What is being "sanctified" referring to in 1 Corinthians 7:14?

[LDremoved]

1 Corinthians 7:12- To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

What does "sanctified" mean in this context?

 

[The Revolting Man]

The first thought that comes to mind for me is the story of Rahab. Everyone in her house was spared. I’m not ready to say that means the unbelieving husband in 1 Corinthians 7 receives salvation because of him believing wife but it seems at least plausible.

 

[AbrahamSolomon]

The first thought that comes to mind for me is the story of Rahab. Everyone in her house was spared. I’m not ready to say that means the unbelieving husband in 1 Corinthians 7 receives salvation because of him believing wife but it seems at least plausible.

I agree, but I don't think we will ever know either.
Maybe hope they will bring them to G-d?

 

[FollowingHim]

1 Corinthians 7:12- To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

What does "sanctified" mean in this context?

Now that's a tough question! I had a look at Matthew Henry's classic commentary, and he suggests that it may be related back to the situation in Ezra, where the people put away all their unbelieving wives. His thought was that the Christians may have been concerned that they would need to do the same.

His thought is that the unbelieving spouse is made holy for the purposes of the marriage - so that it is acceptable to have sex with them, and to have children with them, with there being no concern about the legitimacy of the marriage or the children. They're not completely sanctified with regards to salvation (they still need to accept God themselves), but are sanctified sufficiently to negate the fact the couple are "unequally yoked".

I'm not saying he's necessarily right. But that is a plausible explanation that is better than anything I could come up with.

 

[steve]

Now that's a tough question! I had a look at Matthew Henry's classic commentary, and he suggests that it may be related back to the situation in Ezra, where the people put away all their unbelieving wives. His thought was that the Christians may have been concerned that they would need to do the same.

His thought is that the unbelieving spouse is made holy for the purposes of the marriage - so that it is acceptable to have sex with them, and to have children with them, with there being no concern about the legitimacy of the marriage or the children. They're not completely sanctified with regards to salvation (they still need to accept God themselves), but are sanctified sufficiently to negate the fact the couple are "unequally yoked".

I'm not saying he's necessarily right. But that is a plausible explanation that is better than anything I could come up with.

That’s the best explanation that I have heard so far.

 

[Joleneakamama]

Your answer @FollowingHim reminds me of the story where David fed his men of war Shewbread. He is questioned by the priest and assures him that the bread was common, and his men were holy.

 

[smilingjack]

1 Corinthians 7:12- To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

What does "sanctified" mean in this context?

Paul is answering a tension in the Gentile community. Unclean things were rejected from fellowship in Judaism. Gentiles were considered unclean in the past and were rejected from the fellowship as a result. Now that the veil is torn and 'there is no jew or gentile, only Christ', yet there is still the continuing question of justification on the part of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians learning about Judaism. So, the question is, "Is my spouse not allowed in fellowship since they are not justified?" This is why I prefer the RSV 'made holy' vs the NIV 'sanctified' here because I don't think it is talking about saving faith in Christ but uncleanliness. BDAG defines ἁγιάζω as 'include a person in the inner circle of what is holy, in both cultic and moral association of the word.' Compare this to the negative ἀκάθαρτος 'pertaining to that which may not be brought into contact with the divinity.' If the wife is justified by faith, her husband is ἁγιάζω not ἀκάθαρτος. If that wasn't the case, Paul argues, the children would be considered ἀκάθαρτος as well. Since the spouse is a believer they have made their unbelieving spouse acceptable to receive the ministry of the word and their children as well. That's why I don't think 'sanctified' is the best translation. It infers salvation, which is just not the issue here and causes unnecessary confusion.

Another tension was the idea that a believing wife or husband should divorce their unbelieving spouse because they are 'unclean' or 'not justified.' Paul had to implore them to stay together and since one spouse was justified by faith in Christ, their family was 'made holy.' In other words, their unbelieving family members did not make the believer 'ceremonially unclean' somehow. Their family was allowed to be a part of the fellowship, including the kids. This is different than what happened in Ezra 10 where divorce happened and even children were exiled. The Law of Liberty is in full effect here.