Shifting Ground on Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage - Part 2

Mark Dunagan
12/06/15 - Sunday Evening

Shifting Ground on Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage - Part 2

As noted in the previous lesson on this topic I am reviewing and examining various erroneous views pertaining to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 19:1-11 and other passages on the topic of marriage, divorce and remarriage.

The exception clause needs to be inserted into the all the situations mentioned in Matthew 5:32:

Presently Matthew 5:32 in the NASV reads, “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery”.

This argument would render the verse, “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery (except for her unchastity), and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery (except for her unchastity)”.

• So if that is the meaning, why didn’t Jesus just say that?  In fact, neither do the translators feel that such is needed.  This would be a classic example of adding to the word of God (Proverbs 30:5-6).
• Such a view results in allowing the guilty party to use their own adultery as a scriptural cause to remarry.
• In fact, it equally allows the party guilty of adultery to put away a mate and the cause being their own adultery.  “I am putting you away because of my adultery”?  Because if the text is allowing the woman put away because of her adultery to remarry, and is allowing another man to marry her because of her adultery then what prevents her from putting away a husband because of her adultery?
• The end of Matthew 5:32 would teach people to stay away from marrying a divorced woman---unless she was the one who cheated on her husband, then go ahead and marry her.

In Deuteronomy 24:1-4 the woman put away in this passage was a woman guilty of adultery and she is allowed to remarry, therefore the guilty party can remarry without sin.

• Nothing in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 even remotely says that her husband put her away for adultery.  In the Old Testament anyone guilty of adultery was put to death, they were not divorced (Deuteronomy 22:22).

Jesus based His teaching concerning marriage, divorce and remarriage on Deuteronomy 24:1-4, and divorce was allowed in the Old Testament for any cause, therefore that is true in the New Testament as well.

• Obviously, the Old Testament did not teach divorce for any cause, for God says in the book of Malachi that He hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). 
• The Old Testament did not teach divorce for any cause, yet that is how some Jews inaccurately viewed Deuteronomy 24:1-3.  They wrongly concluded that God was giving them a green light to divorce (Matthew 5:31), and Jesus challenged this shallow point of view (Matthew 5:32), claiming that it had never been God’s will on the matter (Matthew 19:8).
• Like many people today, some of Jesus’ time completely missed the “if” in Deuteronomy 24:1.  God was not telling them to go out and divorce their wives, rather God was describing a “what if situation”, and then what the response should be (24:4).  There are many such “if”, “then” statements in the Law of Moses (Exodus 21:14, 18-19, 22-23, 26-27).  Many of such “if” situations are describing something that is clearly unlawful and sinful.
• Jesus gave His inspired commentary on Deuteronomy 24 when He noted that anyone who practiced the “if” described in 24:1 had a hard-heart (Matthew 19:8).
• In addition, Deuteronomy 24:1-4  had a warning within it as well.  The woman who had been put away and had remarried was said to have been “defiled” (24:4).  This was a clear warning that this was not a scriptural situation, that it lacked God’s endorsement.  It should have also warned the men that if she was defiled, then whoever married her was defiled as well.
• Observe that when Jesus was asked the question about divorce (Matthew 19:3), He did not go to Deuteronomy 24, rather He went back to Genesis, a text that the Jews of His time had ignored on this topic.  Jesus did not view Deuteronomy 24 as altering or replacing the teaching in Genesis.

No verse in the Bible says that the guilty party cannot remarry.

• More to the Biblical point, no verse authorizes them to remarry.  This is basic Bible Authority.  Where no permission is given, we have no right to enter (Leviticus 10:1-2).    Doing what is not commanded in Scripture has a horrible track record (Leviticus 10:1-3; 2 Samuel 6; 1 Samuel 15).

Marriage is always right and divorce is always wrong.

• Actually there are marriages in the Bible that God condemns (Mark 6:17-18; Matthew 19:9).
• And there are divorces that were commanded (Ezra 10:1-2).

Matthew 19:9 only deals with divorce it does not address what happens after that.  It does not address the issue of remarriage.  The Bible is silent about remarriage—so one can go ahead and remarry.

• Take a good look at Matthew 19:9 again, it specifically does address the issue of remarriage, “and marries another”.
• So does Matthew 5:32 and Mark 10:12.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:9 “for it is better to marry than to burn with passion”.  This passage trumps all other passages on this topic.  Therefore, to prevent anyone from ever remarrying, regardless of whether or not their previous divorce or divorces were scriptural is to stand against God’s will. 

• Thus the claim is that it is always wrong to stand in the way of any remarriage if the couple wanting to marry is burning with passion.
• Yet didn’t Herod burn with passion when he married Herodias?  And did not John the Baptist declare it was unlawful to have her (Mark 6:17-18)?
• Then why did Jesus give the teaching in Matthew 19:9 if “passion” trumps everything?
• Is not the man who unlawfully puts away his wife in Matthew 19:9 and marries another---burning with passion?  Yet Jesus called it adultery.
• The context of 1 Corinthians 7:9 is not justifying people in unlawful marriages.  It is talking about singles and widows (7:8), people who do have the right to marry.
• Yet in the context Paul commands a person not to remarry (7:10-11).  So the idea that passion trumps everything is false---even in the immediate context of 1 Corinthians 7:9. 

Forgiveness means that when God forgives us it is as if the sin never happened.  So when we are baptized any unscriptural divorces or remarriages are erased.

• God’s forgiveness is amazing, yet something always must precede forgiveness, and that something is repentance (Luke 17:3; Acts 2:38).   Repentance never allows one to be forgiven and remain in their sin at the same time.  When preaching to Herod, John the Baptist did not offer Herod this option.

It is unfair for non-Christians to be accountable to Matthew 19:9 for they are ignorant of what it teaches.

• Yet many non-Christians are equally ignorant of the command to be baptized for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16)—does this mean that they don’t have to be baptized to be saved?
• The Bible is so accessible---whose fault is it that they remain ignorant today?
• Marriage, divorce and remarriage are not events or choices in a person’s life that happen overnight.  It is God’s fault that people get divorced and remarry without even paying attention to what God said?

It is not merciful to teach that the guilty party cannot remarry.

• Was it merciful in the Old Testament when God commanded that the guilty party be put to death?
• It is far more merciful to teach God’s will on this topic then see couple after couple, marriage after marriage implode.  And watch both parties struggle with poverty, see the kids all messed up and the culture slowly crumble. 
• When people teach that the guilty party can remarry---people do act upon this teaching.  I saw it happen in the first congregation I attended as a new Christian.  Someone was pushing this idea in the area and two sisters left their husbands, there were about eight kids in the mix, and they all fell away.  So someone acted upon this false view and eight kids are bound for hell.  When you see it happen it will just make you sick.  What a waste!  What could have been!  And you will realize that such a false teaching has nothing in common with mercy.

No one can remain faithful to God if they cannot remarry.

• Really?  I see many single people who presently cannot find a person to marry remaining faithful to God.
• I see a number of Christians who are the innocent party and yet after the divorce they can’t find anyone to remarry, yet they are faithful to God.
• I have known innocent parties who remained single all their life (not because of their choice) but because they never found someone to remarry.
• If we need to change scripture for the guilty party who struggles with sexual urges---then should we change scripture for the single person who is tempted to fornicate, the married man or woman who is tempted to get involved in adultery or even the Christian who struggles with homosexual urges?
• Actually Jesus specifically addressed this issue.  He noted that there will be men and women who for various reasons will forgo marriage and the sexual relationship connected with it---so they can enter the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:10-11).

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net