Can A Person Get Married After a Divorce and still not commit adultery as written in Luke 16:18?

[gordon002]

The Bible says:

“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

--Luke 16:18

So we are talking about this verse. We're not trying to judge someone FYI. Just the exact Word from the Lord. So we know this Christian woman, who's previously married to a Japanese guy in Japan way back the time she's not yet a Christian. It was a fixed marriage. But the fact that it's a "marriage" we can't ignore the fact that the person got married to someone. Although she claimed that there was never a time they had some sexual contact. Then the woman divorced the man and went back to the country. And here she got to know the Lord and got into a relationship with a man who also happens to be a Christian. The pastor of that Church acknowledge them as a "couple" and even though that the papers of the woman are still not validated in the country (since the country doesn't support divorce) and the pastor doesn't have the "license" yet to marry this couple, she still did it. The pastor's stand is that the license is not important and the "marriage papers" are not important what matters most is that they are loving each other. That church acknowledges them as "married couple" because of that. Fast forward years later they had a son, (even though they aren't married via papers until this time). 

Question: 

• Are these people committing adultery? 
• Can we bend the word of the Lord just because we see them in-love w/ each other? 
• Does the pastor make a good decision in claiming that the "license" and "marriage papers" are not important? 
• Should the church acknowledge them as "married couple"?
• And even if they really got married with proper procedures would that erase the fact that they are committing "adultery" as stated in the Word?

Really curious about your answers. 
 

Edited July 27, 2018 by gordon002

[Willa]

Welcome to Worthy, Gordon.  I don't know.   If the arranged marriage was never consummated, usually it can be annulled in most countries.  But if the pastor who remarried them did not have the legal right to do so, then it may not be legal.  Some places have "common law marriages" where if a people live as man and wife for 7 years and she has taken his name so that everyone recognizes them as man and wife, then they are legally married.  But few places recognize this as legal anymore.  I suspect that Jesus would rule on the side of grace.  

[Still Alive]

10 hours ago, gordon002 said:

The Bible says:

“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

--Luke 16:18

So we are talking about this verse. We're not trying to judge someone FYI. Just the exact Word from the Lord. So we know this Christian woman, who's previously married to a Japanese guy in Japan way back the time she's not yet a Christian. It was a fixed marriage. But the fact that it's a "marriage" we can't ignore the fact that the person got married to someone. Although she claimed that there was never a time they had some sexual contact. Then the woman divorced the man and went back to the country. And here she got to know the Lord and got into a relationship with a man who also happens to be a Christian. The pastor of that Church acknowledge them as a "couple" and even though that the papers of the woman are still not validated in the country (since the country doesn't support divorce) and the pastor doesn't have the "license" yet to marry this couple, she still did it. The pastor's stand is that the license is not important and the "marriage papers" are not important what matters most is that they are loving each other. That church acknowledges them as "married couple" because of that. Fast forward years later they had a son, (even though they aren't married via papers until this time). 

Question: 

• Are these people committing adultery? 
• Can we bend the word of the Lord just because we see them in-love w/ each other? 
• Does the pastor make a good decision in claiming that the "license" and "marriage papers" are not important? 
• Should the church acknowledge them as "married couple"?
• And even if they really got married with proper procedures would that erase the fact that they are committing "adultery" as stated in the Word?

Really curious about your answers. 
 

This is a really good rundown:

https://truthsaves.org/articles/remarriage-after-divorce-is-it-adultery/

[John_Leung]

Hi and welcome. That's quite a first impression, by the way.  

From what I know from Bible studies or conversations with long-time believers at my church, a divorced person cannot remarry, period. Marriage is God-given, and it's not meant to be broken under most circumstances. With this in mind, remarrying would mean further dishonoring the initial marriage that was ended.  

My friend often asks me this question, too, as there are many single parents find new love and wanting to get married. I also heard that one can't be remarried even if the spouse has passed away.

Anyway, this is my two cents about this question.  Hope you enjoy this forum and faith on!

[RockyMidnight]

12 hours ago, gordon002 said:

The Bible says:

“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

--Luke 16:18

So we are talking about this verse. We're not trying to judge someone FYI. Just the exact Word from the Lord. So we know this Christian woman, who's previously married to a Japanese guy in Japan way back the time she's not yet a Christian. It was a fixed marriage. But the fact that it's a "marriage" we can't ignore the fact that the person got married to someone. Although she claimed that there was never a time they had some sexual contact. Then the woman divorced the man and went back to the country. And here she got to know the Lord and got into a relationship with a man who also happens to be a Christian. The pastor of that Church acknowledge them as a "couple" and even though that the papers of the woman are still not validated in the country (since the country doesn't support divorce) and the pastor doesn't have the "license" yet to marry this couple, she still did it. The pastor's stand is that the license is not important and the "marriage papers" are not important what matters most is that they are loving each other. That church acknowledges them as "married couple" because of that. Fast forward years later they had a son, (even though they aren't married via papers until this time). 

Question: 

• Are these people committing adultery? 
• Can we bend the word of the Lord just because we see them in-love w/ each other? 
• Does the pastor make a good decision in claiming that the "license" and "marriage papers" are not important? 
• Should the church acknowledge them as "married couple"?
• And even if they really got married with proper procedures would that erase the fact that they are committing "adultery" as stated in the Word?

Really curious about your answers. 
 

Hello Gordon002. This is a gut wrenching situation for sure. I can only refer to scripture, which you already obviously have done. I think the key here, since there is a question about adultery, is to seek God's forgiveness.

Cheers!!!

[shanee]

gordon002

Edited July 28, 2018 by shanee
added more

[Adstar]

On 7/27/2018 at 5:43 PM, gordon002 said:

The Bible says:

“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

--Luke 16:18

So we are talking about this verse. We're not trying to judge someone FYI. Just the exact Word from the Lord. So we know this Christian woman, who's previously married to a Japanese guy in Japan way back the time she's not yet a Christian. It was a fixed marriage. But the fact that it's a "marriage" we can't ignore the fact that the person got married to someone. Although she claimed that there was never a time they had some sexual contact. Then the woman divorced the man and went back to the country. And here she got to know the Lord and got into a relationship with a man who also happens to be a Christian. The pastor of that Church acknowledge them as a "couple" and even though that the papers of the woman are still not validated in the country (since the country doesn't support divorce) and the pastor doesn't have the "license" yet to marry this couple, she still did it. The pastor's stand is that the license is not important and the "marriage papers" are not important what matters most is that they are loving each other. That church acknowledges them as "married couple" because of that. Fast forward years later they had a son, (even though they aren't married via papers until this time). 

Question: 

• Are these people committing adultery? 
• Can we bend the word of the Lord just because we see them in-love w/ each other? 
• Does the pastor make a good decision in claiming that the "license" and "marriage papers" are not important? 
• Should the church acknowledge them as "married couple"?
• And even if they really got married with proper procedures would that erase the fact that they are committing "adultery" as stated in the Word?

Really curious about your answers. 
 

As long as their divorce was justifiable by the teachings of the Bible..

Matthew 19: KJV

9 "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."

So if your wife or husband commits adultry then divorce is sanctioned by the Bible and thus when you marry another you are not an adulterer..

 

 

[stillseeking]

Regarding the idea of remarriage after a divorce: It was allowed in Old Testament times, even though it wasn't the ideal.  A remarried woman should stay with her new husband. 

Deuteronomy 24:1 "“When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens ^[a]that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house, ² and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife, ³ and if the latter husband ^[b]turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, ⁴ then her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, since she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance."

 

Regarding the validity of the second marriage: The biblical definition of marriage, echoed by Jesus in the new testament, is this:

Genesis 2:24 "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Note the lack of any specifics regarding ceremonies or licensing.  In fact, government registrations of marriages (as an additional requirement BEYOND a regular marriage) didn't even exist until very recently.  Even church marriages didn't exist for hundreds of years in the early church. 

[Fidei Defensor]

15 hours ago, Adstar said:

As long as their divorce was justifiable by the teachings of the Bible..

Matthew 19: KJV

9 "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."

So if your wife or husband commits adultry then divorce is sanctioned by the Bible and thus when you marry another you are not an adulterer..

 

 

Another way you can remarry is your spouse dies (Mark 12:20-26). 

[Adstar]

6 hours ago, Fidei Defensor said:

Another way you can remarry is your spouse dies (Mark 12:20-26). 

True..