# Marriage to an unbeliever forbidden?



## Herald (Nov 25, 2007)

[bible]2 Corinthians 6:14[/bible]

[bible]Hebrews 13:4[/bible]

I am not advocating marriage between a believer and an unbeliever. The inherent problems don't need to be enumerated. My question is whether such a marriage is basically sinful. Is marriage considered holy? If a believer marries an unbeliever, is the marriage still holy? I am not overlooking the problems that occur in this type of marriage, I simply want to know whether it is: A) sinful B) holy.


----------



## BJClark (Nov 25, 2007)

BaptistInCrisis;



> My question is whether such a marriage is basically sinful. Is marriage considered holy? If a believer marries an unbeliever, is the marriage still holy? I am not overlooking the problems that occur in this type of marriage, I simply want to know whether it is: A) sinful B) holy.



Is it sinful, God tells us based on the verse you mentioned; I believe it is..as God tells us not to be yoked with unbelievers..so it's going against God..

2 Corinthians 6:14

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? (ESV)

However, Is it Holy? Yes, as the unbeliever according to these verses...is sanctified, by the believing spouse

1Cr 7:14

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 

1 Cr 1:15 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. 

1Cr 7:16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save [thy] husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save [thy] wife? 

But that is my understanding of those verses, and others may understand them differently as they have studied more.

So in answer to your questions, yes to both...

And in answer to the question on the post title..Is it forbidden, well, in that God allows it to happen, I wouldn't say it is forbidden, just warned against..


----------



## SRoper (Nov 25, 2007)

I believe that if a believer knowingly marries an unbeliever it is a sin. I think 1 Cor. 6:14 clearly shows this, as does 1 Cor. 7:39. The Westminster Confession says, "It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent. Yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord."

I believe that in any case the marriage would still be holy in the sense that the believer is not defiled by having relations with the unbelieving spouse and any children produced would be holy. The believer would be obligated to remain with the unbeliever except for the cases of adultery or abandonment.


----------



## smhbbag (Nov 25, 2007)

Agreed with Bobbi.

I don't think the Scriptures speak in the same terms as the question so it is difficult to say directly. I think that is all we can say: the marriage is sinful to enter into, though still binding, and the unbeliever is 'sanctified' by the spouse and association with the covenant people.


----------



## Herald (Nov 25, 2007)

I lean towards, "it is sin" position as well, but I wanted to get some input from others. I had this discussion with my mom this weekend. I was helping her move and she asked me about this at dinner. Now, can God forgive the sin? Of course. But that would not relieve the believer from his/her obligations to the sacred institution of marriage.


----------



## Semper Fidelis (Nov 25, 2007)

BaptistInCrisis said:


> I lean towards, "it is sin" position as well, but I wanted to get some input from others. I had this discussion with my mom this weekend. I was helping her move and she asked me about this at dinner. Now, can God forgive the sin? Of course. But that would not relieve the believer from his/her obligations to the sacred institution of marriage.



Exactly. The reason the person is enjoined not to marry an unbeliever is _because_ the covenant is binding until death unless one of the parties violates the oath of marriage. You're now stuck with the foolish decision made. I believe that it would actually be the greater sin for the believer to break their oath wantonly after they foolishly entered into it.


----------



## No Longer A Libertine (Nov 25, 2007)

The only way your conscience could be clean would be if you both entered marriage prior to being reborn.

If you are summoned from death by God and wed to a reprobate then you are still bound by covenant and not at fault for being in matrimony with the unconverted soul, in fact it would appear your chief ministry as with all marriages is toward your spouse.

To be a professing believer but swept away by charm and lust or convenience of the match would be to your detriment down the road, it obviously would hamper intimacy and the raising of children as your world views would differ as theirs would be at best that of a moralist and at worst that of a heathen.


----------



## bookslover (Nov 25, 2007)

Yes, it is a sin for a believer to knowingly marry an unbeliever. 2 Corinthians 6:14 is quite unequivocal on the point. God can forgive this sin, of course, but then one is stuck with the unbelieving partner, unless the unbelieving partner decides to abandon the marriage.


----------



## Matthias (Nov 25, 2007)

Here is what the 1689 London Baptist Confession has to say about it

Chapter 25 on Marriage
Part 3
It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent; yet it is the duty of Christians to marry in the Lord; and therefore such as profess the true religion, should not marry with infidels, or idolaters; neither should such as are godly, be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresy. 
( Hebrews 13:4; 1 Timothy 4:3; 1 Corinthians 7:39; Nehemiah 13:25-27 )


----------

