Before we can advance further, we would like first to reiterate that the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, Malachi 2:16 :”For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.” According to the Bible, marriage is a lifetime commitment. Jesus reemphasized this, in Matthew 19:6, when answering to the Pharisees’ question about whether it’s lawful to divorce one’s wife: “…So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” In their follow-up question, the Pharisees wanted to know why Moses authorized divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, but Jesus explained that these laws were given because of the hardness of people's hearts, not because such laws were the desire of God (Matthew 19:8).
In today's sin-dominated community, Satan works very hard to deceive as many people as possible who will be destroyed with him at the end of time. There have been various false teachings of the current global political, socio-economic, and religious system that oppose the will of God. The steady increase in divorces is one of the results that even leads to further transgressions. It’s unfortunate that Christian marriages are among the dissolved because of such Babylonian false teachings.
The issue of remarriage is addressed in 1 Corinthians 7:10–11: “To the married I give this command—not I, but the Lord—a wife is not to leave[a] her husband. 11 But if she does leave, she must remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband—and a husband is not to divorce his wife.” It is clear that God forbids divorce in the strictest terms and if that happens, no remarriage.
Two possible exceptions for remarriage have been given, one by Jesus in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 and the other by Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:15. The contexts set forth in these two exceptions are adultery and abandonment:
- In case of sexual immorality: According to Jesus, in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 , divorce is permissible for any breaking of the marriage bond by sexual relations outside of marriage. We read in Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5 and Ephesians 5:31 that sexual relations are an integral part of the marital bond: “The two will become one flesh”. Taking a closer look at Jesus’ words, the phrase “except for sexual immorality” gives God’s permission for divorce and remarriage. However, under the exception given the divorced woman (or the guilty party) is NOT allowed to remarry since “whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery”.
- Abandonment: another biblical “exception,” allowing remarriage is when an unbelieving spouse divorces a believer. Apostle Paul is so clear on this: “But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you[a] to live in peace.”(1 Corinthians 7:15). In this context, it is the unbeliever who abandons the marriage, and the believer is an innocent party. If this is the case, the believing spouse who is abandon can remarry.
It is very important to note that in both cases the believing spouse can work towards reconciliation. The apostle Paul gives this important option in 1 Corinthians 7:11. Even in cases of adultery, a couple can, by the grace of God, learn to forgive and begin to rebuild their marriage. God has forgiven us much more. Surely, we can follow his example and even forgive the sin of adultery (Ephesians 4:32). However, in many cases, a spouse is unrepentant and continues the immoral behaviour. This is where Matthew 19:9 applies.
In summary, the scriptures make it clear that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), so marriage is a lifetime commitment. Only two exceptions to this principle are provided [1] case of adultery and [2] case of abandonment by an unbelieving spouse. However, even these circumstances do not automatically trigger divorce proceedings; divorce remains a last resort. In case of infidelity, it is better for two Christians to reconcile than to divorce. It is better to extend the forgiveness and love that God gives us freely (Colossians 3:13).
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Further Resources
- Discover online ministry opportunities at Open Christian Ministries
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