Divorce and Remarriage

If she repents from her sin of unbiblical divorce, the true fruits of that repentance would be to seek reconciliation with her former husband Matt. The same is true for a man who divorces unbiblically 1 Cor. The only time such a person could remarry another is if the former spouse remarries, proves to be an unbeliever, or dies, in which cases reconciliation would no longer be possible. The Bible also gives a word of caution to anyone who is considering marriage to a divorcee.

If the divorce was not on biblical grounds and there is still a responsibility to reconcile, the person who marries the divorcee is considered an adulterer Mark Believers who pursue divorce on unbiblical grounds are subject to church discipline because they openly reject the Word of God. The one who obtains an unbiblical divorce and remarries is guilty of adultery since God did not permit the original divorce Matt.

That person is subject to the steps of church discipline as outlined in Matthew If a professing Christian violates the marriage covenant and refuses to repent during the process of church discipline, Scripture instructs that he or she should be put out of the church and treated as an unbeliever v.

Before such a divorce, however, reasonable time should be allowed for the possibility of the unfaithful spouse returning because of the discipline. The leadership in the local church should also help single believers who have been divorced to understand their situation biblically, especially in cases where the appropriate application of biblical teaching does not seem clear.

Again, in some cases this would affect the application of the biblical principles 1 Cor. According to 1 Corinthians 7: The following passages demonstrate this truth: See also II Cor.

Divorce and Remarriage

As long as he was calling himself a brother, they were not to associate with him but rather to expel him from the church. This indicates that his immoral relationship was an ongoing state. Other gross sins are listed as reason for the same action by the church. Consistency calls for discontinuing the adulterous marriage. If two people live in fornication, in order for them to repent we tell them they must stop living together as unmarried people.

If a person lives in incest, we tell him to discontinue that relationship. If two persons of the same sex are married, they must get out of that union, whether or not the State says it is legal.

Divorce and Remarriage

With other sins it is the same: A person who has kidnapped someone must release the person before we would be sure he had truly repented. Why, then, would this not apply also to divorced and remarried persons living in adultery? The fruit of both approaches. Viewing adultery merely as an act fills churches with adulterous unions, undermines existing marriages, justifies having leaders that are divorced and remarried, and shuts the mouths of Christians and church leaders from speaking out against adultery in a society that is becoming more immoral and perverse.

Today, many churches are very little different from the surrounding society in their morals. Viewing adultery as an ongoing state, however, promotes a life of holiness and purity in churches which take this Scriptural position, and provides solid foundations for marriages, a basis for facing difficulties in marriage, and courage and authority to confront sin both in the church and in the society.

This approach best harmonizes Scripture passages on the topic and follows the practice of the Early Church in the first centuries. What about the "exception clause" Mt.

Perspectives

Jesus here clarifies in which situation a man is causing his wife to become an adulteress. He does not give permission for remarriage; in fact, he forbids remarriage even to the adulterous woman. This position allows for separation in certain limited cases, such as homosexuality and prostitution without giving permission for remarriage.

This position best harmonizes with other Bible passages on the topic and is the position of the Early Church for the first five centuries See: Jesus and Divorce, by Heth and Wenham, p. This position also makes the best sense of the disciples' expression of surprise Mat.

What about I Cor. In observing the context, it seems the best understanding is to say: Doesn't Paul say that "each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God called him" and "to remain in the situation which he was in when God called him"?

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They should remain only in situations that are not sinful, as per the examples given: To apply this to a remarriage situation requires one to also say that a person who is single or a widow er when he accepts Christ must always remain that way. Didn't Paul say that if you are loosed from a wife you may marry without sinning? Actually, what he said is "Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned He did not say "if you remarry, you have not sinned.

One must ask the question: While it is true that we are made new creations in Christ, we continue to bear legal and moral responsibilities that existed before conversion. Those who entered into marriage while non-Christians must honor the terms of their marriage contract even after they are in Christ. Persons who were divorced and remarried without scriptural grounds prior to conversion should not feel obligated to withdraw from the subsequent marriage after conversion.

The remarriage that was entered into wrongly constituted an act of adultery, which broke the former marriage. With the former marriage having been dissolved, the remarried person is responsible to be faithful to the new contract. Having broken the former marriage, a person is living in adultery only if he is unfaithful to his present marriage contract. Persons who are divorced, or divorced and remarried on scriptural grounds, are entitled to the full privileges of fellowship and membership in the church. A believer who was divorced—or divorced and remarried—on other than scriptural grounds while still a nonbeliever should likewise be received into full Christian fellowship.

The grace of God in Christ forgives all sin; the person in Christ is a new creation.

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Discretion must be used in the choice of divorced and remarried persons for leadership roles in the church. While all believers are equal members of the Body of Christ, not all members are qualified equally for every office in the church. The offices of elder spiritual leader and deacon business leader in the church are to be filled by those of high moral and spiritual qualifications, whose pattern of exemplary Christian living is so established that it may be followed.

The church should discipline a believer who knowingly secures a divorce on other than scriptural grounds, knowingly marries someone who was divorced on other than scriptural grounds, or whose divorce was granted on other than scriptural grounds and who remarries. The believer should be granted the full privileges of Christian fellowship only after a demonstration of genuine repentance for deliberate departure from scriptural standards. Is God calling you to service?

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