Neville Goddard on 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read 1 Corinthians 7 in context

Scripture Focus

12But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

13And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

15But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

16For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

1 Corinthians 7:12-16

Biblical Context

Paul says that if a believer has an unbelieving spouse, they should not divorce; the unbelieving partner is sanctified through the believing one, and peace is the aim. If the unbeliever departs, you are not under bondage, for God calls you to peace.

Neville's Inner Vision

To Neville, the Pauline counsel is not merely about marriage but a shift of consciousness. The unbelieving partner is a symbol of a state not yet awakened, and the instruction to stay is a call to maintain inner unity regardless of outer appearances. When you dwell in I AM, you do not seek to change the other by force but to awaken them by your awakened state. Sanctification occurs as your awareness radiates peace and trusts the truth that God hath called us to peace. If the partner departs, bondage is only a belief; your freedom lies in your alignment with the ever-present I AM, the awareness that never leaves itself. Salvation is a present shift, not a distant event; as you assume the state of wholeness, the outer world reflects that inner reality. See your spouse as already in harmony with this higher truth, and let that vision saturate daily life until the relationship mirrors that inner unity.

Practice This Now

Assume right now that you and your spouse share the same perfect, peaceful state. For 3–5 minutes, feel and declare: I AM one with my beloved, and we are in peace; let that felt truth govern your day.