Divorce/Remarriage

[Sherman]

But how can you repent of something if you are actively engaged in doing it? I mean some pastors perform gay marriages also, just because they have shopped around for a pastor who will take part in this, does not change what they are doing correct?

Smalcald,

I'm sorry, but I'm really clueless as to what you're asking. Are you asking whether or not her ex-husband and his new wife should now divorce and bust up another marriage - no absolutely not, two wrongs don't make a right. But please, let's just focus on understanding together what Jesus said in Mt.19.

Blessings,

No it

[kat8585]

He claimed to be a Christian, but didn't go to curch. They were married in a different church, just one that was close to where they lived. I think she was a member of the denomination, but not that particular church.

Why shouldn't they be required to dismantle the new home? Because it isn't convenient? Was it convenient for me to dismantle my home after 12 years because he was having an affir? Why would that make "two wrongs"? What they are doing is wrong. The Bible says they are living in adultry.

My feeling is if all people that do this have to do is "repent", then anything goes. Anyone can divorce and remarry. How can they repent of something they are about to do (get married), or are still engaged in (thank you, Smalcald)? If they truly repented, the relationship would end. But like I said before, how do they repent so the pastor can marry them, then get married into what God says is an adulterous relationship? In other words, how do you repent of an affair by marrying the other woman? In my case, I think he thinks he's "pulled it off", that it's somehow become right and acceptable because they've been married almost 4 years.

As much pain as it caused, as wrong as it is, how could God bless the relationship and let it be happy? I don't know if it's happy or not.

For the record, I have forgiven him, but that sense of betrayal is always there.

[Floatingaxe]

He claimed to be a Christian, but didn't go to curch. They were married in a different church, just one that was close to where they lived. I think she was a member of the denomination, but not that particular church.

Why shouldn't they be required to dismantle the new home? Because it isn't convenient? Was it convenient for me to dismantle my home after 12 years because he was having an affir? Why would that make "two wrongs"? What they are doing is wrong. The Bible says they are living in adultry.

My feeling is if all people that do this have to do is "repent", then anything goes. Anyone can divorce and remarry. How can they repent of something they are about to do (get married), or are still engaged in (thank you, Smalcald)? If they truly repented, the relationship would end. But like I said before, how do they repent so the pastor can marry them, then get married into what God says is an adulterous relationship? In other words, how do you repent of an affair by marrying the other woman? In my case, I think he thinks he's "pulled it off", that it's somehow become right and acceptable because they've been married almost 4 years.

As much pain as it caused, as wrong as it is, how could God bless the relationship and let it be happy? I don't know if it's happy or not.

For the record, I have forgiven him, but that sense of betrayal is always there.

Give the world a few turns and you will see the fruit of their adulterous and sinful union. It will not last. Believe me.

[Smalcald]

But how can you repent of something if you are actively engaged in doing it? I mean some pastors perform gay marriages also, just because they have shopped around for a pastor who will take part in this, does not change what they are doing correct?

Smalcald,

I'm sorry, but I'm really clueless as to what you're asking. Are you asking whether or not her ex-husband and his new wife should now divorce and bust up another marriage - no absolutely not, two wrongs don't make a right. But please, let's just focus on understanding together what Jesus said in Mt.19.

Blessings,

No it

[firehill]

The state of marriage is changed drastically under the new covenant. Obviously we cannot marry more than one wife as David did. We cannot reference old testament law in this matter because it no longer applies (if it does I will have many wives like David & will essentially be breaking the law).

Actually, the state of marriage has changed drastically in our culture from that of the ancient near-east because of almost 2000 years of influence of the Gospel, the teachings of Jesus, and the influence of the church. However, it remains much the same among the Arabic cultures of today's Near-East and North Africa. I was talking just a few weeks ago with a young man who was the son of a man in Africa who has 5 wives.

interestingly, there isnt much to condemn this man for having 5 wives from the NT.

Only that he surely cannot take a leadership position in the church as far as Ive seen.

Hiya, FoC. Did you read this yet?

There seems to be some question as to whether or not polygamy is acceptable before God. Jesus unquestionably endorsed monogamy by His statements as part of the Divine Ideal for marriage. Whether He meant to legislate monogamy and forbid polygamy, well that's a seperate thread to itself. One must also consider which authority (domestic, civil, or ecclesial) is over issues concerning MDR, biblically speaking. The Lord established all of these authorities to help us govern our personal, social, and religious lives, but where does one draw the lines of authority based on scripture? That's a very important principle that would make a very good seperate discussion/thread. But, due to limited time, I can only focus on one subject at a time.

I just don't want this thread to get side tracked. We know what Jesus did endorse and it wasn't polygamy since it wasn't created that way in the beginnng...at this point all other related questions on the topic of polygamy and scriptural considerations are for another thread which I too don't have time for presently. But hopefuly we'll all be able to discuss such issue in the not so distant future!

[Sherman]

Hey everyone, I just stopped in quickly to say that I'm sorry that I haven't had time to be involved in the discussion much the last couple of days. I'm swamped at work, home, and school right now. I look forward to reading through your input and I'm working on my next post concerning vs. 7-9. I hope it's a blessing and will post it as soon as I can. I've really come to appreciate each of you very much.

gotta go,

Blessings,

Sherman

[Arthur Durnan]

As I've stated several times in other posts, and since this particular post is about divorce & remarriage, I repeat that Jesus Christ emphasized lifetime commitment in Holy Matrimony, one man with one woman (Matthew 19:) until such time as one lays the other in the arms of God at the homecall. Truth to tell, we've surely long departed from this high & holy standard as worldly windstorms & their accompanying "hardness of hearts" have swept into the Church of Jesus Christ with reckless abandon to the extent that differences between the world & the Church have practically vanished. Tragedy of tragedies, no?

http://arthurdurnan.freeyellow.com

[Floatingaxe]

I love the way Jesus dismantled that law! Took it right out of the book! No longer applicable now that He has fulfilled the Law.

[Ovedya]

Well, I'm always late for these things, so maybe this no longer applies in this discussion.

Isn't the entire law essentially completed and fulfilled by one single thing?

What is it?

[Ovedya]

Well, I'm always late for these things, so maybe this no longer applies in this discussion.

Isn't the entire law essentially completed and fulfilled by one single thing?

What is it?

The entire law can be kept by loving God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourself. That is because if we keep these two great commandments, we will automatically keep the rest. That being said, I am assuming the answer you are looking for is love.

Right. Love.

So how is the law fulfilled in an outward way, by the keeping of the commandments and practicing the things of the old law?

Seems to me that, in Christ, the keeping of the law is a spontaneous response to loving Christ. For you cannot love God without loving Christ, and you cannot love your neighbors or the saints in the church, without loving them with Christ. Only the love of God (Agape) can fulfill the law.