Dear Christian Believer,
"Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die'; and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he shall die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself." Ezekiel 3:17-21
According to that passage, would you say that I have a responsibility to warn others about certain things? I would agree. We do have responsibilities to warn others. Whether or not they heed our words (or those from Scripture) is between them and God, but we are responsible nonetheless. So, having said that...
Do you believe in divorce? Do you believe that Jesus gave an occasion for divorce? Well, guess what? You are dead wrong in your belief regarding divorce and remarriage. If you are humble enough to listen to someone else (but more specifically to the Bible), I will prove it to you quick and easy.
First of all, in Malachi 2:16 it says, "'For I hate divorce' says the Lord, the God of Israel." Do we honestly think that Jesus, Who is God, Who never changes, Who hates divorce, would contradict Himself and turn around and allow divorce? Of course not!
Second of all, in Matthew 19:3-9, the Pharisees came and asked Jesus if it was lawful to divorce for any reason. Jesus' response is found in verses 4-6. Note that he did not give them an occasion for divorce, but said, "What God has joined together let no man separate."
Third of all, according to the Bible, when does adultery take place? According to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Romans, it takes place after divorce. Let's prove it, shall we?
1. "Everyone who divorces his wife...makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." Matt. 5:32
The person who marries a divorcee is committing adultery.
2. "Whoever divorces his wife...and marries another woman commits adultery." Matt. 19:9
The person who divorces their spouse and marries another commits adultery.
3. "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery." Mark 10:11-12
The person who divorces their spouse and marries another commits adultery.
4. "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery." Luke 16:18
The person who divorces their spouse and marries another commits adultery, and the person who marries a divorcee commits adultery.
5. "So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man." Rom. 7:3
Again, being married to another while your spouse lives is committing adultery.
6. "A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord." 1 Cor. 7:39
7. "But to the married I give instructions (not I, but the Lord), that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife." 1 Cor. 7:10-11
You are to remain single for the rest of your life or be reconciled to your spouse. The only out is if your spouse dies.
8. "Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4
Not just among Christians, among all! Marriage is a serious matter; a serious institution to enter into. It is not to be taken lightly!
Every covenant in the Bible is until death. When we marry, that is part of our vows: "Until death do us part." Speaking of vows, what does Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 say? When we marry, we are making vows and entering a covenant, not only with our spouse but also with God.
According to the Bible, remarriage after divorce is committing adultery. In fact, the Greek word translated "commits" is in the middle voice, which is present tense continuous, meaning a constant state of adultery. For every minute they are remarried while their spouse lives, they are committing adultery. The only way to repent and receive forgiveness for this sin is to get out of that remarriage and obey 1 Cor. 7:10-11. 1 Cor. 6:9-10 and Gal. 5:19-21 make it clear that adulterers will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
So there you have it. The Bible itself has proven you in error with your beliefs/teachings regarding divorce and remarriage. There is never an exception! There is grounds for separation, but it must follow 1 Cor. 7:10-11. If your husband beats you, separate from him, get him help, charge him if need be, but remain true to him, pray for his salvation, and your end goal must be to be reconciled to him. Otherwise, you are commanded to remain single or wait until he dies to be free from him.
Bathsheba is never called David's wife, but always "Uriah's wife." When Herodias divorced her husband, Phillip, and married Herod, John the baptizer referred to her as "Phillip's wife." In God's eyes, you are the husband/wife of your divorced spouse because He never annulled that marriage. You made your vows and entered into your covenant...so keep it!
Remarriage (except where your spouse has died) is committing adultery!
"Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die'; and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he shall die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself." Ezekiel 3:17-21
According to that passage, would you say that I have a responsibility to warn others about certain things? I would agree. We do have responsibilities to warn others. Whether or not they heed our words (or those from Scripture) is between them and God, but we are responsible nonetheless. So, having said that...
Do you believe in divorce? Do you believe that Jesus gave an occasion for divorce? Well, guess what? You are dead wrong in your belief regarding divorce and remarriage. If you are humble enough to listen to someone else (but more specifically to the Bible), I will prove it to you quick and easy.
First of all, in Malachi 2:16 it says, "'For I hate divorce' says the Lord, the God of Israel." Do we honestly think that Jesus, Who is God, Who never changes, Who hates divorce, would contradict Himself and turn around and allow divorce? Of course not!
Second of all, in Matthew 19:3-9, the Pharisees came and asked Jesus if it was lawful to divorce for any reason. Jesus' response is found in verses 4-6. Note that he did not give them an occasion for divorce, but said, "What God has joined together let no man separate."
Third of all, according to the Bible, when does adultery take place? According to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Romans, it takes place after divorce. Let's prove it, shall we?
1. "Everyone who divorces his wife...makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." Matt. 5:32
The person who marries a divorcee is committing adultery.
2. "Whoever divorces his wife...and marries another woman commits adultery." Matt. 19:9
The person who divorces their spouse and marries another commits adultery.
3. "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery." Mark 10:11-12
The person who divorces their spouse and marries another commits adultery.
4. "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery." Luke 16:18
The person who divorces their spouse and marries another commits adultery, and the person who marries a divorcee commits adultery.
5. "So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man." Rom. 7:3
Again, being married to another while your spouse lives is committing adultery.
6. "A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord." 1 Cor. 7:39
7. "But to the married I give instructions (not I, but the Lord), that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife." 1 Cor. 7:10-11
You are to remain single for the rest of your life or be reconciled to your spouse. The only out is if your spouse dies.
8. "Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4
Not just among Christians, among all! Marriage is a serious matter; a serious institution to enter into. It is not to be taken lightly!
Every covenant in the Bible is until death. When we marry, that is part of our vows: "Until death do us part." Speaking of vows, what does Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 say? When we marry, we are making vows and entering a covenant, not only with our spouse but also with God.
According to the Bible, remarriage after divorce is committing adultery. In fact, the Greek word translated "commits" is in the middle voice, which is present tense continuous, meaning a constant state of adultery. For every minute they are remarried while their spouse lives, they are committing adultery. The only way to repent and receive forgiveness for this sin is to get out of that remarriage and obey 1 Cor. 7:10-11. 1 Cor. 6:9-10 and Gal. 5:19-21 make it clear that adulterers will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
So there you have it. The Bible itself has proven you in error with your beliefs/teachings regarding divorce and remarriage. There is never an exception! There is grounds for separation, but it must follow 1 Cor. 7:10-11. If your husband beats you, separate from him, get him help, charge him if need be, but remain true to him, pray for his salvation, and your end goal must be to be reconciled to him. Otherwise, you are commanded to remain single or wait until he dies to be free from him.
Bathsheba is never called David's wife, but always "Uriah's wife." When Herodias divorced her husband, Phillip, and married Herod, John the baptizer referred to her as "Phillip's wife." In God's eyes, you are the husband/wife of your divorced spouse because He never annulled that marriage. You made your vows and entered into your covenant...so keep it!
Remarriage (except where your spouse has died) is committing adultery!