Questions about marriage, divorce, and remarriage
What should happen in an unlawful marriage?
Luke 16:18I Corinthians 6:9They must divorce and repent of their adultery.“But marriage itself is holy. No one should be told to divorce.”Ezra 9-10 – Unlawful marriages were broken up.Mark 6:17-18Are divorced people still “married in God’s eyes”?
I know of no passage that uses or implies that wording or concept. Sometimes we might say that because we’re trying to communicate the fact that God doesn’t approve.Luke 16:18Romans 7:2-3 – This is clearer language: “bound by law,” “joined.”Mark 10:11-12Matthew 19:9What about marriages and divorces before one was ever a Christian?
God’s laws are for everyone, Christians and non-Christians.I Corinthians 6:9-11 – Adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God.“such were some of you” – some of the Corinthians had evidently gotten out of adulterous situationsIf God’s laws do not apply to non-Christians, why are people told to repent before they are baptized (Acts 2:38)?And why would you even get baptized and become a Christian, if prior to that you have no sin and therefore no need of salvation?Does forgiveness change the situation?
Acts 2:38; 8:22; 26:20If I steal a car …Then I pray for forgiveness …Can I keep the car?No – it is still a sin for me to have it.If I take an unlawful wife …Then I pray for forgiveness …Can I keep the wife?No – it is still a sin for me to have her.Does I Corinthians 7:15 give another exception to God’s marriage law?
“bondage”: “enslaved” (ESV, LSB) or “servitude” (YLT)There is no permission for remarriage here.Does I Corinthians 7:27-28 give another exception?
I Corinthians 7:25-28 – Paul was saying that because of the current situation, it was not a good time to get married.What does “released” mean? It can’t mean, “divorced for any reason” because that would contradict I Corinthians 7:10-11 and many other verses.“Released” may be better translated “free.”Can the innocent party divorce years after the divorce?
A man divorces his wife (not for fornication).Years later, he remarriages.Can the first wife now divorce him for fornication and remarry with God’s approval (Matthew 19:9)?No. You can’t divorce someone you’re not married to.Conclusion
Nothing is GREATER than fellowship with God; nothing lasts LONGER than Heaven.
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