Bible Questions Answered: Divorce

Bible Questions Answered:
I told a friend it is ok for Christian's to divorce, she is not sure, what are the facts on that?
Mayra/ Buenos Aires, Argentina

Bible Answers:

Matthew 19:3-8 KJV
[3] The Pharisees also came unto Him, tempting Him, and saying unto Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
[4] And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
[5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
[6] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
[7] They say unto Him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
[8] He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
[9] And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

Matthew 19:3-9 NLT
3 Some Pharisees came and tried to trap Him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’
5 And He said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’
6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
7 “Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked.
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.
9 And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.”

Matthew 5:31,32 KJV
[31] It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
[32] But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Matthew 5:31,32 NLT
31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.
32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

Jesus said, that because of the hardness of their hearts, Moses permitted a writing of divorcement, but it was never intended by God.
There was only one caveat regarding divorcement, Christ said, only in the case of marital infidelity (i.e. adultery).

This old gospel preacher, remembers, as a kid growing up...Christian people, NEVER could think of the word-Divorce.
They would “Separate, “ but never divorce.
And the reasoning behind that was, if one wanted out of a marriage, they would separate, and pray for each other, and pray that the day would come to be reunited (especially so, if there were children involved.)

But as our Lord has said, because of the hardness of the hearts of some, divorce reigns rampant.

What about if a partner was unfaithful, and demanded a divorce?
Would not the faithful partner, have right to being married again, as well, seeing how the marriage was broken by the unfaithful partner?
Perhaps, but many refuse to, praying for the salvation of an unfaithful mate, while staying single, and yet faithful, in the eyes of their children.

The Apostle Paul also said that if a innocent partner, can remain with an unfaithful spouse, he or she should do so.

I Corinthians 7:10-16 KJV
[10] And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
[11] But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
[12] But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
[13] And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
[14] For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
[15] But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
[16] For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

I Corinthians 7:10-16 NLT
10 But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband.
11 But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.
12 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her.
13 And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him.
14 For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.
15 (But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.)
16 Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

A Christian, is bound to their mate, until death.
We live in a hedonistic age, with individuals who write their own wedding vows, and many, “not upon-the word of God.”

I Corinthians 7:39 KJV
The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

(i.e. married for life, and Christians, must marry other Christians, not unbelievers!)