Deuteronomy 24:1 - 4 and Matthew 19:9
2006-09-12 19:27:29 · 11 answers · asked by ? 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I beleive that if your husband left you and married another you are free to marry again if you choose, my church teaches you can never remarry again without being an adulterer. What do you say?
2006-09-12 19:33:06 · update #1
Divorce was permitted in the Torah because of hardness of hearts. However, the fact remains that God joins together the couple who leave father and mother, and are united to each other. It may interest you to know that this happens before they become one flesh (Deuteronomy 22:23-37).
I do not believe it is *impossible* to put the two asunder; I believe that Jesus is telling us not to do it. However, in a situation where it's already been put asunder due to circumstances beyond our control, Jesus seems to be allowing us to move on.
This would be if our spouse is unrepentantly engaging in impure behavior, and the word means much more than just adultery. I could even see a case for it including such things as habitually viewing pornography, particularly if it results in neglect of one's spouse.
Or for that matter, it could include behavior which makes it clear that when the person does sleep with their spouse, it is a lustful act and not an act of love (Matthew 5:27-30), which could give the sexual relations in question the character of fornication (legalized, but nonetheless). We could put such things as habitual physical abuse in that category.
Yes, I am indeed claiming that it is possible to commit adultery with one's own spouse. But I prefer to view it more positively: in order to be in line with God's will, we must do much more than just not sleep with anyone besides our spouse. We must keep our minds pure, and we must at all times treat our spouse without a hint of lust, but only with pure love.
PS The only reason anyone claims that one can never remarry under any circumstances if divorced is if they believe that it is IMPOSSIBLE to sever the marriage bond. I believe that Jesus teaches not that it is impossible, but that it should not be done. I would therefore consider the interpretation that the marriage bond cannot be broken is not from Scripture, but from tradition.
If a marriage bond has been severed, it can be rebuilt, if both parties agree to start over again, with one exception: if one of them has in the meantime gotten remarried. Let's say your husband divorced you, then married someone else. You can NEVER remarry him according to Scripture. Not even if he is released from his second marriage by the death of his second wife (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)
So that means that divorce and remarriage permanently severs the previous marriage bond, in *God's* eyes, whether anyone likes it or not. If that has happened to you, you are free to remarry. If your church won't allow it, they are falsely interpreting Scripture. It sounds like you will need to make a choice someday between your church and Scripture - and I pray you will choose God's Word above all else, and find others who are like-minded to fellowship with.
2006-09-12 19:49:44 · answer #1 · answered by songkaila 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I married a divorced woman that is my source, so I read these verses, and had to make the decision.
Divorce is in the past. The sin is forgiven. No different than any other sin. We need to look to the future. to sin no more, as Jesus told the adultress in John.
So if you are married - don't get divorced if you are a christian, If not a christian - then the God you know doesn't really care. (1 Corinthians 7 for more info on that)
If the question is can you get remarried? or married a divorced person? If the person in question did not initiate the divorce it should be O.K. or if people were not Christian at that time, the old has died away and are new creations now.
Ask God - He will tell you - and the finale deciding factor
2006-09-12 19:35:40 · answer #2 · answered by Slave to JC 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Good question and good references. Remember Jesus said in verse 8 of Matthew 19 that it was because of the harness of their hearts that the law given through Moses allowed divorce. For believers only two situations allow for divorce. First is sexual immorality as you referenced in Matthew 19:9 and second is the abandonment of a Christian by a non believing spouse as referenced in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16. If a woman is in an abusive relationship she should seperate from the situation to protect herself and if the huband refuses to get help and won't work on the marriage she can treat him as a non believer who has abandoned her. But we must in every case remember how God feels about it. In Malachi 2:16, "For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce."
2006-09-12 19:36:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's what Jesus said, alright. But who are these hard hearted, legalistic, cruel, unfeeling, lacking-the-love-of -Christ people in your church? If I was you, I'd find another church (if you want suggestions, let me know)
Jesus was talking to the Jews. They were divorcing their wives but thinking that they were wiothout sin. That's the point he was making.
The reality is that we all still sin. The reality of divorce is that there already is sin in that marriage - and I'm not blaming or judging, that's just the way things are! So, if the ongoing sin of a dysfunctional family is causing more and more havoc to relationships, then divorce probably is the only answer.
Contact me if you have any questions.
2006-09-12 20:48:41 · answer #4 · answered by Rude 4 U 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ paid for all sin, however putting away a wife/husband is not something you do light heart. God is against it and don't like it.
(Oh staying in a marriage, and growing to Hate one another is a sin too)
God has already come down to us through His son, Jesus Christ; we do not need to do anything, say anything, think anything, or feel anything in order to get to Him.
Christianity says that God desires to have a relationship with all of us, and He has provided everything we need in order to have this relationship.
He accepts me "just as I am." Divorce is only one sin that separates us from God and keeps us from having the kind of relationship with Him that He desires;
but through the blood of Jesus Christ, God has taken care of this sin, too, whether so-called churches acknowledge it or not. So, when people allow God to straighten them out and mature them in the faith, they need to be allowed to answer God's call to serve whether they've been divorced or not.
In a very few topic in the bible talks about what to do if you div ore, don't see any that support remarriage after divorce...all against it in fact..
2006-09-12 19:48:32 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thats what the bible says. I dont believe in divorce & i don't go to church. Divorce should only happen if there is violence or if one is cheating not just because they have grown apart etc Marriage has to worked on they say like a car... it will break down if not looked after
2006-09-12 19:43:48 · answer #6 · answered by ausblue 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
For us its really hard to accept that marriage is for life. I mean it was a real rought start but now that my husband and I have been attending church, we are getting along better and feel better too.But he is still the same person when I married him and so am I. I still have my issues on him with his lazyness and he has his issues with my smoking pot. But I am starting to feel the conviction in my heart more and more each day. And he has had a better attitude with the house chores too. So its moving along really now that I am thinking about it? Are you a pastor? I would love to hear your thoughts?
2006-09-12 19:35:07 · answer #7 · answered by The real questions 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
None of those things are good ideas. OK now you've added stuff. See the rules in one of the corinthian letters, about the 14th chapter divorce rules that some preachers like to forget are there.
2006-09-12 19:30:45 · answer #8 · answered by icheeknows 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Ridiculous.
2006-09-12 19:43:42 · answer #9 · answered by buddhafuldreamer 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
well. I could believe a lot of wannabee churches, teaches several things. ok?
You don't go to hell for sneeze'n at the dinner table either.
In case someone ever tells you that.
2006-09-12 19:58:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋