What About DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE is it EVIL?
A.
Marriage Instituted by God. Marriage is the joining together of a single man
and a single woman in holy matrimony by the ordinance of God. After God had
made the woman as an help meet for Adam, He brought them together, and Adam
recognized the woman as “one flesh” with himself The first “marriage covenant”
(Gen 2:23, 24) was administered by God Himself. The mouth was Adam’s but the
content was God’s.
B.
The One Flesh Mystery: The “one flesh” relationship is predominant-“flesh of my
flesh”-“they shall be one flesh.” It is God’s doing, and man is forbidden to
disregard it (Matt. 19:6). He does so at his own peril!
Paul
presents this “one flesh” relationship as “a great mystery” (Eph. 5:31b, 32a).
Too often this is overlooked as a reference to marriage since Paul uses the
analogy to show the sacredness of the church covenant (Exo 19:1-8). The
“mystery” lies in the supernatural element by which God makes the man and the
woman one flesh. (The mystery of the church has been revealed—Ephesians
3:3-10.) Paul did not say that God made the two one, which obviously He did
not; but He made the twain “one flesh.” This is certainly “a great mystery”-one
to stand in awe of! If a couple does not want this indissoluble mystery in
their marriage, they should not present themselves “before God and these
witnesses” for the ceremony. God takes them at their word, and He makes the
union final.
“Nevertheless,
to avoid fornication [the kind that relates to an adulterous married state],
let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband” (1
Cor. 7:2).
Matthew 19:3-9
3.The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying
unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4. And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and
female,
5. And said, For this cause shall a man
leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be
one flesh?
6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one
flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a
writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8. He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you
to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put
away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth
adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Mal 2:14-15
14. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness
between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt
treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the
wife of thy covenant.
15. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the
spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed
to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
1 Cor.
7:10-11
10. And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
11. But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be
reconciled to her husband: and let not the
husband put away his wife.
I.
DIVORCE (Matt. 19:3-9; Mal. 2:15; 1 Cor. 7:10, 11)
A.
Divorce Forbidden in Legitimate Marriages: When the Pharisees tempted Jesus on
the ground of Moses having given “a writing of divorcement,” He simply took
them back to “the beginning” and stood on what God had done: (1) He “made them
male and female”; (2) He administered the binding covenant, making them one
flesh; and (3) He forbade man to put asunder (divorce) what He had joined
together. This alone should settle the issue forever. But “man will be
meddling”!
The
Prophet Malachi reproved Israel for what was obviously divorcement of “the wife
of thy covenant,” or “the wife of thy youth,” saying that the Lord hates
“putting away,” or divorce (Mal. 2:11-16). If it be argued that this meant
“spiritual adultery,” or idolatry, either may be used as an analogy of the other.
Paul
says, “Let not the wife depart from her husband...and let not the husband put
away his wife” (1 Cor. 7:10, 11). If separation seems necessary, because of
abuse, they are to “remain unmarried, or be reconciled.”
B.
One exception: Having declared divorce to be contrary to God’s will, Jesus set
the record straight concerning the one and only exception: “...except it be for
fornication” (Matt 19:9), or “...saving for the cause of fornication” (Matt.
5:32). There has to be a “cause,” or a legitimate reason, which will neither
allow the putting asunder of what God has joined together, or which will open
the way for double marriage.
Those
who prefer lenience of doctrine to the truth may take it upon themselves to
interpret “fornication” as “unfaithfulness” to the marriage vow. Some boldly
say “adultery” where Jesus plainly says “fornication.” While it is true that
the words “adultery” and “fornication” are sometimes used interchangeably, or
are generalized to cover the whole scope of fleshly immorality, they are not
the same when the Scriptures are rightly divided. Both terms are sometimes used
in the same passage (See Matthew 15:19; Mark 7:21; and Galatians 5:19).
Unfaithfulness, though a sin, is no ground for divorce.
Fornication
is a single man having another man’s wife, or a single woman having another
woman’s husband. Paul gives the Biblical remedy for the situation: “...To avoid
fornication; let every mart have his own wife, and let every woman have her own
husband.”
II.
REMARRIAGE (Rom. 7:2, 3; 1 Cor. 7:39; 5:1, 2; 6:9)
A.
Remarriage Only Under One Condition: That condition is that the person is
single, either by the death of his/her lawful companion, or by extricating
himself/herself from an unlawful marriage. The one who is single but married to
one who is already another’s companion is free to divorce from that sinful
state and to marry someone who is single, or who has no living companion. This
is the “cause,” or the “exception” Jesus set forth. Not only may divorce be
granted, but it is mandatory if the sinning ones would be saved and go to
heaven.
B.
Otherwise An Evil: The illustration in 1 Corinthians 5:1, 2 was an incestuous
marriage. The stigma may have been greater, but the sin was in having another
man’s wife. The church at Corinth was tolerating this evil; in fact, they were
“puffed up” because Paul was calling for discipline. He told them that they
should have been mourning for the sinners and for the church’s purity, instead
of defending the offending ones in their sin. He asked the church if they did
not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
He
warned them not to be deceived by any who would contend that fornicators and
adulterers (among other sinners) will go to heaven. This deception is still at
work today. Under the pretense of compassion, some will ‘wrest the Scriptures
to their own destruction and the destruction of the sinner who needs to face
the truth.
These
type of ministers may be categorized with Balaam and Jezebel (Rev 2-3). Large
church membership and more money in the treasury may be hiding behind that
“front” of compassion!
If you have never accepted or if you have fallen away from Jesus Christ here are three steps you need to take to be saved:
You must admit you are a sinner, confess your sin to Jesus, repent (turn from all you know is wrong), ask Jesus to come in your heart, and begin to follow Jesus by reading and obeying his word and go to a bible believing church that teaches his word. And tell someone what Christ Jesus Has Done For You (Rev 12:10)
May God through Christ bless you!
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If you have a prayer request or have questions that need clarification please contact me at: neverstoppraying8@gmail.com
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