Biblical or Spiritual Explanations on Divorce

[wildflowerdreams]

What is the biblical stand on divorce? Is marrying a divorced person equivalent to committing an adultery?

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery (>Matthew 5:32).

Edited February 17, 2017 by wildflowerdreams

[OneLight]

Welcome.  You may want to read 1 Corinthians 7 starting at verse 12.

 

May I ask why you are posting in the Seekers Lounge?  I am not sure if you realize this or not, but every response to your question has to be approved by someone in Ministry.  I can move it for you to another forum so the conversation can flow easier, without restrictions.

[HAZARD]

Is marrying a divorced person equivalent to committing an adultery?

Yes!

The Bible says in Mark 10:7, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife.” The Greek word for “cleave” means “glued.” Literally, in God’s eyes two people are glued for life at marriage.

It does not matter if you get married in city hall, at the bottom of the ocean, on the moon, or in a Church—marriages between one man and one woman are made in Heaven.

According to God, marriage is "forever;"

Matthew 19:6, Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What God therefore hath joined together, let no man put asunder.

If a Christian marries a divorced person, they are immediately in an adulterous relationship  and as long as they remain married when they die in that relationship without repenting, according the Scripture, they will not enter Heaven.

(1 Corinthians 6:9, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters,  nor adultere's, or effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

[RustyAngeL]

On 2/17/2017 at 3:55 PM, wildflowerdreams said:

What is the biblical stand on divorce? Is marrying a divorced person equivalent to committing an adultery?

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery (>Matthew 5:32).

I married a divorced man.  He was not a Christian when he got divorced, he was when we got married.  We were married 25 years when he died.  I don't believe I committed adultery. 

[FresnoJoe]

12 hours ago, RustyAngeL said:

I married a divorced man.  He was not a Christian when he got divorced, he was when we got married.  We were married 25 years when he died.  I don't believe I committed adultery. 

[No124get1952]

A BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGG CAN OF WORMS!!!!!

I am going to add some historical information to this discussion, though clarity may NOT result. But it is important to attempt to get ALL of the information available from which to make one's personal judgment. 400 years earlier, when the Jewish people came back to Jerusalem from Babylon, there were two main leaders, Nehemiah and Ezra, who were in authority. The actual historical facts are recorded in Nehemiah and Ezra, but the bottom line was that there were significant numbers of people who could not prove their lineage as pure Jewish. Furthermore, there were a significant number of people (both men and women) who had married outside the faith (and Jewish race) and had children who couldn't even speak Hebrew. In Ezra 9,10, this situation is addressed and God accepted a covenant made to allow the foreign wives to be put away. The best we can say is that God "allowed" these divorce actions to "purify" the priesthood, since the indication was that only the priests were involved in this covenant. However, until the time of Christ, it became a custom that all a man had to do was issue a bill of divorce to dissolve his marriage. From the time of Ezra until the time of Christ, that had not been overturned.

This scripture, Matt. 5:33 is in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus placed the entire law and the prophets on notice that things were not going to operate as usual. Jesus laid down some very strict guidelines for divorce and remarriage. But then came Paul in I Corinthians speaking directly about believing spouses and unbelieving spouses. Then, centuries later came extreme spousal abuse/torture, etc. If we apply Scriptures "according to the letter", then we must counsel abuses spouses that they have no hope because they are not allowed to divorce. While strictly scriptural, how could a minister of the gospel give such counsel, representing a loving God as a judgmental God with no grace or understanding. Most of us would recognize these extremes as opportunities for grace and walk in grace with an abused spouse.

At this point, the argument splits into divorce and remarriage. We have already covered the allowance of divorce for "infidelity" of several types (including sexual, spiritual, torture, etc.). Now what is the answer concerning re-marriage. This is even thornier because the text of the scripture indicates that the overwhelming result is adultery.  Again, technically, marriage is eternal and what God puts together let not man tear asunder. At the very outset here, everyone must acknowledge, that according to scripture, at some point, re-marriage involves the sin of adultery. IF we hold the line on this sin, we automatically condemn a LOT of people to hell for that sin....but wait....is adultery the unforgiveable sin? What about people who get saved before a second marriage? What about people who are saved who remarry and serve God faithfully the rest of their lives? What about.....? The questions abound.

Fortunately, so does grace. Bottom line, divorce is ugly. But divorce (and remarriage) are not the unforgiveable sin...so IF you have to commit these acts, please do so with a LOT of counsel, a LOT of prayer, and a LOT of dependence upon God to cover you. Your eternal destination is between you and God.

[wildflowerdreams]

On 2/18/2017 at 10:30 AM, OneLight said:

Welcome.  You may want to read 1 Corinthians 7 starting at verse 12.

 

May I ask why you are posting in the Seekers Lounge?  I am not sure if you realize this or not, but every response to your question has to be approved by someone in Ministry.  I can move it for you to another forum so the conversation can flow easier, without restrictions.

Thank you for sharing this bible verse.

As a requirement for new member, you are allowed to post 3 topics to ensure you are not bots or spammer. I am allowed only to post in the introduction and one is the seekers lounge. I tried to post a topic in the introduction and someone told me I shouldn't post there. This is the 3rd topic I posted in this forum.

Of course I understand that it should be approved first. It is clearly stated as a new member the topics that I will be posting needs to be approved first. After posting 3 topics I can now be able to post without the need of approval (2 topics had already been approved ).

 

 

[wildflowerdreams]

On 2/21/2017 at 11:12 PM, No124get1952 said:

A BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGG CAN OF WORMS!!!!!

I am going to add some historical information to this discussion, though clarity may NOT result. But it is important to attempt to get ALL of the information available from which to make one's personal judgment. 400 years earlier, when the Jewish people came back to Jerusalem from Babylon, there were two main leaders, Nehemiah and Ezra, who were in authority. The actual historical facts are recorded in Nehemiah and Ezra, but the bottom line was that there were significant numbers of people who could not prove their lineage as pure Jewish. Furthermore, there were a significant number of people (both men and women) who had married outside the faith (and Jewish race) and had children who couldn't even speak Hebrew. In Ezra 9,10, this situation is addressed and God accepted a covenant made to allow the foreign wives to be put away. The best we can say is that God "allowed" these divorce actions to "purify" the priesthood, since the indication was that only the priests were involved in this covenant. However, until the time of Christ, it became a custom that all a man had to do was issue a bill of divorce to dissolve his marriage. From the time of Ezra until the time of Christ, that had not been overturned.

This scripture, Matt. 5:33 is in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus placed the entire law and the prophets on notice that things were not going to operate as usual. Jesus laid down some very strict guidelines for divorce and remarriage. But then came Paul in I Corinthians speaking directly about believing spouses and unbelieving spouses. Then, centuries later came extreme spousal abuse/torture, etc. If we apply Scriptures "according to the letter", then we must counsel abuses spouses that they have no hope because they are not allowed to divorce. While strictly scriptural, how could a minister of the gospel give such counsel, representing a loving God as a judgmental God with no grace or understanding. Most of us would recognize these extremes as opportunities for grace and walk in grace with an abused spouse.

At this point, the argument splits into divorce and remarriage. We have already covered the allowance of divorce for "infidelity" of several types (including sexual, spiritual, torture, etc.). Now what is the answer concerning re-marriage. This is even thornier because the text of the scripture indicates that the overwhelming result is adultery.  Again, technically, marriage is eternal and what God puts together let not man tear asunder. At the very outset here, everyone must acknowledge, that according to scripture, at some point, re-marriage involves the sin of adultery. IF we hold the line on this sin, we automatically condemn a LOT of people to hell for that sin....but wait....is adultery the unforgiveable sin? What about people who get saved before a second marriage? What about people who are saved who remarry and serve God faithfully the rest of their lives? What about.....? The questions abound.

Fortunately, so does grace. Bottom line, divorce is ugly. But divorce (and remarriage) are not the unforgiveable sin...so IF you have to commit these acts, please do so with a LOT of counsel, a LOT of prayer, and a LOT of dependence upon God to cover you. Your eternal destination is between you and God.

Thank you for your explanation and sharing a brief history. The challenge/struggle now is not for those who have re-married and had been saved. This is for those seeking the truth and now knew the truth and are true Christian/believer of God. I agree it takes a lot of prayers and dependence upon God. I want to seek the truth that is why I raised this question. I do not judge those who are already there and have been there. I just want (by God's grace) to know the truth about it so I will not be trapped or deceived.