Divorce & Remarriage

Divorce & Remarriage

I understand that this is a very difficult subject to write about; but as with anything related to the teachings of Messiah, it's of vital importance. I want you to know that I myself come from a severely broken home. I remember hearing the news like it was yesterday. Even in my own wonderful marriage, I found myself at one point staring into the same abyss due to my own selfishness. So I personally understand the issue, and well. It wasn't easy for me to accept at first either. But that doesn't change the reality of the words we are about to unpack. Jesus says in no uncertain terms the following concerning the Marital Relationship between Men and Women (from the YLT):

• Matthew 5:17-32 - `Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not commit adultery; but I--I say to you, that every one who is looking on a woman to desire her, did already commit adultery with her in his heart. `But, if thy right eye doth cause thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna. `And, if thy right hand doth cause thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast from thee, for it is good to thee that one of thy members may perish, and not thy whole body be cast to gehenna. `And it was said, That whoever may put away his wife, let him give to her a writing of divorce; but I--I say to you, that whoever may put away his wife, save for the matter of whoredom, doth make her to commit adultery; and whoever may marry her who hath been put away doth commit adultery.


• Mark 10:5-12 - and they said, `Moses suffered to write a bill of divorce, and to put away.' And Jesus answering said to them, `For the stiffness of your heart he wrote you this command, but from the beginning of the creation, a male and a female God did make them; on this account shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be--the two--for one flesh; so that they are no more two, but one flesh; what therefore God did join together, let not man put asunder.' And in the house again his disciples of the same thing questioned him, and he saith to them, `Whoever may put away his wife, and may marry another, doth commit adultery against her; and if a woman may put away her husband, and is married to another, she committeth adultery.'

• Luke 16:18 - `Every one who is sending away his wife, and marrying another, doth commit adultery; and every one who is marrying her sent away from a husband doth commit adultery.

Master is clear on Divorce and Remarriage: The so-called provision of divorce “in Moses” is a clear (A) concession and is therefore (b) outside Father's Will. It’s therefore (c) an abomination. Jesus didn’t care “what Moses” (“what Torah”) said; and the later "Apostle" Paul certainly didn't teach what Jesus did. Jesus' standard for marriage is the Original Design.

B-b-but Moses Said You Can Get Divorced!

People zealous of the notion of "inerrancy" can't accept the proposition that Jesus "didn't care about what 'Moses' said." The reality is that The True Torah had been long corrupted from God's original Torah and that Jesus was very clearly showing us the fault lines in their perceptions. We will get to the phrase, "Saving for the cause of fornication" in a moment. First understand that in Mark and Luke he clearly said, “What God hath joined together let not man divide asunder,” and makes no disclaimer as we find in Matthew 5 and 19:3-9. Even in Luke, when he says just prior, "16 the law and the prophets are till John; since then the reign of God is proclaimed good news, and every one doth press into it; 17 and it is easier to the heaven and the earth to pass away, than of the law one tittle to fall." People incorrectly assume that this includes Moses provision to divorce. That's not true. What else does it mean other than that Jesus regards The Original Design of marriage before Moses as the Superior Law/ Divine Will? I reiterate, as many times as it takes, that Jesus is clearly describing any such provision for Divorce is a concession due to "hardness of heart." He says three things happen when you divorce: you harden your heart, you violate your oaths, and you increase the chance of adultery being committed by either yourself or your spouse. How is that the will of God!?

B-b-b Jesus Still Said You Can Divorce Because of Fornication!

In Matthew 5:31,32 and Matthew 19:3-9 we find a seeming allowance: “saving for the cause of fornication.” Let’s understand the true implications by doing some deductive reasoning. First, while it may seem true that “fornication is the only acceptable reason for divorce,” we have to remember that sins “of the mind/ heart” are considered the act of fornication/ adultery itself (see Matthew 5:27,28)--"he who looks on another woman with lust has committed adultery with her already in his heart." Are you so petty and unforgiving that you’d divorce your spouse for their hidden thoughts of lust? Just as Jesus said not to get divorces, Jesus also says to make no vows but to instead just say "Yes" or "No" and do it, meaning do what you first said you would do (vv. 33,34)--including "for better or worse"! Have a dispute between your spouse (or neighbor for that matter)? I suggest you follow the solution to all disputes: forgiveness. See Matthew 5:38-48// 6:12-15). Why harden your heart?

Second, consider (assuming a person has physically manifested the act of “Fornication,” thereby giving you “cause” for divorce) what the divorce actually accomplishes. According to Jesus, what you do is compounded sin upon sin, for (1) they’re already guilty of capital crime; if they get remarried, they’re just perpetuating their own sin—and whoever marries them is now a sinner, too, guilty of the same offense! So I ask the implied question: does divorcing the unfaithful spouse help them or you or the next person? (2) you’ve broken your vow; (3) you’ve hardened your heart; (4) you open yourself up to the temptation of finding a new spouse, thus condemning yourself of the same crime you divorced over! I can only communicate the same, plain, and obvious conclusion so many different ways.

What Jesus said plainly, especially as seen in Mark and Luke's accounts, is that if people are lawfully united by God and then they divorce, and one or both of those “divided” people marry another, and the other spouse still lives, then that person (or those persons) is in Fornication/ Adultery even with the supposed cause of "Fornication," as we find in Matthew!

In other words, even if "Divorce is tolerated because of 'fornication'" remarriage while the other spouse yet lives is absolutely forbidden because Jesus defines that as adultery!

Technically, Moses Tolerates Multiple Wives, But I digress...

In great irony and hypocrisy, Evangelicals and Catholics who do tolerate marriage and divorce "under certain circumstances" are quick to denounce Polygamy as an ancient concession not needed or fitting in our more modern society. Some, however, in order to be consistent with "inerrancy" and practice, do teach that Multiple Wives is still lawful. Sometimes people will denounce Divorce and Remarriage but will accept Polygamy. In any case they're all wrong. Did you notice that Jesus exposes the answer to this question as well? “Doesn’t Moses allow for multiple wives?” Jesus said no. Polygyny (commonly called “polygamy”) isn't Godly, for Jesus said that Lawful Union is one man and one woman for life, as designed at Creation.

"But Same-Sex Marriage is--"

I'm sorry to interrupt you, my progressive "Christ following" friend, but Jesus said, "but from the beginning of the creation, a male and a female God did make them; on this account shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be--the two--for one flesh; so that they are no more two, but one flesh;" The First, Original, God-Blessed Design of Marriage is between ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN FOR LIFE.

He said, "Male and Female," and "on this account" (on account of them being male and female) shall the two be made one. Not male and male; not female and female; not "first Amy then Jessica." Not "first Ben then John"; no addition or subtraction. Anything contradicting Jesus' clear teaching (which is the Creation Standard) is a horrific, degenerate perversion. The equation is simple.   

Paulinists: The Modern-Day Pharisees. Fornicators.

The people stuttering and frothing forth their rebuttals are mostly Paulinists, who have the same divorce rate as the heathens. The other stuttering, frothing bunch of "bible readers" are from the Hebrew Roots/ Back-to-Torah people. Many of them divorce and remarry because they want it. As mentioned before, there are smaller groups within each that will take multiple wives. But why?

As already claimed, Antichrist Paul is another source of error on this issue. Let's unpack this commentary from Got Questions.Org in the article, "What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage?[1]

First Corinthians 7:15 may be another biblical “exception,” allowing remarriage if an unbelieving spouse divorces a believer. The verse says, “But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.” The text is clear that, if an unbelieving spouse leaves a believer, the believer is free to accept the separation and move on with life. He or she is “not bound,” indicating full liberty. The Amplified Bible translates the statement as “the [remaining] brother or sister is not [spiritually or morally] bound.” The believing spouse can work for reconciliation (1 Corinthians 7:11), but he or she is not obligated to remain in the marriage.

If desertion dissolves a marriage, then is remarriage permitted? The context of 1 Corinthians 7:15 does not mention remarriage, except in verse 11, which says a divorced person cannot remarry. But, if “the believing husband or wife is no longer bound to the other” (verse 15, NLT), then it is reasonable to assume that remarriage is allowed. It seems in verse 15 Paul is giving an exception to the rule of verse 11.

For argument's sake, let's pretend that Jesus did make "Fornication" the exception; don't you see that Paul adds an exception? By what authority? Isn't it true that Jesus had every opportunity offer that explanation? Why didn't he? Did he forget? But this loose approach is reflective of what has become the mainstream Paulinist understanding. "Of course God hates divorce--Malachi 2:16. But..." This is the serpent's tactic. This is what defined the Pharisees, Sadducees, and so-called Lawyers. This is what characterizes Paulinists.

Looking at statistics, we find, "It is of:ten assumed that Christian marriages are resilient and unlikely to end in divorce, yet recent studies have revealed that the percentage of Christian marriages that end in divorce is surprisingly high. According to data from the Center for Disease Control, approximately twenty-five percent of Christians divorced in 2016 alone. This statistic reflects a five percent increase over previous years and suggests that Christian divorce rates are continuing to rise"[2]. The Barna Group revealed in a 2008 article "New Marriage and Divorce Statistics Released" the following data points: "In fact, when evangelicals and non-evangelical born again Christians are combined into an aggregate class of born again adults, their divorce figure is statistically identical to that of non-born again adults: 32% versus 33%, respectively." This is tragic. But it's not surprising. When you listen to snakes like Paul, you'll find many reasons to harden your heart, divorce, "move on," and commit adultery. The problem trickles down from Satan, through Paul, through the pulpits, and into the "Legal" realm. Speaking of "Lawyers," let's return to the Longworth Law Firm article, we find this startling confession:

Divorce is costly and certainly a difficult decision, and there are many Christian denominations that have conflicting views on the matter. However, although many denominations strongly admonish divorce, it is not a matter of sin. The Bible does recognize divorce in certain circumstances, such as adultery, showing that God understands each unique situation and offers grace for even seemingly unforgivable acts.

This is another example of Serpent's Speech. The tactic of Antichrist is to blend truth with lie. Is it true that "God understands each unique situation and offers grace for even seemingly unforgivable acts"? A resounding YES. But is it true that "it is not a matter of sin"? NO. First of all "Hardness of heart" itself reveals a problem in the heart and mind of the person who considers divorce--again, "even for the cause of fornication." The sin problem here is unforgiveness. The other sin is breaking one's vows. The other sin is whatever sin caused one spouse to seek divorce. The other sin is "remarriage" of one or both of the spouses after the divorce. How is this not a matter of sin? Isn't it SIN that "caused" divorce to begin with? Clearly, the phony "Lawyer" only intends to increase his profits. If he cared for your soul, he would actually be concerned with the situation and would provide the true solution: counseling toward reconciliation. At worst, they would advise against remarriage. What do they do instead? They parrot Antichrist, ignore Jesus, and write a bill of divorce. "Sign here."

Conclusion

Divorce and Remarriage are abominable. Divorce is a sin with compounding interest. Polygyny likewise. "Moses," "Paul," "Pastors," and "Christian Lawyers" are no help, for they design and protect the excuses used for committing the sins. They offer a "grace" that tolerates sin rather than a grace that deals with the root cause. The only possible solution is a return to Jesus' words, which are very clear on the matter.

For anyone who has divorced: remain single until your living spouse dies.

For anyone remarried, I would pray to The Father and ask for clear knowledge on what to do moving forward and obey.

Is there grace? Yes. Is this an excuse to justify and perpetuate your sin? No. 

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[1] What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage?; Got Questions . Org

[2] Christian Divorce Rates; Longworth Law Firm P.C.