With this article, we continue our series asking the question, “What does the Bible say about…”
We have discussed several topics by opening up the Word of God to find the answers. Our topic today is one that is controversial, stirs up emotions, and, unfortunately, is misunderstood by many.
We are going to discover what the Bible says regarding marriage, divorce, and remarriage.
Defining Terms
Marriage
Let’s begin by defining our terms. First, what is marriage? To answer this question, we must go back to the beginning:
“And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him...And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:18-24).
God designed and instituted marriage.
Marriage is to be between a man and a woman, regardless of what society says today!
Divorce
Second, what is divorce? To divorce is to put away, and God hates it:
“For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce” (Mal. 2:16).
Divorce was never in the plan or purpose of God for marriage:
“He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so” (Matt. 19:8).
God’s standard is one man for one woman for life (Rom. 7:1-2). This is the general rule.
Remarriage
Third, what is remarriage? Now, we consider the one exception to the general rule:
“Except for fornication” (Matt. 19:9).
The innocent party in an adulterous situation has the opportunity to remarry someone who is eligible to be married: One who has never been married, one whose spouse has died, and/or one who was also the innocent party in an adulterous situation.
The guilty party cannot remarry and be right in the sight of God. This is not my opinion, but Scripture!
What Jesus Said
I now invite you to Matthew 19. In this context, we find what Jesus says regarding this subject. In the final analysis, what Jesus says is all that truly matters (Matt. 28:18; John 12:48; 2 Cor. 5:10)!
The Pharisees came to “test” Jesus (Matt. 19:3). They were not concerned with truth, but rather, wanted to trap Him and try to catch Him in a contradiction.
Jesus, when hearing their question, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason,” brought them back to the standard:
“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matt. 19:4-6).
The reason Moses permitted or allowed them to “give a certificate of divorce” was because of the hardness of their hearts. It was never God’s plan or intention for divorce to take place, i.e, “from the beginning, it was not so” (Matt. 19:7-8).
Jesus gives the one exception:
“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality (fornication), and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9).
Dear friends, according to Jesus, anyone who divorces for any other reason and remarries is in adultery (Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18; Rom. 7:2-3; Rev. 21:8).
Marriage is holy, permanent, and governed by God (Heb. 13:4). Divorce is not God’s will — except in the case of fornication, where the innocent party is given an opportunity to remarry one who is eligible. Remarriage is only permitted for the innocent party — the guilty party cannot remarry and be right in the sight of God.
Living in an unscriptural marriage is living in adultery, which will cost those involved their souls (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Rev. 21:8). Repentance is essential and requires ceasing the sin (getting out of the relationship), not just sorrow for being in an adulterous marriage (Luke 13:3; 2 Cor. 7:10).
May we appreciate the seriousness of the marriage relationship and honor God!
Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.
Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.
