ἀφιέναι. (Black, vv. 1 Cor. 10-11) Paul is strongly giving instructions to "those who have been married,"—“γεγαμηκόσιν” (Black, v. 1 Cor. 10), which I would transliterate as “ge-ga-may-ko'-seen” and translate as though they continue to exist as being married—the verb is a perfect participle. In my paraphrastic form, he says the message is not from himself, “but from the Lord”—“οὐκ ἐγὼ ἀλλὰ ὁ κύριος” (Black, v. 1 Cor. 10): “the wife from the husband is not to be separated”—“γυναῖκα ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς μὴ χωρισθῆναι” (Black, v. 1 Cor. 10), and if she be separated, let her either “abide unmarried”—“μενέτω ἄγαμος” (Black, v. 1 Cor. 11) or “be joined back with the husband”—“τῷ ἀνδρὶ καταλλαγήτω….” (Black, v. 1 Cor. 11) Thus, in case of a separation among the mates there are two choices: (1) the woman must live separated without marrying anyone else: “μενέτω ἄγαμος” (Black, v. 1 Cor. 11), or (2) she may be reconciled to her husband: my paraphrastic translation, “be joined back with the husband”—“τῷ ἀνδρὶ καταλλαγήτω….” (Black, v. 1 Cor. 11) However, there is a danger in separation, because if the woman subsequently commits adultery, then according to Dt. 24:4 (KJV) she would forfeit her opportunity of reconciliation to her husband due to defilement. Thus, she would have to remain alone at least as long as her husband is alive. Obviously, followers of Pat’s misinterpretation distort the Scripture as he did: “free to remarry” (Robertson 167-68). The deceased now, great, pioneering, evangelical broadcaster, televangelist, and key political leader failed a very important mission: to teach as the apostles and prophets did (Eph. 2:19-20, KJV). According to my translation, the Lord said to, “let her abide unmarried”—“μενέτω ἄγαμος” (Black, v. 1 Cor. 11). She must live as a single that is restricted so as not to date or court, not as a chaste widow, who could marry again (1 Cor. 7:39, KJV). Now as to v. 15, 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. (1 Cor. 7:15, KJV) Christians are not obligated to call the police and have them to bring back the spouse who left. The police may not have the right to do so anyway. A marriage relationship is not in control of any one person. The one-flesh (Gn. 2:24, KJV) and submissive nature of a woman (Eph. 5:24, KJV) symbolically portrayed as the church is to Jesus Christ narrative can be broken when a disobedient spouse rebels. According to Paul’s thought (1 Cor. 7:12, KJV), we can differentiate between the Lord speaking (1 Cor. 7:10, KJV) and his servant Paul, the believer is “not under bondage in such cases” (1 Cor. 7:15, KJV), he or she is free to let the unhappy ex-mate leave. So, if he or she allows the departure without any anxiety and is at rest, which God “called us to peace” (1 Cor. 7:15, KJV), he or she has done nothing wrong. Nevertheless, the strong announcement as to the Lord’s command in verses 10 and 11 must be obeyed: as explained above, the separated person (she) must abide unmarried, “μενέτω ἄγαμος” (Black, v. 1 Cor. 11). When people look unto men instead of the Scriptures, they are putting their eternity at risk! They do not tell their associates that marital purity is a necessity, they even lead them into fornication and adultery. To be safe, don't accept the message of unworthy ministers. Learn to respect only the Scriptures for marital-purity authority.
Page study guide: I Cor 7:11, 15, Restoration, Excommunication Works Cited Black, Matthew, et al. The Greek New Testament. United Bible Societies, 1997, p. 1 Co 7:10–11.
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