Why did St. Paul teach that a man or woman could not divorce and remarry if their spouse was unfaithful?

Question

This contradicts Matthew 19:9.

Answer 1

St. Paul was sure the 2nd coming was on the way and he really wanted people to focus on God not human relationships. He really concentrated on church harmony a great deal with sidelines into family relationships. Remember he wrote that if somebody was widowed they shouldn't remarry unless they were burning with lust. I am wondering what verse Paul wrote that you are basing the don't divorce an unfaithful spouse thing on. I am unfamiliar with it. Was it a reference to what they should do or what they could do? Jesus only tolerated it because we were so hard hearted. If you are basing your statement on 1 Cor 7 it might be helpful to read the section on sexual immorality too. Somebody who is engaging in sexual immorality and is unwilling to stop would be thrown out of the community thus becoming a non-Christian. The non-Christian is addressed in 1 Cor 7--if they are willing to live in the married state (which implies no unfaithfulness) then stay with them. If they are unwilling to live in the married state then divorce them. I think that as long as somebody has truly repented from their behavior they should be offered the forgiveness Christ would give them but remember he told them to "sin no more".

Answer 2

In teh Catholic Bible, Matthew 19: 9 reads " I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery."

Immediately before this statement, Jesus said "Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. " Jesus is clearly teaching that in the beginning, there was no reason at all for divorce. An unlawful marriage is a marriage between close relatives. These circumstances are given in Deuteronomy.

Let's look at what Jesus says in the other Gospels:

" He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

Mark 11: 11-12

"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery."

Luke 16: 18

In neither Mark or Luke does Jesus give an exception.

The mistranslation by most Protestant Bibles of "except for infidelity" is not supported by other parts of the Bible.

Answer 3

Where is this in the Bible? I know Paul "spoke with permission" that he wished more were like him in that he wasn't married, so that the men would spend their time pleasing God, instead of being concerned with sharing time between God and wife.

Answer 4

Who ever wrote the book of Matthew? are you stilly or what.When was the war of 1812 fought?My all the qatari intellectuals

Answer 5

God's intention is that we keep our promises. He remains faithful to us, even when we are unfaithful to him. Marriage is meant to be a sign of God's love which is unconditional.

Answer 6

A contradiction in the Bible? No way! Please say it ain't so. Ha ha ha. While you're at it, you can probably point out the hundreds of other Bible contradictions.

Answer 7

When you are inventing a religion you have free reign to say what you want. Mathew (or whoever wrote the gospel of Mathew)obviously is at fault for not checking with Paul first.

Answer 8

If you are reading this ...why is it you don't understand it.......if you divorce..cant marry again in a Church of God......some religions don't accept divorce

Answer 9

It is Paul's interpretation of what he thought God wanted.

Answer 10

God knows. We are suppose to follow and obey. Sorry to say that.