Marriage/Divorce/Remarriage

• To understand a difficult subject in the bible it is best to start with the easiest to understand passages, then move into the more difficult.

• There is one complete chapter in 1Cor. that deals only with this subject.

• In 40verses of 1 Cor. 7 Paul gives us 8 steps to follow:

1). Stay single1 Corinthians 7:7-8For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his

proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they

abide even as I.

Matthew 19:12For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's

womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

1 Corinthians 7:32But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for

the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

2). Marry if you cannot contain the desire.

1 Corinthians 7:9But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.The word 'burn' means a strong desire- Romans 1:27 burned in their lust one toward another;

3). After marriage don't depart.

1 Corinthians 7:10And unto the married I command, yet not I, but

the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

Matthew 19:8He 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.

4). Let the unsaved spouse divorce not the saved.

1 Corinthians 7:13And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not,

and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

1 Corinthians 7:15-16But 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?

1 Peter 3:1-21 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if

any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

• The message is the saved spouse should fear for the unsaved

one, knowing their end is eternity in Hell. And this fear should

encourage them to stay in the marriage and live a careful life as a

wittiness to the unsaved spouse.2 Corinthians 5:11Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we

are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

5). If divorced, stay single.

1 Corinthians 7:27Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed.

Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.If the unsaved spouse divorces, start back at point

#1. Your "seeking" should not be for a spouse Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

• If God wants to bless you with a spouse it will be in the process of seeking the kingdom of God. Psalms 84:11 no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Proverbs 18:22Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing,and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

6). It is not sin to remarry.1 Corinthians 7:28

But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned.

• If the unsaved spouse leaves, and God wants

to bless you with a new spouse, it is not sin to

remarry.Amos 3:3

Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

7). If you remarry, only marry an equally minded christian.

1 Corinthians 7:39....at liberty to be married ...only in the Lord.2 Corinthians 6:14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

8). A second marriage will have problems.

1 Corinthians 7:28But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and

if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

Reasons for remarriage:

Death- Rom. 7:2-3

Divorce- 1 Cor. 7:15

Fornication- Mat. 9:9,5:32

Letter of the Law vs spirit of the Law:

Romans 7:6But now we are delivered from the law, that

being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

• Jesus compares both in Mat. 5 even here he

draws the line at fornication.

• OT Law:Mat. 21 thou shalt not kill

• NT spirit of Law:Matthew 5:22But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with

his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment

• OT Law:Mat. 27 shalt not commit adultery

• NT spirit of Law:Matthew 5:28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a

woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

• OT Law:Vs 31 if you want to put away a wife give her a

writing of divorcement

• NT spirit of the LawMatthew 5:32But 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.

• When Jesus is questioned by the Pharisees about divorce (Mat.19) he is talking to men who know the law. He tells them the things Moses allowed in the OT are contrary to the spirit of the law; With one exception (Mat. 19:9) fornication- an unfaithful spouse.

To understand how this differs from the OT we need to see the laws for divorce in the OT.

• Deut. 24:1 If a mans wife is no longer pleasing in his eyes he can divorce

• Deut. 22:17-21 Kill a bride if she cant prove she is a virgin.

• Deut. 24:3 If husband hate her he can divorce.The Pharisees are asking Jesus in Mat. 19:3 Is it

lawful for a man to put away his wife for EVERY CAUSE (any reason he wants). Jesus answers the only acceptable cause is fornication (Mat. 19:9)

Now the question is Why is fornication an acceptable reason for divorce?

The answer is because of what marriage pictures. Earthly things are a picture of Heavenly (2 Cor. 4:18).

Moses killed an Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. But God still used him to lead His people (Israel).

However, when Moses was told to speak to a rock to make water, he disobeyed and hit the rock; for that God killed him before he could reach the promised land. ( Ex. 17:6, Num. 20:7-11, Deut. 34:4).

I would have thought the worst thing in Moses life was when he murdered the Egyptian. But In Gods eyes the thing that deserved death was when Moses messed up the picture God was building for a people to see 2,000 yrs in the future.

1 Corinthians 10:2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in

the sea;1 Corinthians 10:4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they

drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (Deut. 32:31)

Christ was smitten once to give us the water of life. When Moses hit the rock the second time it broke the picture.

The Picture should have been:

• Ex. 17:6 Moses hit the Rock= Christ died once Heb. 10:14

• Num. 20:8 Moses speak to the rock the second time= With the mouth confession is made unto salvation Rom. 10:10.

This is just one example to show how serious God is about things that picture eternal truths.

Now see what marriage pictures in the Bible:

1 Corinthians 6:14-18And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us

by his own power.15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?

shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

2 Corinthians 11:12But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from

them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

Ephesians 5:25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave

himself for it;Ephesians 5:32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Matthew 19:4-9And 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.

God=head of allHusband=Christ

Wife=Church

An interesting point:

In the Bible the man is the only one given the power to "give a writing of divorcement". In 1 Cor. 7 we see the wife "depart" but not give a writing of divorcement.

I think the reason for this is, in the OT God has a bride (Israel) and he divorces her (Hos. 9:1, 2:2-3) then remarries her (reference to the Millennium).