Is divorce permissible in the Bible?

Answer 1

If you remember the Jewish leaders tried to trap Jesus with a question about divorce. He told them finally that God gave them the right to divorce but it wasn't God's will. It was because of the hardness of their hearts. People many times don't want to work through their problems nowadays, just dispose of a relationship and go on to the next one. God values relationships, that is one reason He created us, so we could have that relationship with Him. It is also one reason He sent Jesus to die for our sins, to restore what was lost when Adam sinned. Corinthians outlines a couple of reasons for divorce, but it is better to work it out with God's help.

Answer

• Divorce is never permissible. Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:11, Luke 16:18
• Only when the wife is unfaithful . Matthew 5:32, Matthew 19:9
• When the 'unbelieving' partner chooses to leave . 1 Corinthian 7:15
• When the husband is displeased with his wife . Deuteronomy 24:1-2

Comments

(1) re Divorce never permissible

Mat 19:3 Then some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful to divorce a wife forany cause?"

Mat 19:4 He answered, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female, [See Genesis 1:27]

Mat 19:5 and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? [See Genesis 2:24]

Mat 19:6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

Mat 19:7 They said to him, "Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?" [See Deuteronomy 24:1]

Mat 19:8 Jesus said to them, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way.

Mat 19:9 Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery."(LITV)

In an ideal world, there would be no need for divorce. However, we live in an imperfect world, and Moses made that allowance.

(2). Re Only when wife is unfaithful:

Mat 5:32 But I say to you, Whoever puts away his wife, apart from a matter of fornication, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever shall marry the one put away commits adultery.(LITV)

However, what about the man? It takes two to tango:-

Joh 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

Joh 8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. [ Sounds like a set-up job; now he wouldn't be a Pharisee would he?]

Joh 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? [going by the letter of the Law and not the spirit.]

Joh 8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have [reason] to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. [It is thought He was writing down the names of those present with details of their adulteries and immorality.]

Joh 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Joh 8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

Joh 8:9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Joh 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Note that Christ did not say she was a faithful and unjustly-accused woman: He told her to 'sin no more' so she was definitely guilty according to the letter of the Law. However, the Pharisees had broken the spirit of the Law. The only reason they had not legally broken the letter of the Law was that because the existing laws were not enforced.

Deu 27:20 Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:22 Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deu 27:23 Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Lev 19:20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her [ie a slave] ; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

Lev 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Lev 20:11 And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Lev 20:12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

Lev 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Lev 20:14 And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.

Lev 20:17 And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.

Lev 20:19 And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister [ie aunts] : for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

Christ was more heavily critical of the self-righteousness of the Pharisees and their hypocrisy than He was of other sins and sinners.

(3). When the unbelieving partner chooses to leave:-

1Co 7:12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

1Co 7:13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

1Co 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

1Co 7:15 But 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.

This was very relevant in the early church, because commonly only one of the married pair was converted to Christianity. If the unbeliever didn't want to go, then he was not to be forced to go as there was no problem. If the unbeliever did want to go, he was not to be stopped; that way, both could restart their lives anew without concerns of committing adultery with a new person because of their previous marriage, or of not being able to remarry themselves until their partner had died.

(4). When the husband is displeased with his wife.

Deu 24:1 "Suppose a man marries a woman and later decides that he doesn't want her, because he finds something about her that he doesn't like. So he writes out divorce papers, gives them to her, and sends her away from his home. [GNB]

By the time of Christ, there were two Jewish schools of thought on this subject of divorce. Very basically, one was for no divorce period, while the other was very liberal and approved divorce for trivial 'reasons' such as burning the husband's toast, or for a change, or whatever. Guess which one was the more popular! Men were divorcing their wives for no reason and causing them to be seen as adulteresses.

In all these four points, the important thing is the spirit, or intent, of the law: not just the letter of the law. If you keep the spirit of the law, the letter of the law is not broken. If you keep only the letter of the law, the spirit, or intent, of the law is broken. It's the same in all societies and all times.

Answer 2

Mt:19:9: 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.

Yes,but we are also commanded to forgive .

Mt:6:14: For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

So the decision should not be made lightly.

Answer 3

Jesus made provision for the innocent mate of an adulterous affair to seek a divorce.

This is called a 'scriptural' divorce; as contrasted with a 'legal' divorce.

Matthew 19:9 : "I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." (CEB)

(ESV) whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."

The phrase 'except for' -- regarding the topic of 'divorce'; -- shows that in such a situation, an exception is made for the innocent mate; They may 'marry another'. They did not break the bond; the fornicator broke it, by the action of 'sexual unfaithfulness'.