There is much confusion concerning divorce and remarriage. Some teach that there is no such thing as divorce. According to some you can only be married once in a lifetime. Others say that you may remarry only if your mate dies. There are those who teach that if you were divorced before you were saved that it is alright, while others say that “you are living in adultery.” Some say that you may divorce for “fornication” but that you cannot remarry. And there are those who teach that in a divorce there is “no innocent party.” The issue of divorce and remarriage is indeed a controversial one. This issue has diverse viewpoints. Is divorce evil? Is it forbidden?
Let us “look through the Bible” to see what it has to say concerning divorce. The facts may surprise you.
GENESIS: God instituted the first marriage in the Garden of Eden with one man and one woman. This was the plan of God for marriage. God had joined them together and what else could they do? Could there have been divorce in the garden? Who else was there to marry?
Next we see “faithful” Abraham (Galatians 3:9) divorcing his wife at the command of God (see Genesis 16:3; 21:10-14; Galatians 4:20). Hagar was his second wife.
The fact is that there is nothing in the book of Genesis against divorce.
EXODUS: In the book of Exodus a neglected wife may leave her husband (21:11). One should take special notice how divorce is regulated by the law. The practice was taken for granted. Would some suggest that God is regulated evil? Certainly not. And although this book is filled with “rules and regulations” there is nothing at all against divorce (in some instances divorce was necessary).
LEVITICUS: In the book of Leviticus the PRIEST WAS NOT TO MARRY a divorced woman. Much is often made of this passage but it should also be noted that they were also FORBIDDEN TO MARRY WIDOWS (Leviticus 21:7, 14). These rules applied only to the priests and not to everyone. The very fact that the priests had special rules regarding this makes it clear that those not in the priesthood didn‟t.
NUMBERS: Numbers 30:9 lists the divorced women right along with the widows and not with the outcast and abominable of Israel (ancient Israel accepted divorcees).
DEUTERONOMY: In Deuteronomy a man who divorced his wife was to “Let her go… to be another man‟s wife” (24:2). The reason for the divorce, according to the passage, is that there was “no favour” or “some uncleanness.” These could not have been sexual impurities because they were dealt with by death, not divorce (adultery 22:22; fornication 22:13-21). It should be noted that according to 24:1-4 God recognised divorce papers (4000 years ago God accepted the need for divorce).
God so recognized the divorce and remarriage that former mates were forbidden to remarry (although that is actually what some counsel people to do: divorce their present mate and remarry their former). The fact is that they are not as some would say “still married to their first wife.” There is nothing in Deuteronomy against divorce.
JEREMIAH: Although all divorce is a result of sin, not all divorce is sinful. In Jeremiah 3:8 God divorced His wife (the sin here was on Israel‟s part). That is indeed a strange thing for God to do if it was forbidden for one to put away his wife for any cause. Some folks would have a hard time recognizing the fact that God was a divorcee. Where does this leave the “no innocent party” doctrine? (It is also interesting to note along these lines, that Matthew 1:19 tells us that Joseph was minded to “put away” his wife Mary while at the same time being called a “just man.”
MALACHI: In Malachi 2:16 Israel forsook their wives to marry daughters of strange gods. To quote this verse for all divorce, as many do, is just as much private Bible interpretation as quoting Deuteronomy 7:3 and Ezra 10:11 to prove that God is against all marriage. In Deuteronomy 7 God is against marriage because of the kind of marriage it was. In Malachi, God was against divorce because of the kind of divorce it was.
MATTHEW: Matthew is a Jewish book concerning the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 5:32, 22 and 19:3-12 Christ is (don‟t forget the rest of the Sermon on the Mount) establishing the constitution” for the Millennium. These passages (as do their parallels in Mark 10 and Luke 16) are in view of the fact that God has joined couples together. Not ALL couples today are joined by God. Adam and Eve were. Men and women will be joined together for life during the Millennium while Christ is here on earth, and the statements made by Jesus should be understood in the context of the promised Kingdom. Today men and women are joined together by “preachers, “priests” and “justices of the peace” but not by God.
ROMANS: Romans chapter 7 is usually a key passage used by those who promote the ROMAN doctrine of “ONCE MARRIED, ALWAYS MARRIED.” This passage has nothing to do with divorce. No divorce is mentioned in the passage. There had been no divorce papers given! The woman while married, marries another. If as some teach, the woman was “divorced” and remarriage is adultery, why do you think that God would have given Moses authority to tell a woman it was alright to become an adulteress? It should be remembered that this passage is written to “THOSE WHO KNOW THE LAW!” God giving a woman permission to commit adultery and recognizing her marriage as lawful is absurd. Some accuse us of “explaining away the Bible,” but a text out of context is a pretext.
1 CORINTHIANS 7: This is a chapter written by Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13), of whose (Paul‟s) writings we will be judged (Romans 2:16). This chapter is dealing with marriage, divorce, and remarriage. Let us take a very BRIEF look at the verses which relate to the subject of this article.
VS8, 9 – The widows and unmarried can marry (a divorced person is unmarried – see vs.11).
Vs. 10 – Saved couples should remain married
Vs. 11 – If they don‟t, then let them remain unmarried or remarry each other.
Vs.12 – An unsaved spouse who will remain with the saved should be allowed to, they may be won to Christ.
Vs.15 – If the unsaved partner leaves there is nothing the saved can do but let them go. Therefore the saved partner is not under bondage! Bondage is a reference to the marriage (see Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:27). God has called us to peace. (Amos 3:3)
Vs.26 – Do not seek a divorce (Note that “loosed” in this verse means divorced. There are only two things which can loose the bonds of marriage: death and divorce. This verse could not mean “death”. (Of course you shouldn‟t try to kill your mate).
Vs. 28 – It is not a sin for a divorced person or a virgin to marry.
Vs.39 – It is not a sin for a widow to marry.
TIMOTHY: According to 1 Timothy 4:1-3 „forbidding to marry” is a doctrine, not of Paul, but of devils.
God said that it was not good that man should be ALONE (Genesis 2:18). Now suppose if you would, just for a moment, that Eve had left Adam for some other man. Could some “evil” that Eve did, change that which was “good” for Adam? Does God have a system whereby the divorced must live in “celibacy?” That is a Roman Catholic doctrine, is it not? Isn't it a form of penance for past sins? God forbid! Must one atone for the sins of their mate? Have some forgotten that it is God, and God alone that forgive sins? Even if sin has been committed – it can be forgiven.
NOTES OF INTEREST: Did you know that a woman could be a widow and her husband still be alive? (cf. II Samuel 14:5; 20:3; Isa.54:4-5). The point is that it doesn‟t take a literal death to end a marriage (I Tim. 5:6)
Did you know that it was possible for a man to have a wife and not be married? (See Deut.24:1; Matt. 1:20; I Cor. 7:36; Isa. 54:1).
DAVID AND BATHSHEBA: David had Bathsheba‟s husband killed and married her. God forgave him. Could God forgive a man for marrying a divorced woman (if it were a sin) if he does not kill her former husband? When God forgives, He forgives fully. There are NO second class believers. Not of works lest any man should boast! If God could do this for David “under the law” surely He could do no less “under grace”. Let‟s restore dignity and honour to divorcees who are saved by Grace.
Some preachers will take a couple married the second time into their membership but would not marry them. Some will not let them serve within their local church. They are to some degree unacceptable! That is except for their money! How hypocritical.
I TIMOTHY 3: What about the Bishop being the “husband of one wife?” Does this mean that a divorced and remarried man cannot be an elder or pastor? No. His qualification was a standard against the common Old Testament practice of polygamy. How can we be sure? There are two clear passages with which we can compare.
Deuteronomy 24:4 teaches us that when a man divorces his wife she become his former wife. (It is important to notice that they are not, as some would say “Still married in God‟s sight.”) If he remarries he therefore has only one living wife! His ex is no longer his wife.
In John 4:16-18 Jesus told the woman at the well that she was correct in saying that she had no husband. She had had five husbands. But they were no longer her husbands. She had none. Now if she were a man and had no wives and remarried, how many living wives would there be? ONE! She would have fully qualified for at least “the husband of one wife” clause of the criteria for a Bishop or Pastor.
Is it not amazing that a man, before he is saved, can commit fornication with countless women (never getting a marriage license with any of them) and then finally get saved and “settle down” with one – he is accepted as an elder or pastor. BUT, if a man has been faithful to one “legally wedded” wife and she leaves him – he can never become an elder if he legally remarries (this is the unbiblical law of some churches). The first man acted of his own will in his “sins”. The second was acted upon. I encourage those who so reason to return for a FRESH look at the Scriptures. Divorcee God loves you and wants you to find happiness.
