DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
by: James R. Horne, State Overseer of Alabama - The Church of God
www:thechurchofgodalabama.org
This world continues to wax worse, more wicked and perverse with every passing moment, but with this comes a challenge to The Church of God
to stand strong in the doctrine and faith of our Lord. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10). “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him” (1 Jn. 3:9).
The 29th Teaching of the Church reads: “Divorce and remarriage constitutes the sin of adultery. The only allowable causes for remarriage are fornication and death. However, fornication is not unfaithfulness or simple adultery, but is a state of being married to another’s wife or
husband. See Matthew 5:32, 14:3, 19:3-12; Mark 10:12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:2,3; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 13; 6:9, 13, 16-18; 7:2, 10, 11; Acts 15:28, 29; Revelation 2:20-22.”
The Word of God is clear on the issue of Divorce and Remarriage. We cannot be deceived by the popular ear tickling theology of our day. The Bible records John the Baptist preaching to Herod about the subject of divorce and remarriage in Matthew 14:3-4. John preached to Herod and said, “It
is not lawful for thee to have her… [your] brother Philip’s wife” (v.4) and as a result of his message, John lost his head. He preached the message because it was the truth and it should build our faith and resolve to know that we are lifting up the same standard today!
Marital unfaithfulness has been an issue over the years and continues to escalate in the world but scripture states that even if a man is married to a harlot, the most unfaithful of persons, he is still bound to her in a one-flesh relationship. “What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh” (1 Cor. 6:16). God has further instructions to us concerning marriage. “And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband:
and let not the husband put away his wife” (1 Cor. 7:10-11). So the Bible clearly teaches that if your spouse departs you are to remain unmarried or seek to be reconciled unto them. The Bible still goes on to define the sin you commit if you do marry another. “Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery” (Luke 6:18). “And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery” (Mk. 10:12). The Bible clearly states that adulterers shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21).
The Bible does give two exceptions to the above: death and fornication. The scripture says in Romans 7:2, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.” So we are bound to
our husband or wife as long as he or she lives, which is in harmony with the marriage covenant. The second exception is fornication and is easily defined in scripture. We know it is not martial unfaithfulness or adultery because the scriptures cited already said that even if one be joined unto a harlot they are still one flesh. Jesus also said in Matthew 5:27-28, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Also, the aforementioned scriptures clearly state that if one leaves their spouse and then marries another it is adultery, not fornication. So then, unfaithfulness or sexual lust is not fornication, but adultery. Many want to create a loophole to get out of a bad or failed marriage and they fabricate a twisted definition of fornication to attempt this but in reality these people are simply committing the sin of adultery. Scripture says, “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” (Matt. 5:32). Paul defined fornication in 1 Corinthians 7:2 when he said, “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” If one who has never been married before marries a divorced individual, they are joined unto another’s spouse (as the divorced individual is still one flesh with their first marriage companion) and that single person is a fornicator. This marriage is not recognized by God because we are to have “our own” husband or wife, not someone else’s. The fornicator under these circumstances is therefore free to pursue a divorce and marry someone who does not already have a living spouse, thus “except for the cause of fornication.”
Again, this only applies to the one who is single who would try to marry someone that has been married before. The first (the one never married before) being the fornicator and the second (the one with the living companion) being the adulterer. The Bible goes on to say, “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” (1 Cor. 7:39).
Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees about the doctrine of divorce and remarriage. They said that Moses had issued divorces. Jesus explained that no man had the authority to dissolve the martial union. Jesus said in Matthew 19:6 that, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man
put asunder.” And “ [Jesus] 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” (Matt. 19:8). Moses did this because of the hardness of the people’s hearts toward God. They were already being rebellious, but Jesus said that from the beginning it was not so. What was the beginning of the marriage relationship as established by God? In the creation, Adam 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen 2:23-24). This is how God intended it from the beginning—one man for one woman for life. It is men and their evil ways that have sought to pervert marriage and God’s divine institution.
There are no loopholes, though men try to create them, seeking a way out of a bad marriage instead of working on the marriage to make it better. We live in a society that, when things aren’t easy, people just give up or when something gets broken they throw it away instead of fixing it. In light of the scriptures, this mentality cannot apply to marriage. If a marriage fails, we should attempt to reconcile with our husband or wife as clearly stated
in 1 Cor. 7:10-11. Let us be reminded that “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:14).
The broad way that man creates will only lead to their destruction.
to stand strong in the doctrine and faith of our Lord. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10). “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him” (1 Jn. 3:9).
The 29th Teaching of the Church reads: “Divorce and remarriage constitutes the sin of adultery. The only allowable causes for remarriage are fornication and death. However, fornication is not unfaithfulness or simple adultery, but is a state of being married to another’s wife or
husband. See Matthew 5:32, 14:3, 19:3-12; Mark 10:12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:2,3; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 13; 6:9, 13, 16-18; 7:2, 10, 11; Acts 15:28, 29; Revelation 2:20-22.”
The Word of God is clear on the issue of Divorce and Remarriage. We cannot be deceived by the popular ear tickling theology of our day. The Bible records John the Baptist preaching to Herod about the subject of divorce and remarriage in Matthew 14:3-4. John preached to Herod and said, “It
is not lawful for thee to have her… [your] brother Philip’s wife” (v.4) and as a result of his message, John lost his head. He preached the message because it was the truth and it should build our faith and resolve to know that we are lifting up the same standard today!
Marital unfaithfulness has been an issue over the years and continues to escalate in the world but scripture states that even if a man is married to a harlot, the most unfaithful of persons, he is still bound to her in a one-flesh relationship. “What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh” (1 Cor. 6:16). God has further instructions to us concerning marriage. “And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband:
and let not the husband put away his wife” (1 Cor. 7:10-11). So the Bible clearly teaches that if your spouse departs you are to remain unmarried or seek to be reconciled unto them. The Bible still goes on to define the sin you commit if you do marry another. “Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery” (Luke 6:18). “And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery” (Mk. 10:12). The Bible clearly states that adulterers shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21).
The Bible does give two exceptions to the above: death and fornication. The scripture says in Romans 7:2, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.” So we are bound to
our husband or wife as long as he or she lives, which is in harmony with the marriage covenant. The second exception is fornication and is easily defined in scripture. We know it is not martial unfaithfulness or adultery because the scriptures cited already said that even if one be joined unto a harlot they are still one flesh. Jesus also said in Matthew 5:27-28, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Also, the aforementioned scriptures clearly state that if one leaves their spouse and then marries another it is adultery, not fornication. So then, unfaithfulness or sexual lust is not fornication, but adultery. Many want to create a loophole to get out of a bad or failed marriage and they fabricate a twisted definition of fornication to attempt this but in reality these people are simply committing the sin of adultery. Scripture says, “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” (Matt. 5:32). Paul defined fornication in 1 Corinthians 7:2 when he said, “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” If one who has never been married before marries a divorced individual, they are joined unto another’s spouse (as the divorced individual is still one flesh with their first marriage companion) and that single person is a fornicator. This marriage is not recognized by God because we are to have “our own” husband or wife, not someone else’s. The fornicator under these circumstances is therefore free to pursue a divorce and marry someone who does not already have a living spouse, thus “except for the cause of fornication.”
Again, this only applies to the one who is single who would try to marry someone that has been married before. The first (the one never married before) being the fornicator and the second (the one with the living companion) being the adulterer. The Bible goes on to say, “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” (1 Cor. 7:39).
Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees about the doctrine of divorce and remarriage. They said that Moses had issued divorces. Jesus explained that no man had the authority to dissolve the martial union. Jesus said in Matthew 19:6 that, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man
put asunder.” And “ [Jesus] 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” (Matt. 19:8). Moses did this because of the hardness of the people’s hearts toward God. They were already being rebellious, but Jesus said that from the beginning it was not so. What was the beginning of the marriage relationship as established by God? In the creation, Adam 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen 2:23-24). This is how God intended it from the beginning—one man for one woman for life. It is men and their evil ways that have sought to pervert marriage and God’s divine institution.
There are no loopholes, though men try to create them, seeking a way out of a bad marriage instead of working on the marriage to make it better. We live in a society that, when things aren’t easy, people just give up or when something gets broken they throw it away instead of fixing it. In light of the scriptures, this mentality cannot apply to marriage. If a marriage fails, we should attempt to reconcile with our husband or wife as clearly stated
in 1 Cor. 7:10-11. Let us be reminded that “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:14).
The broad way that man creates will only lead to their destruction.
