1 Corinthians 7:16
“For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?”
What does 1 Corinthians 7:16 mean?
Paul is speaking to people in mixed marriages, where one spouse has become Christian and the other hasn't. He's offering a quiet encouragement: you don't actually know what God might do in your spouse's heart through your faithful love and witness over time. This verse pushes back against the despair that can set in when someone we're close to doesn't share our faith. It's not a promise that your spouse will convert if you just try hard enough or stay long enough, but rather an invitation to hope and trust in what remains possible. God works in ways we can't predict or control, often through the patient, loving presence of people who are close to us.