Did Paul imply that he could only marry a Christian?

Answer:

Here is something I wrote about the context in Paul’s Restraint in Exercising His Liberty:

Paul’s Rights (I Corinthians 9:1-6)

Having mentioned in I Corinthians 8:13 his willingness to forego his rights to benefit others, Paul now illustrates the extent of what he does. He asks a series of rhetorical questions. In each question, the answer is the opposite of what is being asked. Paul is an apostle, he is a free man, he has seen Jesus, and the Corinthians' existence as a church is the result of Paul’s efforts. Each of these points means that Paul has rights because of his position. Yet, we get a hint that it is in exercising those rights – or, more specifically, his choice not to exercise his rights – that some seek to claim that Paul is less than who he is. Thus, this chapter is both a defense of Paul’s apostleship and an illustration of how Christians can show restraint in exercising their liberties. The latter point is the primary one. The former is actually more incidental.

Paul points out that he has seen Jesus because this was a critical characteristic of an apostle. The apostles were eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:32; 10:39-41; I John 1:1-3). Having witnessed Christ was a critical qualification when selecting a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:21-22). Paul, too, was a witness, though born out of due time (I Corinthians 15:8).

Paul points out that even if other people claim to doubt his apostleship, the Corinthians are one group who should have no doubts since their existence is proof of his apostleship. He claimed to be an apostle while he was with them, and God supported that claim with the signs that Paul had done in their present. They, too, had responded to the gospel message he brought, showing their acceptance of what he taught.

Thus, Paul defends his rights as an apostle against those who claim he is not an apostle. As a human being, he has the right to meals. Implied in this is the argument that a laborer has the right to be supported by his work. He also had the right to marry a Christian woman, just as the other apostles and leaders in the church had done.

Neither Paul nor Barnabas exercised that right to be supported by those they were teaching. But Paul clarifies that it wasn’t because they didn’t have a right to support. A right can exist without it being used. Paul had sometimes chosen to support himself and others (Acts 18:3; 20:34; I Thessalonians 2:9; II Thessalonians 3:8).

Why only a sister in Christ? The apostles are dedicated to spreading the Gospel. The job is difficult enough without dealing with an unbelieving wife who would hinder their mission. The same should be a concern for any Christian. It isn't wrong to marry an unbeliever, but it often makes life more difficult to remain faithful to Christ and live a fully devoted Christian life.