Domestic Abuse

[Smalcald]

I thought that was a good post and gave me some scriptural support for some directions I had not thought of before, so thanks.

[None]

Malachi indicates that a husband should be careful not to deal

[Guest Biblicist]

She was killed by her husband.

Who is to blame?

Her husband...

[Eliyahuw]

Malachi indicates that a husband should be careful not to deal

[Emily~Anne]

Meanwhile, the woman who was murdered by her husband, went on to be in heaven, and who knows, maybe the husband was eventually so touched by his wife's faithfulness he did become saved after all? Read Acts 7:54-60, and Acts 9. You need to look at the eternal picture.

[Sherman]

Rebecca2,

Let me commend you on an overall very good post. Very few people research the Jewish civil law of the time of Christ as an aid in understanding Jesus' words concerning divorce. When reading Mt.19 and Mk.10 passages they also make a fatal assumption thinking that Jesus disagreed with Moses concerning the legislative enactment of the bill of divorce. Jesus repeatedly endorsed the Mosaic law, including the bill of divorce; this must be a foundational assumption to build a correct interpretation of what Jesus said concerning divorce.

Remarriage was legally forbidden for wives who were separated from their husbands but had not received the bill of divorce (the get). If such an expelled wife did marry another, she and the man she "married" both committed adultery.

Also, concerning Mt.19.3, the question that the Pharisees asked Jesus concerned divorce for any-matter; this was actually a reference to a then current rabbinical debate concerning the Hillelite divorce procedures and philosophy called the Any-Matter divorce. It was similar to the "No-Fault" divorce arguments and changes in civil legislation in the United States of the last century. The point is that Jesus was not being asked about acceptable or non-acceptable reasons for divorce, but about the argument between the Shammaites and the Hillelites concerning the "Any-Matter" divorce proceedings which were "based" upon the Hillelites interpretation and application of Deut.24.1-4.

In response to this trap question, Jesus neither endorses or reproves the Any-Matter divorce proceedings; rather, He pointed his audience to the divine ideal for marriage as a Goal for them to strive towards. I said "Goal" as opposed to "Standard" because I believe that was His tone and intension. Anyhow, He did not directly address the question, as He did not directly address any of the other "trap" questions he was asked. They press Him on the matter though and ask Him why Moses legislated the bill of divorce. It is to this question that the difficult passage is in reply. Why did Moses legislate the bill of divorce? To stop the oppression of women! To stop women from being expelled (put away) and the husband yet having rights over her; it did this by legally breaking the marriage covenant and legally freeing the expelled wife to marry another man. So Jesus, rather than intending to repudiate the bill of divorce is actually explaining why He inspired Moses to legislatively enact the bill of divorce - to mitigate the oppression of women common in the near-east.

Anyhow, thanks for your post.

Blessings,

Sherman

[None]

Meanwhile, the woman who was murdered by her husband, went on to be in heaven, and who knows, maybe the husband was eventually so touched by his wife's faithfulness he did become saved after all? Read Acts 7:54-60, and Acts 9. You need to look at the eternal picture.

So, she wasn't a "fool" for staying and obeying?

[Eliyahuw]

Meanwhile, the woman who was murdered by her husband, went on to be in heaven, and who knows, maybe the husband was eventually so touched by his wife's faithfulness he did become saved after all? Read Acts 7:54-60, and Acts 9. You need to look at the eternal picture.

So, she wasn't a "fool" for staying and obeying?

She wasn't a fool, the power that religion holds over people will cause them to make bad decisions like staying and allowing her husband to murder her. The church is responsible for her murder along with her husband and will have to face that when God does an accounting. She isn't a fool but a true victim of religion as well as of her abusive and murderous husband!

[Marnie]

Meanwhile, the woman who was murdered by her husband, went on to be in heaven, and who knows, maybe the husband was eventually so touched by his wife's faithfulness he did become saved after all? Read Acts 7:54-60, and Acts 9. You need to look at the eternal picture.

Nothing at all personal in this, EA, but that reply has very offensive. That's a real stretch; I doubt very much he was touched by her faithfulness. I know you are thinking of Paul's teaching to believing wives of unbelieving husbands, but, his advice was for the believing wife to stay only as long as there was peace in the house. No peace, no marriage, according to the Pauline teaching.

Meanwhile, the woman who was murdered by her husband, went on to be in heaven, and who knows, maybe the husband was eventually so touched by his wife's faithfulness he did become saved after all? Read Acts 7:54-60, and Acts 9. You need to look at the eternal picture.

So, she wasn't a "fool" for staying and obeying?

I'll say it. YES. She was a misguided fool for staying. She was obeying NOTHING. She died because she took some bad advice. In other words, her death was for nothing. But, as was noted, she did go to heaven, bless the Lord for that. Meanwhile the idiot who gave her that bad advice is gonna have a lot of 'splainin' to do in heaven before the the Wonderful Counselor Himself.

[Sherman]

Malachi indicates that a husband should be careful not to deal