What Does The Bible Say About Marriage
God created us in his own image, meaning our relationship should also reflect the image of God.
God saw that Adam was lonely, so he created Eve. He wanted them to comfort and help one another while sharing a strong, loyal bond. Part of this bond was to create a stable home and produce children who would know and love God.
When he finished all of his creations, he told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply .
To protect ones marriage and bond, a husband and wife must remain monogamous and keep their marriage bed pure.
Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband .
What Does The Bible Mean When It Says God Hates Divorce What About Remarriage
Its fascinating, isnt it.just how nervous we as Christians can be of context, of nuance and complexity. Just like the rest of the wider society, our beliefs can be so tightly bound to our identities, that rarely do we read beyond the headline, the tagline, the Facebook status or tweet or the single Bible verse that confirms with certainty what we either already believed or always feared.
If were honest, all of us have formed some deeply held opinions based on tiny portions of text that presented in an impassioned, black-or-white tone of voice. And it feels good, doesnt it, because life moves so fast, that its actually hard to find time to read longer, dig deeper, think harder and ultimately ask tougher questions. How many of our recent political opinions are based on a Facebook post we read and reacted strongly to? Even more seriously, how many of our Christian beliefs are based on single Bible verses we shouted Amen to without knowing the context they were written in?
For I hate divorce! Says the Lord, the God of Israel
Malachi 2:16
Of all the Bible verses about divorce, this or some variation of the statement God hates divorce, must be among the most recited by Christians. Its right there, in black-and-white, so what is there to debate? Yet it would be interesting to poll how many Christians know that this is only half of the verse.
Part 1 – God hates divorce, what does this mean for those who find themselves in abusive relationships?
Four Grounds For A Christian To Divorce
The Christian faith does not promote or encourage divorce. It does not casually condone divorce or take it lightly. But it does allow it in certain circumstances. What might those be? The creation image of becoming one flesh provides a clue. God intends a married couple to become so close physically, emotionally and spiritually that they are as one flesh. When something so serious comes between them that they can no longer be one, their marital bond has broken. This brokenness, is a harsh reality that the marriage is over. Many times, marriages end in brokenness even before someone decides to file for divorce.
Also Check: Florida Alimony Reform 2022-2023
What Does The Bible Say Aboutmarriage
As a Christian Counselor, I get many questions regarding what Gods intends in marriage and when is divorce an option. Before, looking at divorce allowances in Scripture, lets examine Gods plan for a marriage.
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27
Like us if you are enjoying this content.
Only the Lord is perfect in all of the above. Our capacity to reflect Gods perfect character traits of love, justice, and compassion is tainted by sin.
Adams sin caused the image of God to be broken beyond our ability to repair. Sin, in the Christian sense, is not just doing something wrong, it is an attack against the Lord God who is the sustainer of life in the cosmos. It is only through a miracle of God that we can repair the damage brought on by sin entering the world in Genesis 3.
That miracle occurred when the God sent His only Son to repair the damage by bearing the penalty upon Himself. Therefore, God demonstrated mercy and justice to us at the same time on the cross. Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10 conveys the truth that being covered by the blood of the Jesus and putting on the new self-enables us to pursue true righteousness and holiness.
What Does The Bible Say About Divorce
Almost 50% of marriages end in divorce. What are the biblical consequences of divorce and what can separated couples do to preserve their marriage?
What Does the Bible Say About Divorce?
Brother Andrew Taaca: Some people wonder why married members of the Church Of Christ are prohibited from getting a divorce. Whats the basis in such a prohibition, when separation and divorce are considered by many as a popular option when a is not going as planned?
Brother Mark Crelencia: Stay tuned for the answer, here, on The Message.
Don’t Miss: Can You Get Alimony After 5 Years Of Marriage
Reconciling Faith And Science In A Medical Crisis
Dr. Lee Warren is a neurosurgeon who has faced many heavy challenges in his life from serving in the Iraq War to removing deadly brain tumors to experiencing the loss of a teenage son. Hell share about his difficult quest to find answers to some of lifes toughest questions, while holding onto his faith in God and the sure hope of heaven
The Biblical Grounds For Divorce:
Based on the passages above, we can say with confidence that a believer may initiate divorce in the following cases:
1. Her husband has committed adultery with another mans wife.2. Her husband has had homosexual sex with a man.3. Her husband has had sex with an animal.4. Her husband has had sex with a relative.5. Her husband no longer wishes to be married to her because of her Christian faith.
In any of the five above cases the believer may pursue a divorce.
You May Like: How Long Do You Have To Be Married For Alimony
What God Has Joined Together Let No Man Separate
In the beginning of the Book of Genesis, we see God made us male and female. He gave this first couple, and then all mankind, the instruction to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. But in Genesis 6, man openly rebelled against God. Genesis 6:7 tells us God said, I am sorry that I have made them.
There are four words listed in The New Strongs Expanded Concordance of the Bible that mean dissolution of the vows. The word in the book of Mark is Strongs #647, the Greek word apostasion. It is defined as Separative. A defection. A standing off. Writing a bill of divorcement.
Jesus quotes the Old Testament in the Book of Mark and adds further clarification:
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and the two shall become one flesh consequently, they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate .
Can A Rightly Divorced Person Remarry
When the Bible permits divorce, it is so that the wronged or abandoned party may remarry. Thats what a certificate of divorce is. Therefore, in any case where a divorce is biblically permissible, it is by definition also permissible for the wronged or abandoned party to remarry. In Matthew 5:31-32 Jesus says:
It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Here Jesus is simply saying that if a divorce is not legitimate, then the remarriage is not legitimate. If the divorce is legitimate , then the remarriage is legitimate.
Similarly the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7 that if the unbelieving spouse does not want to stay in the marriage and does not want to live with an active and obvious Christian, then the believer should let them go. In such cases the believer is not bound that is to say they are free to remarry. The Pillar Commentary on 1 Corinthians 7 makes that point clearly:
Not bound here refers to freedom to remarry. Instone-Brewer explains: The only freedom that makes any sense in this context is the freedom to remarry ll Jewish divorce certificates and most Greco-Roman ones contained the words you are free to marry any man you wish, or something very similar.
Read Also: How Long To Be Married For Alimony
The Role Of The Church
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 . That person is subject to the steps of church discipline as outlined in Matthew 18:15-17. 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 . When the discipline results in such a reclassification of the disobedient spouse as an outcast or unbeliever, the faithful partner would be free to divorce according to the provision for divorce as in the case of an unbeliever departing, as stated in 1 Corinthians 7:15. Before such a divorce, however, reasonable time should be allowed for the possibility of the unfaithful spouse returning because of the discipline.
What Should You Do When Your Spouse Wants Out
Do Be PatientPatience buys time. No matter how difficult, take life one day at a time. Make decisions one by one. Overcome obstacles separately. Start with matters you can do something about. Patiently work out how to deal with situations or problems that seem overwhelming. Take time to seek wise counsel.
Do Ask a Trusted Third PartyDo you know someone that your departing spouse holds in high esteem? If so, ask that person to intervene in your marriage. It may be a pastor, a friend, her parent, or even one or more of your children . Ask the person to spend time with your mate, to listen to her, and to do everything possible to influence her to agree to marriage counseling or our intensive marriage weekend workshop. Our experience is that often a spouse who absolutely refuses counseling or a workshop when asked by a spouse will agree, if reluctantly, when urged by a third party that they deeply care for.
Do Prove You Have ChangedRather than focusing only on the faults of your spouse, admit your own weaknesses. When you begin working on improving yourself in those areas, you benefit yourself. You also make strides toward salvaging your marriage.
Recommended Reading: What Happens If You Don T Pay Alimony
Mothers And Sons: Being A Godly Influence
Rhonda Stoppe describes her early motherhood challenges of raising a son, which was intimidating to her. She found help through group of older women mentors. She urges moms to see their role as ministry in shaping sons to be good and godly men. Rhonda outlines several practical suggestions to moms about spiritual training, how to communicate with boys, and supporting the father-son relationship as a wife.
When Does The Bible Allow Divorce
Another friend, Monica, calls you often with complaints about her husband. It seems he can never do anything right, and youre concerned that Monica has started to obsess about what a man of God your churchs new, single pastor is. You suspect Monica might be getting a bit infatuated. Youre concerned about her. Could she be considering divorce?
Meanwhile, a third friend, Mary Ann, is consumed with guilt about the past. After studying the Bible, she has come to the conclusion that she divorced for selfish reasons, not biblical ones. Because her ex-husband is remarried, Mary Ann cant remedy this wrong. She is having a terrible time hearing anything you tell her about Gods forgiveness.
When we face challenging marital circumstances , we may struggle with deep, hard questions: What are the biblical grounds for divorce? Are my marriage struggles just the product of two sinners marrying? Or are these struggles legitimate grounds for divorce? How can Gods Word help me discern what is right?
Many Americans Are Divorcing Today
The National Center for Family and Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University reports …
Also Check: How Do I Find Divorce Records In Louisiana
How A Former Abortion Doctor Became Pro
As an abortion doctor at Planned Parenthood, Dr. Patti Giebink believed she was helping women. Later, she began reading scripture and God gradually changed her heart on the abortion issue. Patti tells the story of her long journey from abortion doctor to pro-life and encourages listeners to share the message of life with compassion.
Sharing Your Faith With Grace And Purpose
You can confidently and lovingly share your faithyou just need to learn some new tactics to do so! In this Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast, apologist Greg Koukl outlines the Columbo tactic of asking questions, the self-defeating argument tactic to find holes in your opponents arguments, and other specific methods for engaging in faith-building conversations with others. Greg pulls from his over 30 years of experience debating atheists and agnostics to help you share your faith with grace and truth.
Recommended Reading: Married 4 Months Want Divorce
Not Every Marriage Is Blessed
We tend to think that EVERY marriage is blessed and seen as holy by God because of what weve been taught, but not every marriage is! God does not call holy that which is unholy. God desires us to be like Himself, to be able to …distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean . If we do not have this discernment, we can make or continue in a fatal marriage.
JUST BECAUSE WE ARE MARRIED BY THE LAW, IT DOESNT MEAN THAT THE LAWGIVER HIMSELF HAS MARRIED US.
God Hates Actions That Hurt
31 It was also said, Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,
1 When a man takes a wife and marries her, then it shall be, if she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a certificate of divorce, put it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2 When she has departed out of his house, she may go and be another mans wife. 3 If the latter husband hates her, and write her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house or if the latter husband dies, who took her to be his wife 4 her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she is defiled for that would be an abomination to Yahweh. You shall not cause the land to sin, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance. 5 When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out in the army, neither shall he be assigned any business. He shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he has taken.
1 If anyone sins, in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, he being a witness, whether he has seen or known, if he doesnt report it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
2 Or if anyone touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean animal, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and it is hidden from him, and he is unclean, then he shall be guilty.
Recommended Reading: Cost Of Uncontested Divorce In Texas
The Meaning Of Any Cause Divorce
This was a shocking statement for the crowd and for the disciples. It meant they couldnt get a divorce whenever they wanted itthere had to be a lawful cause. It also meant that virtually every divorced man or women was not really divorced, because most of them had any cause divorces. Luke and Matthew summarized the whole debate in one sentence: Any divorced person who remarried was committing adultery , because they were still married. The fact that they said any divorced person instead of virtually all divorced people is typical Jewish hyperbolelike Mark saying that everyone in Jerusalem came to be baptized by John . It may not be obvious to us, but their first readers understood clearly what they meant.
Within a few decades, however, no one understood these terms any more. Language often changes quickly . The early church, and even Jewish rabbis, forgot what the any cause divorce was, because soon after the days of Jesus, it became the only type of divorce on offer. It was simply called divorce. This meant that when Jesus condemned divorce for any cause, later generations thought he meant divorce for any cause.
How God Feels About Divorce And You
Devotional Scripture:
Key Verse: Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. Mark 10:7-8
I need to level with you. I argued with God about writing this post. When I turned the page and saw that the topic of Mark 10:1-12 focused on divorce, I wanted to skip it. But I made a promise to my fellow Bible studiers that I wouldnt skip the hard parts of Scripture. When we tackle a text, we tackle all of it.
Besides, this isnt my wordits Gods. I dont need to apologize for it. I dont need to sugar coat it. God can stand up for himself.
The Bible begins by describing Gods picture-perfect ordering of the universe. Included in that is the creation of man and woman, and the establishment of marriage. Genesis 2:24 says, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh .
This is the verse Jesus quotes when the Pharisees approach him and ask, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? They hoped to corner Jesus into saying something offensive, but Jesus simply responds by asking them a question. What did Moses command you? Well, they say, Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away . In other words, Moses said sure.
God Does Not Stand Behind Divorce
God Stands Behind His People
Recommended Reading: Divorce Lawyers In Orlando Fl