Someone asked about any legitimate reason for divorce and remarriage.
Posted : 15 Nov, 2015 01:29 PM
It was suggested that Moses provided a number of reasons why it was okay to divorce and remarry. What those who offer comments about what Moses said fail to grasp, is that Jesus said Moses was wrong, and explicitly stated the correct guidelines. He very clearly said we are not to follow the practice of Moses, because that is not God's plan, and never was God's plan for our lives, and we are not to divorce.
There is no way to use Moses to justify a divorce today. That would be calling Jesus Christ, Almighty God in the flesh, a liar.
I repeat, the fallacy of any arguments for divorce, based on what Moses said, is this simple. Jesus overruled what Moses said very succinctly.
His answer to the pharisees was this. From the beginning of time, it was not the Father's plan for marriage to end in divorce. So stop it. Do not separate what God had joined together. Just like the Holy Spirit is witness to every sin of every believer, but does not participate in it, God is witness and joins every marriage together by operation of nature which God created, and by operation of His spiritual laws as well. As it says in 1 Corinthians 6, those who have sex become one flesh, even if not married. So in that sense, He joins all in marriage.
To the pharisees, Jesus said no divorce, and He offered no exception, so that there would be no misunderstanding among the Pharisees. Matthew 10
To the disciples, when they inquired privately, Jesus said, (I'm paraphrasing here) Hey, you know my earthly mother and father? Only in Joseph's situation can you divorce, marry another, and not commit adultery. That is because of the special bethrothal period unique to the Jews, where, though considered married, they did not consummate the marriage until a year had passed to make sure the woman was sexually pure. Only for porneia could a man divorce his wife, before consummation of the marriage. And only when he divorced her for that reason, could he marry another, and not commit adultery. If you divorce for any other reason, or after consummation, you commit marital adultery (moxitai).
Jesus was specific. He said for porneia , not for moxtitai (marital adultery) you could divorce, marry another, and not commit adultery. This one exception in all of scripture is not repeated in Mark 10, written to the Romans, nor in Luke 16:18, which was written to the Greeks. They had no such similar situation, and there is a bottom line statement in both Mark and Luke that if you divorce your wife and marry another, you commit adultery (moxitai) without exception.
Why do you think the disciples went into a panic and said that it was better then that nobody get married? They got it! They understood the rigid standard Christ just gave them. And it sent them into a tizzy. Just like most who read this today will freak out, they freaked out. But God Himself told them in person the unambiguous standard, that does not allow for divorce once the marriage is consummated. No divorce for the consummated marriage.
God never contradicts Himself, and He didn't when He gave the Jews the one extremely narrow exception, but gave the Romans and the Greeks no exceptions. There was a significant difference in cultural practices which made then entirely different situation.
Whatever reasons you might think that God allows based on what Moses said, God in the flesh said Moses got it wrong, and to stop with the divorce of any consummated marriage.
Further, God says to the one who goes to Court and obtains a divorce, Do not marry another, but hold yourself ready for reconciliation or stay unmarried. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11.
There are no exceptions here either, cultural or otherwise. There isn't an expiration date, where if you wait so long, the prohibition changes. He doesn't say there is an exception if the person marries another; the command to stay unmarried remains. You will not benefit by the other person marrying because you caused the situation; you are the one who violated God's command to stay married and put them away.
These three commands are involved here.
1. Do not divorce.
2. Do not commit adultery.
3. Do not marry another (unless your spouse has died, and then, only in the faith).
�Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-20
"My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." James 3:1
Currently, many have error publicly available for reading, based on the errant belief that whatever Moses said was okay and provides a basis for divorce, and which supersedes what Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, says. It does not, and needs to be removed from public view.
Jesus Himself said Moses was wrong, so do not say that it is part of scripture, and therefore it is still valid. It is not. God has the final say so, not Moses. Just because God includes history in His word doesn't mean He approves the error of people included in the History. God has clearly said He doesn't approve of divorce.
�For the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one�s garment with violence,�
Says the Lord of hosts.
�Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.� Malachi 2:16
The problem with people, is they "think" they know better than God.
If you "think" "God wouldn't want (you) to be alone for the rest of (your) life", write out 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 a hundred times, then come back and show me where God says that in His holy word.
Someone asked about any legitimate reason for divorce and remarriage.
Posted : 19 Nov, 2015 01:45 PM
From the article:
"So Jesus condemns caual divorce and remarriage by explaining, not overturning, Moses' Law."
Jesus never used the word casual. To God, no divorce is casual. He used the original intent explanation to explain why all divorce of consummated marriages are prohibited (the exception in Matthew 19 relates solely to an unconsummated marriage because of the unique marriage rituals of the Jews). The original intent explanation contains consummation of the marriage, and divorce in the case of all consummated marriages is forbidden by Christ.
I have an appointment shortly. I will finish retyping the rest of my lengthy reply this into these nice boxes later.
Someone asked about any legitimate reason for divorce and remarriage.
Posted : 25 Nov, 2015 04:51 AM
According to the Bible, marriage is a lifetime commitment. �So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate� ( Matthew 19:6)
God realizes, though, that, since marriages involve two sinful human beings, divorces are going to occur.
In the Old Testament, He laid down some laws in order to protect the rights of divorces especially women (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) Jesus pointed out that these laws were given because of the hardness of people�s hearts, not because such laws were God�s desire
(Matthews 19:8)
The controversy over whether divorce and remarriage is allowed according to the Bible revolves primarily around Jesus� words in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 The phrase �except for marital unfaithfulness� is the only thing in Scripture that possibly gives God�s permission for divorce and remarriage. Many interpreters understand this �exception clause� as referring to �marital unfaithfulness� during the �betrothal� period. In Jewish custom, a man and a woman were considered married even while they were still engaged or �betrothed.� According to this view, immorality during this �betrothal� period would then be the only valid reason for a divorce.
Some understand 1 Corinthians 7:15 as another �exception,� allowing remarriage if an unbelieving spouse divorces a believer. However, the context does not mention remarriage but only says a believer is not bound to continue a marriage if an unbelieving spouse wants to leave. Others claim that abuse (spousal or child) is a valid reason for divorce even though it is not listed as such in the Bible. While this may very well be the case, it is never wise to presume upon the Word of God.
"For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously."( Malachi 2:13-16)
However, Many people look to quickly remarry after a divorce when God might desire them to remain single.God sometimes calls people to be single so that their attention is not divided (1 Corinthians 7 : 32-35)
Remarriage after a divorce may be an option in some circumstances, but that does not mean it is the only option.
Only God can deal with each one in a particular way, each case is a case.
Someone asked about any legitimate reason for divorce and remarriage.
Posted : 27 Nov, 2015 09:27 AM
Greetings in Jesus' name!
Mt 19:9
(KJV)
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.
(GNV)
I say therefore unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for whoredom, and marry another, commiteth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her which is divorced, doth commit adultery.
(NASB)
And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.�
A perusal of all the translations on this page shows that all that I could see show pretty much the same thing
http://biblehub.com/matthew/19-9.htm
Mt 5:32 is similar
Quite honestly, there are a number of ways we can fully interpret this, but there are I believe some certainties. Jesus is clearly giving an exception, which is either sexual relations with another person, or else any sexual sin.
It becomes less clear as to whether Jesus is giving the same guidelines to men as to women, or indeed whether even a man who has divorced his wife (in the given exception) can remarry or not
I confess that the Spirit is yet to reveal the full meaning to me, I shall have to meditate on it further, but I merely wanted to counter the opinion that Christ gave no reason for divorce.
Someone asked about any legitimate reason for divorce and remarriage.
Posted : 28 Feb, 2016 12:24 AM
I find it interesting that there is no discussion of Mark 10, Luke 16:18, or 1 Corinthians 10-11 in the above responses. Mark's target audience was the Romans, and Luke's target audience was the Greeks. Neither the Greeks nor the Romans had a betrothal period where the couple was married but had not consummated the marriage. Jesus also gives them no exception.
Why?
And why did the disciples freak out in Matthew 19?
