Homilies on First Corinthians

“For how do you know, O wife, whether you shall save your husband?” This again refers to that expression, “let her not leave him.” That is, “if he makes no disturbance, remain,” says he, “for there is even profit in this; remain and advise and give counsel and persuade.” For no teacher will have such power to prevail (Reg. πεῖσαι. Bened. ἰσχὺσαι.) as a wife. And neither, on one hand, does he lay any necessity upon her and absolutely demand the point of her, that he may not again do what would be too painful; nor, on the other, does he tell her to despair: but he leaves the matter in suspense through the uncertainty of the future, saying, “For how do you know, O wife, whether you shall save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband whether you shall save your wife?”