What does the Bible say about marrying an unsaved person?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• 1 Corinthians 7:10-17

  [10] But to the married I command--not I, but the Lord--that the wife not leave her husband [11] (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife. [12] But to the rest I--not the Lord--say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her. [13] The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband. [14] For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now are they holy. [15] Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace. [16] For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? [17] Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies.

• 2 Corinthians 6:14

  Don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness?

• 1 Corinthians 7:15

  Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.

• 1 Corinthians 7:1-40

  [1] Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman. [2] But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. [3] Let the husband render to his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. [4] The wife doesn't have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband doesn't have authority over his own body, but the wife. [5] Don't deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn't tempt you because of your lack of self-control. [6] But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment. [7] Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind. [8] But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am. [9] But if they don't have self-control, let them marry. For it's better to marry than to burn. [10] But to the married I command--not I, but the Lord--that the wife not leave her husband [11] (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife. [12] But to the rest I--not the Lord--say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her. [13] The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband. [14] For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now are they holy. [15] Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace. [16] For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? [17] Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies. [18] Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. [19] Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. [20] Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called. [21] Were you called being a bondservant? Don't let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it. [22] For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord's free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ's bondservant. [23] You were bought with a price. Don't become bondservants of men. [24] Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God. [25] Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy. [26] I think that it is good therefore, because of the distress that is on us, that it is good for a man to be as he is. [27] Are you bound to a wife? Don't seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don't seek a wife. [28] But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to spare you. [29] But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none; [30] and those who weep, as though they didn't weep; and those who rejoice, as though they didn't rejoice; and those who buy, as though they didn't possess; [31] and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away. [32] But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; [33] but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife. [34] There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world--how she may please her husband. [35] This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction. [36] But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He doesn't sin. Let them marry. [37] But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own heart, to keep his own virgin, does well. [38] So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn't give her in marriage does better. [39] A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whoever she desires, only in the Lord. [40] But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God's Spirit.

• 1 Corinthians 7:39

  A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whoever she desires, only in the Lord.

• Ephesians 5:25

  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;

• Matthew 5:32

  but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.

• 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

  [14] Don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness? [15] What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? [16] What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people." [17] Therefore, "'Come out from among them, And be separate,' says the Lord, 'Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you. [18] I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty."

• Romans 7:1-25

  [1] Or don't you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives? [2] For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband. [3] So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man. [4] Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit to God. [5] For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit to death. [6] But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter. [7] What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn't have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn't have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." [8] But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead. [9] I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. [10] The commandment, which was for life, this I found to be for death; [11] for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me. [12] Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. [13] Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful. [14] For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. [15] For I don't know what I am doing. For I don't practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do. [16] But if what I don't desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good. [17] So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. [18] For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don't find it doing that which is good. [19] For the good which I desire, I don't do; but the evil which I don't desire, that I practice. [20] But if what I don't desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. [21] I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present. [22] For I delight in God's law after the inward man, [23] but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. [24] What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death? [25] I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.

• 1 Peter 3:7

  You husbands, in like manner, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as being also joint heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers may not be hindered.

Related topics

• marrying a divorced person
• suing another person
• blacks marrying whites
• when a person sins against you
• unsaved husbands
• marrying an unbeliever
• remarrying the same person
• marrying a single mother