NOTES for Co1 7:12-13
Why Paul insists that families, where one of the spouses is Christian, should be by possibility saved, even if the other party is far away from faith? Of course, one could have been able to explain everything with the value of the family as such, and the will to save this very family, if only there is just a small chance. One could remember the ban of divorce, about which the Savior Himself speaks about. But indeed, this ban concerns only the Christians themselves. Even the Torah, in principle admits divorce, although in particular cases, and not too willingly. As for the gentiles, there are also no problems here from the point of view of the Torah: although the Torah recognizes as a reality the marriage between gentiles, it doesn’t impose in this case of course any prohibitions and restrictions on divorce. But why with all this the apostle all the same insists on the fact that it is necessary if possible to save the marriage between a Christian and a non believer (or the opposite)?
According to his own words, the main task of the Christian in such situation is to introduce the other partner in marriage to the life of the Kingdom. Of course, witness plays here an immense role. But witness in particular in the family turns out the most complex task, and if, according to the words of the Savior, it is sometimes particularly difficult for the prophet in his home town and in his own house, then His words are completely also applicable to the Christian witness. But indeed, Christianity is not a religion, to which it is necessary to turn, but the life, which it is necessary to join.
The main thing here is not to change the conception of the world of the husband (wife), but to make him (her) feel what that is the Kingdom. This very Kingdom, which in normal case is always present in the life of the Christian. And which in the normal case Christian can always share with the one who is near. Well then the result can turn out the most unexpected. And the family, in which a Christian was initially one of the two, can become really Christian.