Re-Marriage

Matthew 19:10-12

World Christian

Fellowship

Divorce leads to adultery is the main theme our Lord taught here. The disciples who were with Jesus got this message loud and clear.

Matthew 19:10-12, His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.” If divorce is only a concession to an evil, sinful society, if divorce is only something as a last-ditch technicality for fornication and other than that marriage is permanent, it’s better not to get in it because you might have made a mistake and then you are stuck.

1. There are some eunuchs who were so born from their

mothers’ wombs

2. There are some eunuchs who were made eunuchs by

men

3. There are eunuchs who have made themselves

eunuchs for the Kingdom of heaven’s sake. There are some people for varying reasons who can handle singleness, but not everybody can handle it. Jesus saying that if you want to marry then get married for right reasons if not then you are either stuck for life or else when you divorce you commit adultery.

You can’t unscramble the eggs. In the Gospels we have about Divorce on the following passages. Matthew 5, Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 16. What is the big idea of God on this issue? God is not making a great announcement, “You can get a divorce for fornication.”

His announcement is, “Divorce creates adultery except, of course, for the cause of fornication.” That’s just a concession. ‘Porneia’ is the Grrek word translated as ‘Fornication’. Meaning every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse.

Divorce is not only technically allowable when your partner has a relationship with somebody else, but a divorce is technically allowable when your husband has any kind of unlawful sexual relationship or when your wife has any kind of unlawful sexual relationship with a man, a woman, a child, or an animal. Because all of those things in the Old Testament brought about the death penalty.

By the way, Jews in Israel were put to death for acts of fornication, both before and after marriage. The death penalty was imposed upon marriage used for incest, sodomy, bestiality, every forbidden sex act. Read Leviticus chapter 20, it’s all mentioned there.

There were all those things that brought the death penalty, and it is that divorce is allowable when death could have ensued.

Numbers 25:1-2, Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of

Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 23,000 of Israel, including the chiefs who committed sexual sin with the daughters of Moab, were not all unmarried and yet their sin is called fornication.

1 Corinthians 10:8, Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; Jesus never advocates divorce, He only admits there are times when it doesn’t lead to adultery, that’s all. He hates it all the time.

But there are times when it doesn’t lead to adultery. There are times when you are the innocent party in a divorce and you have tried every way you can to reconcile, every way you can to redeem and forgive and put it together, and it just doesn’t happen. Then you are free, and if you remarry again it won’t be adultery.

So, the Bible recognizes it will happen. When it does, those who remarry, which is inevitable, will commit adultery unless sex sin was the cause. So, Jesus sets the record straight. God still hates divorce. His ideal is still monogamous, lifelong marriage, and divorce only brings adultery apart from the cause of fornication.

Possible Exceptions

Only possible exceptions are recorded in Matthew, the gospel for believers.

1. Divorced because of Adultery

Matthew 5: 31-32, "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”

In context, Jesus is discussing adultery, not divorce and remarriage.

Jesus is saying

If you divorce your wife you are forcing her into adultery, except in the case where she has already committed “adultery” (ie fornication or any sexual activity outside marriage).

2. Death of a Spouse

Only death dissolves a marriage!

Romans 7:1-3, Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the

husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.

1 Corinthians 7:39, “A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.” 3. When the unbeliever leaves.

1 Corinthians 7:10, Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. Now, Paul is saying, I am giving you a direct command from the Lord, I got this right from the Lord. This is Matthew 19, this is Luke 16, this is Mark 10, this is Matthew 5.

The Lord has told us this, I am quoting the Lord here. No divorce”.

1 Corinthians 7:11, But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. If something happens in a marriage, and you leave, there’s no adultery, no fornication then you are left with two options.

• a. you can stay single the rest of your life or
• b. you can be reunited to your husband.

If you had a divorce less than biblical grounds, not on the basis of adultery, either you have to go back to him or stay single the rest of your life? Yes! If you say that some of these things happened before I was a Christian.

Remember Paul is writing to believers! Now that you are a Christian then you have to live in the light of 1 Corinthians 7:11, just like you do in light of the gospels.

1 Corinthians 7:12, But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

The Lord simply said there is no divorce for less than adulterous grounds, but Paul want to add something to this, this is also inspired by the Holy Spirit. You stay with her.

1 Corinthians 7:13-14, And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. ¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the

wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. If you have got an unsaved partner, stay married.

Why? You stay in that family going to be a sanctifying influence. The best thing you can do for an unsaved husband and the best thing you can do for the children that are going to come through that marriage is to stay there and be God’s representative in the family.

What if my unbelieving partner wants out?

1 Corinthians 7:15, But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. If the unbelieving divorces, let him divorce. If an unbeliever departs, seeking a divorce, the unbeliever divorces, you’re not in bondage in such cases.

Why? Because God has called us to peace. God doesn’t want you to try to hang on to somebody who hates everything you believe in. That would not be peaceful.

Please do remember, Paul is not presenting conditions for a possible divorce, because a believer is not to divorce at all. That’s the ideal. It may happen that some unbeliever leaves you because he can’t stand what you believe in.

1 Corinthians 7:27-28,

The believer is not to divorce at all. But if a believer is divorced and he is a victim of adultery or a divorce by somebody who doesn’t want anything to do with Christ, then and only then is he or she free to remarry. Summary of three Probable reason one can remarry.

1. Divorced because of Adultery

2. Death of a spouse

3. Unbelieving spouse leaving

Historical Practice

Four Periods in Church History

1. Early (0-500)

All (but one) of 25 church fathers and two church councils confirmed that Jesus permitted divorce for adultery but prohibited all remarriage.

2. Medieval (500-1500)

Church split in 1054 into western (catholic) and eastern (orthodox). Western - Marriage became a sacrament and so could not be dissolved under any circumstances. So, a system to annul marriages was developed. Eastern – State rules applied to the church. So divorce and remarriage were allowed within limits even though it contradicted scripture.

3. Reformed (1500-1800)

The reformers, including Luther, started the “two exceptions” position, which led to the “compassionate Christ” argument. Tindale introduced Luther's ideas to England. In 1603 separation or annulment were accepted (not divorce).

4. Contemporary (1800-2000)

In England up until 1857 there was no legal divorce (and so no remarriage) except by an act of Parliament. In 1857 adultery was introduced as a ground for divorce. Throughout the 20th century additional grounds were added - desertion, cruelty, incurable insanity and irretrievable breakdown.

Modern Trends

The bible gives the “ideal”. No absolutes. Wouldn't God prefer a loving second marriage to a hating first one?

Doesn't God want us to be happy? No consistent preaching or practice in the church.

Summary

The trend over 2000 years has been to become more liberal. Discipline has disappeared from church life and no standards are set. The church tends to follow state legislation. Should the church be leading the world, rather than the world leading the church?

There are so many different views on divorce and remarriage are inside the church is the biggest problem in addressing this issue.

Conclusion

We live in the age of grace! If you’re a Christian, there is a great news you! Everything you have ever done in the past is forgiven. Everything! You may have messed up a marriage, some of you may have messed up more than one.

You don’t know how to unscramble the egg? I also don’t know how to put it all together. But I can tell you one thing I do know, and that is that whatever you have done in the past is under the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Sin

Adultery and remarriage without exceptions it’s a Sin and it will be judged. Forgiveness Adultery is not an unforgiveable sin. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins. You must forgive the wronged partner or God can't forgive you.

Repentance God can't forgive a sin until it is repented of. Repentance is not regret, remorse or being sorry. You start from here.

2 Corinthians 5:17, “And if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.” Old things have passed away and all things have become new.

Forget the past, will you?

Will you take a hold of the moment and live it according to God’s ideal!