Divorce, Introductions

[stafy]

I am along for the ride - as it happens I have been looking at this topic too. I like your approach and particularly the passage of Scripture 1 Cor. 7 which as it it happens I was thinking about (believe it) only this morning.

ok boys go to your bedrooms and when you hear the bell, come out fighting.(a little sacasim)

[firehill]

The fact you are willing to call something false, yet you have nothing to back your position up, and then tell everyone someone else is going to bring truth, yet you don't know what they are going to say is proof of that.

My bad for not being clear. I was responding to this which you said:

Even acknowledging that Jesus didn't change the law, it is clear that there are only 2 reasons given where divorce and re-marriage are permissable. In all others, it is considered adultery.

I said what I did because for one I had a flash back about a past thread regarding divorce in which you were saying that a woman who is beaten physicaly by her husband didn't have a right to divorce him and then remarry. In your opinion her situation wasn't abandonment and if she were to divorce her abusive husband and remarry she would be guilty of adultery. FALSE. I feel pain for any under guidance like that!

I apologize since your stance may have changed and for letting this flash back upset me.

Sherman, I apologize for jumping the gun and causing this thread to spiral some in the wrong direction.

[PBob]

I am sure glad the New Jersey State Government has instituted "Civil Unions" ... my wife and I can now have a "civil" relationship and not end up with a divorce because of arguments

[AnExample]

The fact you are willing to call something false, yet you have nothing to back your position up, and then tell everyone someone else is going to bring truth, yet you don't know what they are going to say is proof of that.

My bad for not being clear. I was responding to this which you said:

Even acknowledging that Jesus didn't change the law, it is clear that there are only 2 reasons given where divorce and re-marriage are permissable. In all others, it is considered adultery.

I said what I did because for one I had a flash back about a past thread regarding divorce in which you were saying that a woman who is beaten physicaly by her husband didn't have a right to divorce him and then remarry. In your opinion her situation wasn't abandonment and if she were to divorce her abusive husband and remarry she would be guilty of adultery. FALSE. I feel pain for any under guidance like that!

I apologize since your stance may have changed and for letting this flash back upset me.

Sherman, I apologize for jumping the gun and causing this thread to spiral some in the wrong direction.

I would love to be included in this thread. My husband and I were married for more than 25 years. There was much heart ache and pain inflicted from both of us toward one another during this time, with our children caught in the middle. We divorced when our youngest child turned 21. The unfortunate part about what happened to us as a couple is the fact that we fell into a backslidden condition as we travelled and lived in many places throughout the world. We engaged in many of the trappings of a sin-filled life. It caught up with us 5 years ago. However, to God's glory after being divorced for just over 2 years, we are remarrying each other this year. I have studied this topic on my own, at my church, and I have taken a class on Marriage Covenant. I am very interested in this teaching. May it go forward in the love of God!

[Smalcald]

Well the hard part about the practicalities of divorce are that there are the very specific exceptions in which divorce is allowed which both Christ and Paul put forward in scripture and Butaro has spoken of, however both of these are impossible to see from the outside of the marriage. So when we just look at a divorced person we have no idea if they have a biblical divorce or not, and it is a very personal and painful thing, so for me I would not want to put a stumbling block in front of the person who has been left or abandoned or cheated on and are now divorced, they need Christ now more than ever. For me the biggest concern I would have is adultery and the idea that those who commit adultery should ever be allowed to re-marry in a Christian Church which then brings the Church of Christ as a partner in sin.

For me the key to divorce is developing good marriages and a realistic expectation of what marriage is what it is not and what God expects of us PRIOR to marriage.

[Guest Biblicist]

I would love to be included in this thread. My husband and I were married for more than 25 years. There was much heart ache and pain inflicted from both of us toward one another during this time, with our children caught in the middle. We divorced when our youngest child turned 21. The unfortunate part about what happened to us as a couple is the fact that we fell into a backslidden condition as we traveled and lived in many places throughout the world. We engaged in many of the trappings of a sin-filled life. It caught up with us 5 years ago. However, to God's glory after being divorced for just over 2 years, we are remarrying each other this year. I have studied this topic on my own, at my church, and I have taken a class on Marriage Covenant. I am very interested in this teaching. May it go forward in the love of God!

Congratulations!

I, too, am waiting with baited breath to hear what you have to say on this subject, Sherman. I have many family and friends who are divorced and considering remarriage. So it is a very interesting topic to me. I am always interested in what God's word has to say about situations in our lives.

Bib

[Sherman]

I Pastored a Pentecostal Church for just over 3 years, and in the case of divorce, I would have dealt with it on a case by case situation. If someone had already been divorced and re-married, I wouldn't have forbidden them to become members. At the same time, if someone came to me and was divorced and wanted to get married, I would have talked to them about the circumstances of the divorce. If it was for Biblical grounds, (fornication or Paul's doctrine of abandonment), I would have been willing to marry them, but if it was for any other reason, I would have refused. I also would have made an exception if the divorce had taken place before they became a Christian and their former spouce had re-married. I had several people come to me that were separated and wanted council, and in all cases, I showed them from scripture they were in the wrong to divorce and counseled them to reconcile or remain single. Even acknowledging that Jesus didn't change the law, it is clear that there are only 2 reasons given where divorce and re-marriage are permissable. In all others, it is considered adultery.

Butero, this is great! I'm so very glad you're part of this discussion. I understand things very differently concerning several things you said, that's why we're going to take this a piece at a time. Thanks again for discussing this with us. I appreciate your heart for the Lord and His people - the heart of a true shepherd!

Sincerely,

[Sherman]

I may not be eloquent but I CAN RECOGNIZE false teaching when it REARS ITS UGLY head in all circumstances and that's MY GIFT...discernment, and I will stand against ALL opposition to the Truth. Sherman has great things to teach...

Firehill, thanks for your encouraging words. I do look forward to wrestling over the Word. Whenever we wrestle over the Word, we all win. If I win, I gain confidence in my beliefs and in the Lord. However, to loose is far better because I gain more of the Truth and freedom from error. And it just doesn't get much better than that. Thanks again for your encouragement, and by the the way, you're plenty eloquent.

Sincerely,

[Sherman]

I am sure glad the New Jersey State Government has instituted "Civil Unions" ... my wife and I can now have a "civil" relationship and not end up with a divorce because of arguments

PBob, you are just too funny, and thanks for joining us.

[Sherman]

I would love to be included in this thread. My husband and I were married for more than 25 years. There was much heart ache and pain inflicted from both of us toward one another during this time, with our children caught in the middle. We divorced when our youngest child turned 21. The unfortunate part about what happened to us as a couple is the fact that we fell into a backslidden condition as we travelled and lived in many places throughout the world. We engaged in many of the trappings of a sin-filled life. It caught up with us 5 years ago. However, to God's glory after being divorced for just over 2 years, we are remarrying each other this year. I have studied this topic on my own, at my church, and I have taken a class on Marriage Covenant. I am very interested in this teaching. May it go forward in the love of God!

That's an awesome testimony. PTL! Thanks for joining with us. I look forward too to discussing covenant, what it is and what it isn't.

Blessings,