A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God. —1 Corinthians 7:39-40
This section is almost certainly addressed to widows, though some have argued that it is addressed to women whose betrothed have died.
The obvious message of these verses is that a Christian widow was not subject to the Jewish custom of levirate marriage. This Old Testament law said that a Jewish woman who husband died childless had to marry her brother-in-law until she had a child. This was still practiced in the first century, though it was becoming less common. Paul stated that it was unnecessary for a Christian widow. She could marry (or not marry) whomever she wished.
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Author: David Instone-Brewer
Keywords: Marriage, Divorce, Bill of divorcement, Certificate of divorce, Certificate of divorcement, Bill of divorce, School of Hillel, School of Shammai, Any cause, Every cause, Divorce for any cause, Divorce of every cause, Rabbinic debate, Commits adultery, Continues to commit adultery, Remarriage, Divorcement, Exception clause, Except for fornication, Except for adultery, Putteth away, Put asunder, agunot, Chained women, Desertion, Husband deserts wife, Widows, Widowhood, Widow remarries, Widow remarriage, Levirate marriage
Bible reference(s): Deuteronomy 24:1-3, Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 19:3-9, Mark 10:4, Mark 10:11-12, Luke 16:18, 1 Corinthians 7:15, 1 Corinthians 7:28, 1 Corinthians 7:39-40
Source: Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible: The Social and Literary Context (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2002), pp. 207-9.
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