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📖 Is it forbidden?
What the Bible Says About Dating Outside the Faith
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What the Bible Says About Dating Outside the Faith
The Apostle Paul looking like me as I try writing this.
Nowhere in the Bible is dating outside the faith forbidden.
That’s because the Bible doesn’t talk about dating.
What it does talk about, however, are the complex dynamics of believers in relationships with non-believers.
Let’s take a look.
Believer-Unbeliever Marriages
The most direct mention this topic receives comes from the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7v12-16:
12 To the rest I say—I and not the Lord—that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13 And if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce the husband.
14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy…
16 Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.
Okay, so a bit to unpack here.
For starters, Paul isn’t claiming to speak on behalf of God. Nonetheless, he encourages believers married to non-believers to remain in their marriages.
He says this because the witness of the believing partner can positively impact the non-believing partner. Furthermore, if the couple has children, the children will also benefit from having a strong two-parent home with Christian influence.
Paul even holds out hope that the non-believing partner can be won to the faith via their relationship with the believer.
Paul’s hope is that the non-believing partner will encounter Jesus through the believing partner.
It’s a lovely hope but we must also notice what he writes in verse 15:
But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. It is to peace that God has called us.
Relational Dynamics
I interpret Paul’s words as him speaking into a less-than-ideal situation.
Given the context of the day, it was likely Paul was addressing believers who converted after marriage. He’s likely not speaking to a believer considering marriage (or a relationship) with a non-Christian.
This isn’t explicitly stated (nor is it binding) but it does help us understand where Paul's coming from.
To Paul, an ideal marriage (or relationship) is one in which both partners are following Jesus.
So, is such a mixed-faith relationship forbidden or considered a sin?
No.
But is it ideal?
Also no.
Paul plainly states that a mixed marriage is not spiritually binding. If the unbelieving partner separates, the believing partner is no longer bound to them. That gives us good insight into where he’s coming from, which is what we’ll talk about tomorrow.
For now, be blessed.
Jon,
Theophilus Newsletter
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