How can you possibly defend this quote?

Question

31: "It was also said, `Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'
32: But I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 5:31-32

Yes I posted this quote on a different question. People came out of the wood work to say "God gives second chances" and "I don't believe that's true".

This is a direct quote from the book of Matthew attributed to Jesus as the speaker. If Jesus was God incarnate, and the entire bible was written through God's works, how can you possibly defend this quote as being inaccurate or brush it aside so lightly? You're tossing aside what Jesus said here and making up your own opinions about it.

If you are a Christian, I'd advise you definitely to think about it. Why would you believe in a book full of paradoxes??????

I'm saying that if this is a quote from the bible which God himself has guided people to write, and a quote from Jesus who is God, you HAVE to believe it, but they throw it aside as though it were BS.

The issue at hand isn't what I believe. It doesn't matter what I believe. What is important is many people throw this direct quote from the HOLY BOOK OF GOD by Jesus who many believe as a trinity IS God. Yet they throw it aside. That is the issue. Hypocrisy.

Answer 1

Many Christians believe that they can pick and choose which parts of the Bible to take seriously and take litterally, and which parts to disregard. It's called hypocracy, they're good at it.

Answer 2

First of all, you have to study enough history to understand what Jesus was talking about...
God does not approve of divorce. It was only allowed on very serious grounds...adultery. Later in the days of Malachi many Jewish husbands were dealing treacherously with their wives, divorcing them on all kinds of grounds, ridding themselves of the wives of their youth, possibly in order to marry younger, pagan women. Instead of upholding God’s law, the priests allowed this, and God was greatly displeased.
The quote you gave was from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was once again stating that God does not approve of divorce. He allows it because of adultery. But if you divorce your mate for some other reason, they are considered an adulteress because in God's eyes, they are still married....what God has yoked together let no man put apart.

Why does God hate divorce? Look at all of the hurt that comes from it. How much better it would be if people would try to make their marriages work. The following link gives some practical counsel on how the Bible can help in your marriage.
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2003/9/15/article_01.htm

Answer 3

I think what its trying to say is if you really must divorce your wife, then its on those grounds only. Then you can have a second chance at marriage again. If you divorce for other reasons other than infidelity, then thats what the second part means. That would be commiting adultery. I think that the bible is just trying to say that divorce shouldn't happen for every other reason people use these days. Brings it down to a minimum of divorces....or it should anyway.

Answer 4

I'm not sure what the question is, but this is what that verse means:

Jesus said that the only reason a man and woman should divorce is because of adultery (in your version it says unchastity, in my version it says adultery, but in any case it means sex outside of marriage). If a man divorces a wife for any other reason, he is forcing her out of a perfectly good marriage and into the arms of another man, hence "making her and adulteress". Jews who were living by the law at that time, had a law that a man could divorce his wife if she became "unclean". They took this a little too far and the divorce rate of Jews at the time was worse than ours in our society. The interpretation of the word "unclean" became very loose and men were divorcing their wives for all kinds of petty reasons. All a man had to do to divorce his wife is to say "I divorce you" and kick her out. Jesus said this was wrong and that the only reason anyone should get divorced is for adultery because it drives a wedge in a marriage.

Answer 5

I am not Christian and am not going to try to defend the quote but looking in context you may read it differently. A lot of what Jesus taught was that living by a book of rules was impossible. This is just one example of that kind of teaching using a hyperbole to show that some people who thought themselves very righteous were actually horrible (in their own opinion) sinners. The teachings of Jesus that have come down to us through the lens of the Roman Catholic Church still speak to universal acceptance and good, not the high handed morality of a rules based religion.

Answer 6

It's funny you bring this up. The protestant versions of the Bible interpret the word 'porneia" as "unchastity", or some go with "adultery". But the early Church Fathers taught (and the Catholic Church has always confirmed) that Matthew's use here was in addressing a particular practice of incestual marriage among his (formerly) pagan audience at the time. The original versions translate "porneia" as "unlawful" referring to these particular incestuous marriages that he condemned.

Answer 7

I'm not christian, but I'm still going to put in my opinion.

Would you rather anyone stay in a relationship where physical and verbal abuse are evident? And if there are children present, would you want the children to grow up in such an environment? I've been on the receiving end of the abuse and I'm not going to apologize to anyone for divorcing my husband.

Answer 8

Hey, it's not news, Hun. God does't approve of divorce. I agree with Him totally (not that God needs my approval).
Do you?

Before you answer, think about all of the children who suffer because of the bad choices their parents make every day. Wouldn't everyone's lives be better if men and women went into marriage knowing they are making a lifetime commitment?

Answer 9

Jesus said it. If it applies to you, you can repent and give it to God, and let Him wash it away. Let it be under the blood along with every other sin.

Don't forget God is merciful and full of grace. He forgives, and His forgivness is more than enough. Fortunately, self-righteousness, judging, and condemnig others (and/or yourself) are also sins that can be under the blood, so why not just repent (as needed) and leave them all there (under the blood) and move on.

Blessings.

Answer 10

What's not to defend? Jesus wasn't big on divorce. Big whup. Everybody KNOWS that. And as for second chances, that's the whole point of christianity.