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Divorce Passages
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Genesis 2:18-25 |
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21 So the Lord God caused a deep
sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his
ribs, and closed up the flesh at that place. 22And the
Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from
the man, and brought her to the man. 23And the man
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."
24For this cause a man shall leave his father and his
mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one
flesh. |
• "A helper suitable for him"
(v.18, 21). What does this mean?
• "He took one of his ribs, and
closed up the flesh"
• "Cleave to his wife"
• "They shall become one flesh"
–The two became something they were not before. Though a child
is flesh from its mother’s flesh, they are not said to be one
flesh. (1Co.7:4 the husband and wife do not have authority over
their own body. The wife’s body is the husband’s, and the
husband’s body is the wife’s. In divorce, there is a tearing
of one flesh into two.
? What makes the two become one flesh? Is it the
physical sexual union? Or is it God who joins the two as
one? Is this a spiritual union?
• Divorce is the result of the fall of
man. God permits it as a result of the fall. |
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• Marriage joins a male and female together so they become
one flesh. |
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Ex.20:14; Le.20:10; De.22:22 (Adultery) |
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"14You shall not commit adultery. –Ex.20:14 |
The 10 commandments specifically forbid adultery. |
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10 If there is a man who
commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits
adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the
adulteress shall surely be put to death. – Le.20:10
22 If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both
of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman;
thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. – De.22:22 |
• Adultery in the Old Testament required
death. |
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• God forbids adultery (Ex.20:14). Adultery in the Old
Testament Required death (Le.2010; De.22:22). |
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Deuteronomy 24:1-4 |
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1 "When a man takes a wife and
marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes
because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a
certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends
her out from his house. 2and she leaves his house and
goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3and if
the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate
of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his
house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, 4then
her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her
again to be his wife, since she has been defiled; for that is an
abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the
land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance. |
• She is legally married to the second
husband, but God says she is defiled.
? Is she defiled if she goes back to her first husband?
? or is she defiled because she has been with the second
husband?
? By writing this regulation, is Moses encouraging or
discouraging divorce? … Why?
? What is the purpose or why does Moses write this
regulation? – This regulation by law is to restrict and
protect.
• v.1 "certificate of divorce" -
? What is the purpose of the certificate of divorce? (1) Protect
the innocent spouse—from stoning. (2) Discourage divorce by
making it more difficult; and (3) Allow the innocent spouse to
re-marry (?). |
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• God is discouraging divorce by regulating the one
initiating the divorce, which will protect the innocent spouse. |
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Matthew 19:3-12 (Certificate of Divorce) |
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3 And some Pharisees came to
Him, testing Him, and saying, "Is it lawful for a man
to divorce his wife for any cause at all?" 4And He
answered and said, Have you not read, that He who created them
from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said
‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and
shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh’? 6"Consequently
they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has
joined together, let no man separate." 7They said
to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate
of divorce and send her away?" 8He said to them,
"Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to
divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this
way. 9"And I say to you, whoever divorces his
wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits
adultery." 10The disciples said to Him, "If
the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is
better not to marry." 11But He said to them,
"Not all men can accept this statement, but only
those to whom it has been given. 12"For there are
eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and
there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also
eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of
heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it." |
• This is said to the Pharisees.
• It may be lawful, but it is still sin.
? Why did Christ use
porneia,
immorality or fornication, instead of moiceia,adultery?
Immorality is more of a general word where adultery is more
restrictive to at least one married person. If a married person
has relations with an unmarried person, to the married it is
adultery, to the unmarried it is immorality.
• v.6 "command," v.8
"permitted" – The Pharisees tried to change the
thought by calling it a "command." Moses gave permission
to put away one’s wife. This regulation obligated the one
putting away his innocent spouse to give a certificate of
divorcement to declare her innocence.
• Even if there is a just cause for
divorce, this regulation does not require that it be done.
• If a spouse is guilty of adultery he
should be stoned to death, but the innocent spouse is not
obligated to divorce.
? If one spouse knows the other is guilty of adultery,
should he tell?
• v.8 "Because of your hardness of
heart" – Why didn’t Jesus say, ‘because of their
hardness’? These Pharisees were not alive when Moses wrote this.
Jesus is making a relationship between the Jews of Moses’ day
and these Pharisees. They are no different, that is, if Moses was
alive at the time of these Pharisees, he would have to enact the
same regulation. Remember, this passage is in the setting where
the Pharisees are "testing" (v.3) Christ. In other
words, don’t use Moses as an excuse or blame God for permitting
divorce.
• "Hardness of heart" – (Gr.
sklhrokardivan,
one word). It is used 3 times: Mt.19:8; Mk.10:5; Mk.16:14. It has
the idea of unbelief. So it is with divorce. It is the breaking
down of the relationship between God and man.
• v.9 "And marries another" –
This phrase does not appear in the Mt.5:32 passage. It shows a
reason for granting the certificate of divorce, namely, so the
innocent may re-marry. |
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• Immorality is the only justified reason for divorce
(Mt.19:9; 5:31-32).
• Divorce was permitted only because of their hardness of
heart.
• God’s original intention is for one man and one wife to
be married for life. |
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Matthew 5:31-32 (Adultery) |
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31 "And it was said, Whoever
sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’;
32but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife,
except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit
adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. |
• Here unchastity is the only exception
where divorce does not result in adultery.
• Apparently, remarriage is not adultery
if the divorce was the result of unchastity.
• Verses 29-30 the "eye" and
"hand" continue the thought of lust, i.e., looking and
the hand touching. This shows that the sin of immorality is
serious. |
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• To divorce your spouse causes the spouse to commit adultery
[if she marries another].
• "Whoever marries a divorced woman commits
adultery." |
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Mark 10:1-12 (Certificate of Divorce) |
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1 And rising up, He went from there
to the region of Judea, and beyond the Jordan; and crowds gathered
around Him again, and, according to His custom, He once more began
to teach them. 2And some Pharisees came up to
Him, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was
lawful for a man to divorce a wife. 3And He answered
and said to them, "What did Moses command you?" 4And
they said, "Moses permitted a man to write a
certificate of divorce and send her away." 5But
Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he
wrote you this commandment. 6"But from the
beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 7"For
this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, 8and
the two shall become one flesh; consequently they are no longer
two, but one flesh. 9"What therefore God has
joined together, let no man separate." 10And in
the house the disciples began questioning Him about this
again. 11And He said to them, "Whoever divorces
his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; 12and
if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she is
committing adultery." |
• Private with disciples.
• Verses 11-12, in both cases adultery is
the result of marrying another.
? Does this mean that getting divorced is not adultery, but
re-marrying is? It appears that getting divorced is NOT adultery.
But getting re-married and having relations with the new spouse is
adultery.
• If a woman marries a divorced man, she
commits adultery.
• v.5 "Because of your hardness of
heart". Moses did not institute marriage. Israel practiced
divorce even during their captivity in Egypt. Women were regarded
as a piece of property (Ge.34:12; Ex.22:16-17; De.22:29; Jo.15:16;
1Sa.18:25). A husband could dispose of her like any other piece of
property he owned. Moses was simply regulating it to protect the
women from being divorced for any reason other than immorality.
• Here (vs.3-5) Christ does not focus on
the permission to put away, but on the command to give the
certificate of divorce. The Pharisees used De. 24 as kind of an
obligation to divorce.
• v.8 "one flesh" – The
picture goes back to where God created Eve from Adam’s rib. She
was literally flesh of his flesh.
? What makes the fusion of "one flesh" – (1)
The sexual union; and (2) the union of the two spirits, wills, and
personalities.
• v.9 "God has joined together"
– God is the Creator of marriage, even if the two are not
believers.
• v.9 "let no man separate" –
Man may oppose God’s work, but God sets the consequences of that
choice. |
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• It is God Who joins the two together and makes them one
flesh. |
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John 8:1-11 (Adultery) |
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[1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2And
early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the
people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to
teach them. 3And the scribes and the Pharisees brought
a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the midst, 4they
said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in
adultery, in the very act. 5"Now in the Law Moses
commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" 6And
they were saying this, testing Him, in order that they might have
grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with finger
wrote on the ground. 7But when they persisted in asking
Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without
sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
8And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9And
when they heard it, they began to go out one by one,
beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the
woman, where she was in the midst. 10And straightening
up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one
condemn you?" 11And she said "No one
Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go
your way. From now on sin no more."] |
• Christ is speaking to the Pharisees
• Christ does not condemn a woman caught
in the act of adultery. This may be for the sake of the Pharisees
who are trying to test (v.6) Him.
• Christ did not tell her to return to her
husband, if he would have her.
• Christ did not tell her to marry another
if she was already divorced. |
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• Christ forgave a woman caught in adultery. He told her to
go and sin no more. |
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Luke 16:18 (Adultery) |
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18 "Everyone who divorces his
wife and marries another commits adultery; and he who marries one
who is divorced from a husband commits adultery. |
• Christ is speaking to the Pharisees.
• If a man marries a divorced woman, he
commits adultery.
• "another" (eJteran,
another of a different kind, qualitatively different). The
Pharisees would see differences in other women and desire to marry
them, rejecting their wives. Thus personal tastes and pleasure
guided their thinking instead of love and dedication.
• There is a definite article before
"divorce" and "marries" which gives the idea
that by their actions they are destroying God’s institution of
marriage.
? How many of those "who divorces his wife"
commits adultery? – Everyone. |
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• To divorce your spouse and marry another is adultery.
• A person who marries a divorced person commits adultery. |
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1 Corinthians 6:16-20 (Adultery) |
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16 Or do you not know that the one
who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He
says, The two will become one flesh." 17But the
one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18Flee
immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside
the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19Or
do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who
is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20For
you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your
body. |
• Immorality is a sin against the body
• Refers back to original intention at
creation.
• Paul is teaching that we become
"one flesh" with the person with whom we have sexual
relations.
• The believer’s union with Christ is
spiritual, i.e., spiritual body (1Co.12:13; Ro.12:5; Ep.5:30).
• Some may argue that gluttony and
drunkenness (v.10) are sins against the body. But these are excess
of things that are morally neutral. These can be corrected in
moderation. However, immorality cannot be undone. |
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• Immorality is a sin against the body (v.18). |
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Romans 7:1-6 (Marriage and the Law) |
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1 Or do you not know, brethren (for
I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has
jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? 2For
the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is
living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law
concerning the husband. 3So then if, while her husband
is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an
adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so
that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another
man. |
• The overall context is that the law has
authority over man only as long as he lives. The Christian’s
relationship to the law, for he is dead to the law but alive unto
Christ.
• Marriage is not the main thought here.
It is used as an illustration to relate the Law concept.
• Divorce and death are seen in a similar
way, namely, as an end of something.
? v.3 If her husband is not dead, and she is "joined
to another man" what is she called? – "an
adulteress."
? v.3 "Free from the law" and "she is not an
adulteress" - ? Is this "legal" divorce?
• Context: The Christian’s relationship
to the Law. The Christian has died with Christ. The Christian is
dead to the Law, but alive unto Christ.
• "Is bound" (v.2, Gr. perfect
tense, ‘has been bound and stands bound’) to her husband as
long as her husband is alive.
• "She is free" (v.3, Gr.
perfect tense, ‘has been and stands discharged’) from the law
of the man.
• "She shall be called" (v.3,
Gr. future tense, ‘shall be publicly known as an adulteress.’
• A widow who marries again is not an
adulteress.
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• A person is bound to their spouse as long as they are
alive. If the spouse dies, they are free to re-marry. To marry
another while their spouse is living makes you commit adultery. |
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1 Corinthians 7:1-16, 39-40 (Believing /
Unbelieving Spouse) |
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1 Now concerning the things about
which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2But
because of immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let
each woman have her own husband. …10But to the
married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife
should not leave her husband 11(but if she does leave,
let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband),
and that the husband should not send his wife away. …39A
wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is
dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the
Lord. |
• v.6 "not of command" – There
are things that an individual’s conscience must decide.
• v.14 "sanctified" – This is
a case where both are unbelievers when they are married, then one
of them believes in Christ. The idea is that the declared faith of
the believer sanctifies the unbelieving spouse as a spiritual
unbeliever. The believer’s commitment to avoid fornication
sanctifies the unbeliever. |
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• A person is bound to their spouse as long as they are
alive. If the spouse dies, they are free to re-marry.
• A believer should not marry an unbeliever (1Co.7:39;
2Co.6:14). |
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2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (Associations) |
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14 Do not be bound together with
unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and
lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? |
• This passage has a wider application
than just marriage. Marriage between a believer and unbeliever is
forbidden.
• Christians should have close ties only
with those who are believers. The context here is likely of pagan
idolaters (1Co.10:14) or false apostles (2 Co.11:2-4) who were
leading them astray. Marriage is applied here in principle only. |
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• Your close associations should be of those who are of like
mind and belief as yours. |
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divorce_passages.pdf
