The Bible says to watch carefully our doctrines, but I guess that isn't important here. Here we can teach right is wrong and wrong is right. We can teach the opposite of what Jesus says and that is okay. We teach it is okay to divorce and we teach it is okay to marry after divorce.
Jesus said that any man that marries a divorced woman commits adultery (Luke 16:18), but we can say that is not so.
Jesus said that if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man that she commits adultery (Mark 10:12), but we can say that is not so.
Yep! Right is wrong and wrong is right. That's what we can teach.
We can teach people the opposite of what the Bible says, and we can teach people the opposite of what Jesus said and it is all okay. We can say that some Christian expert told us so and that that Christian expert knows what he is talking about.
I agree with you on so many things you’ve posted and you’re right once again about 👉👉taking the word of God and his doctrines (his teachings) seriously👈👈especially with regards to biblical texts that speak to marriage and divorce.
It’s been kinda humbling for me to teach one thing for so long over the years only to be rebuffed later down the line by another full bodied view that is more fortified by the entirety of scripture and good exegesis rather than my former understandings that were based on just a few select scripture and my poor exegesis.
I’ve had to change my mind several (maybe many) times over time.
As for marriage and divorce, I started out with no opinion before I was convinced to deny remarriage after divorce for any reason except for adultery. That turning point occurred after listening to Bill Gothard. Later I learned that Bill Gothard was no competent theologian by a long stretch. Then I started hearing from much more competent theologian who took a more systematic approach to theology. By “systematic” I mean a wholistic approach to theology which simply means taking a thoughtful and thorough approach of ALL scripture on any particular subject matter as opposed to taking a simplistic and hurried interpretation based on only a few verses.
It’s gotten to the point of me checking and rechecking almost every thing I think I know for sure just to make sure I know what I think I know‼️‼️
I have a critical thinking minister and friend with a theological mindset who delights with interrogating me severely and peppering me with specific questions that either reveal my ignorance or prove that I actually know what I’m talking about.
I used to hate people like that now I think they are golden.
I think such a teacher can either error on the side of being merciless and lose his audience or he can fall off the other side of the horse by being overly concerned with not offending his audience.
Takes a really good man to straddle the saddle on that one. He respects his audience and loves them but is able to help them reach higher.
I’ll have to confess to ya W&T, for me this has become a difficult topic to discuss with a clear exegetical authority—at least for the time being. But I haven’t given up on finding that authority.
Seems theologians have fallen off on both sides of the horse on this topic. Nevertheless, I’ve found some serious Bible students who have examined ALL or at least examined most Bible verses and relevant studies that too many people seem to have ignored.
I’m in the process of reading through and listening to these presentations as I try to understand the topic and why different people land on different points of view. Most opinions are not necessarily new views—they've been around for decades but some are new to my understanding.
Given the fact I’ve been wrong on this topic in the past I’m hesitant to make more assumptions that may or may not be accurate.
So, at this point I’m heading back to the study with the hope of stepping forward with confidence securely based on a much stronger comprehension of ALL the facts
May THE LORD grant you success in reviewing through all these verses a thousand times.
I think Christians are to go more by Jesus on the matter.
I think the Old Testament allows, but that Jesus calls it out for what it is.
I think people's hearts are hard.
I think we are to go more by Jesus on the matter and what he taught than to go by Moses and what he taught.
I think that Christians are to have a New Testament response to divorce.
We are to go by our Saviour who says that it is wrong.
What are the facts?
FACT NUMBER ONE is that it does exist.
FACT NUMBER TWO is that It exists in the Bible. It exists in the Old Testament and it exists in the New Testament and it exists in the Law of Moses and it exists throughout the world.
FACT NUMBER THREE is that Jesus speaks against it.
All kinds of facts to go through. So, fact that it is allowed, and fact that Jesus speaks against it.
Fact, Jesus said that Moses gave you this command because your hearts were hard.
Fact, Jesus said it was not this way from the beginning.
Fact, Jesus said that God joined together and "let no one separate" what God joined together.
Fact, Jesus plainly says that anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Fact, Jesus plainly says that if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.
Fact, Jesus also says that if a man divorces his wife, then marries another that he then commits adultery.
So, there are a number of facts.
The Bible says that if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.
The Bible does not say this of divorced women.
The Bible does not say this of divorced men.
I just say that no one should be advocating for divorce, and no one should be marriage after divorce.
The subject will stick around because Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and then women went from one husband to another. (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) But it was not this way from the beginning. (Matthew 19:8) It is not what is intended by God. Jesus does not advocate for divorce.
