What Does The Bible Say About Divorce & Remarriage, According To Scripture
Divorce is rampant, is it morally right according to the Bible?
pexels No one gets married planning for their divorce. It's heartwrenching to think that all your dreams of being together as husband and wife are gone.
In some states, it's called 'irreconcilable differences'. In other states, one party has to do something wrong such as have an affair, abandon the marriage, or become incarcerated for the law to allow partners to divorce after a period of legal separation.
Whatever the case may be, religious or not, there's a stigma that comes with signing a document that says you've severed your marital bond. And, that stigma is part you, who is dealing with the transition back to a single person, and those who may have religious convictions about divorce (and remarriage).
Some Catholics will say that divorce itself is a sin, but it is not. In the Catholic church, without an annulment, a marital sacrement is not broken through legal separation. You can still take part of the eucharist and even do service within the Church.
The line gets drawn in the sand when it comes to remarriage. And, for Christians of varying faiths this is where things differ. Many Christians cling to the verse 'the Lord hates divorce' and then view the pursuit of it as a sin or something to separate a person from God's love.
But the Bible is clear on this matter, a divorcing spouse is free to go, and if divorce is a sin, the one who is blameless is left without fault. The sin goes with the offender.
Whew.
Statistically speaking, the divorce rate in American is extremely high, and it continues to grow. However, no one really knows if the divorce rate is a reflection of individuals who have been divorced multiple times vs those who have only divorced and never remarried again.
To love is to take a risk. To marry is to increase your stakes. To stay together until death do you part is hard to do because life happens. People change. They marry for the wrong reasons. They decide that they have nothing left in common.
And, for some, there's mental health issues involved and the relationship itself threatens their personal sanity.
Matthew 19 found in the New Testament settles the score in a literal sense when the apostles asked Jesus directly, if divorce is a sin, why then did God allow it during Moses's time. His reply, in an nutshell was and still is, 'because of the hardness of your hearts'.
Men married women and then neglected their role, and this created an uneven control of power that left the woman vulnerable to abuse. God didn't want a person to suffer in a loveless marriage. And, nothing is really worse than being with a person who you know hates you because they are tied to you for life.
As marriage is personally, so is divorce. However, everyone can learn something about what the Bible says regarding the union between a husband and a wife.
The Bible mentions the term divorce comes up multiple times, but it's also matched with a sin, such as adultery, when it speaks about a broken marital bond.
In the Old Testament, for example, Moses states that we are able to obtain divorce for any reason. In the New Testament, and Old Testament, hate is one of those reasons, there are other grounds for it: adultery, fornication, and abandonment.
Obviously, many churches, both denomination and non-denomination are remarrying and performing marital ceremonies for divorcees each day, so there must be some healing and ability to move on, both in the eyes of man and of God. But, really now, who is to judge.
Still, for those who take this to heart and feel as though the letter 'D' is forever imprinted on your conscious as a failure, you'll want to know that you can be okay with God if you do.
And, it's confusing to know what to think when so many opinions swarm out there about the topic, from a religions standpoint.
Here are 3 quotes taken from the World Edition Bible where the topic of divorce and remarriage are explored answering the question, "What does the Bible say about divorce," according to scripture.
1. Divorce was not part of God's design for marriage.
While it does seem to be permitted it is something that god is not fond of. God created men and women to get married and procreate together so to see them not do that hurts him.
If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)
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2. The person who abandons the marriage is at fault.
God wants men and women to keep together in a relationship. That is why if an affair takes place then the victim in that circumstance is not limited by another’s wrongdoing.
The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect... (Malachi 2:16)
3. If your spouse wants a divorce, let them go.
God is working with you to keep your marriage alive. What god wants is for you to stay with your husband/wife unless they commit adultery. Future generations must know that marriage is something for life, it’s not something you can be fickle about and move in and out of.
It is also to be said that if your husband/wife dies then you are allowed to date once again, and love someone again once more.
But if the unbelieving spouse depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases, for God hath called us to peace. (Corinthians 7:15)
Steven Hall is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.