Scriptures On Divorce and Re-Marriage - 11:08 AM, 1/3/2009 |
On Divorce and Re-Marriage Bernard Pyron The New Testament is clear in saying that divorce is wrong and is not to happen except for the fornication of a spouse and Paul's other exception in I Corinthians 7: 15. Christ himself in Matthew 19: 5-6, 9 says "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....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." In Matthew 19: 5-6 Christ is quoting Genesis 2: 24. In I Corinthians 7: 10-11 Paul says "And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife." Then Paul says in I Corinthians 7: 15-16, "But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 16.For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?" This text has been interpreted to mean that a believer may divorce and re-marry if his or her spouse is an unbeliever and has abandoned him or her. But if the unbelieving spouse stays with the believer, then the believer might save the unbelieving one. We can say that a purpose of a Christian heterosexual relationship is salvation if one or both partners are not saved. After salvation, then a purpose of the relationship that is in Christ is for each to help the other walk in the Spirit, to receive the Holy Spirit. After Paul in Romans 7 goes through saying that he knows not to sin but cannot stop sinning, he says in Romans 8: 1-2 that "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulful the lust of the flesh. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5: 16-25)". But many who are believers do not walk after the Spirit, even though they as marriage partners do not engage in adultery, drunkenness, witchcraft, etc. Following worldly conventions about marriage and relationships, such as playing conventional roles, placing a stress upon one's self-esteem, which is pride, or having unfulfilled desires (sex, money, etc), being contentious, and forms of deceptive behavior, can keep one operating in the flesh instead of in the Spirit. Normally, Christian believers do tend to operate in the flesh until they allow the Holy Spirit to come into their lives. And Paul tells us in Galatians 6: 1, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." There many different kinds of faults. Contentiousness leading to strife is just one fault. Many of the ways marriage partners operate in the flesh rather than in the Spirit can be considered faults, if these behaviors keep a person from receiving the Spirit and prevent him or her from communicating with and loving the spouse. A spouse can then try to restore his or her spouse to spirituality, usually by prayer together and by, communication with the other spouse. |
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