This topic was facilitated by deaconess Margaret Opara over the last few Wednesdays and below are her notes covering the topic…
Marriage
The Bible Defines Marriage as a Covenant: God sketched his original plan for marriage in Genesis 2:22-24 when one man (Adam) and one woman (Eve) united together to become one flesh
God’s purpose: Gen 1:27-28; Gen 2: 18-24
God’s kind of Marriage: In Malachi 2:14, marriage is described as is a holy covenant before God. In the Jewish custom, God’s people signed a written agreement at the time of the marriage to seal the covenant. The marriage ceremony, therefore, is meant to be a public demonstration of a couple’s commitment to a covenant relationship. It’s not the “ceremony” that’s important; it’s the couple’s covenant commitment before God and men.
2 Corinthians 6:13-18: By way of return then, do this for me—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also [to us].
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership has the right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness?…………..
God’s commandment to Marriage:
To both Couples: Eph 5:20-21
To wives: Eph 5:22-23
To Husbands: Eph 5:25-33
Divorce
We will find the genesis of why divorce was allowed in Deu 22: 19-25; 24: 1-4
And they shall fine him 100 shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman because he has brought an evil name upon a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife; he may not divorce her all his days……..
Again, the selfishness of mankind Jeremiah 3: 1-8
God Hate divorce Malachi 2:13-16
God’s point of View: Matt 19:3-12
Matt 5:31-32; Mark 10:2-14; Luke 16: 18
Mark 10: 11-13
What are biblical reasons or grounds for divorce?
Matthew 5:32
But I tell you, Whoever dismisses and repudiates and divorces his wife, except on the grounds of unfaithfulness (sexual immorality), causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery.
Matthew 19:9
I say to you: whoever dismisses (repudiates, divorces) his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
John 7:53 8:1-11
Remarriage
On what basis could we remarry according to the Bible?
1 Corinthians 7:12-13
12 To the rest I declare—I, not the Lord [for Jesus did not discuss this]—that if any brother has a wife who does not believe [in Christ] and she consents to live with him, he should not leave or divorce her.13 And if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she should not leave or divorce him.
1 Corinthians 7:15-16
For the unbelieving husband is set apart (separated, withdrawn from heathen contamination, and affiliated with the Christian people) by union with his consecrated (set-apart) wife, and the unbelieving wife is set apart and separated through union with her consecrated husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean (unblessed heathen, [a]outside the Christian covenant), but as it is they are [b]prepared for God [pure and clean].15 But if the unbelieving partner [actually] leaves, let him do so; in such [cases the remaining] brother or sister is not morally bound. But God has called us to peace.16 For, wife, how can you be sure of converting and saving your husband? Husband, how can you be sure of converting and saving your wife?
1 Peter 3:1-2
In like manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives,2 When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your [a]reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him—to honour, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband].
Luke 16:18; Matt 19:3-9
Solutions
2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Colossians 3:12-14
We welcome your comments below.
This is a topic where we definitely need to rely on the Holy Spirit and not on popular or personal opinion. I agree with everything the bible has to say on the matter. Whatever, the reason why people will divorce or remarry, didn’t we read that marrying someone who is divorced is adultery? If so, adultery is sin. Divorce is not an excuse to remarry. One of the fruits of the spirit is self-control and it’s amazing that mainly divorced or separated Christian women have it and not the men – the Holy Spirit stills helps anyone who needs the fruit of self control, just ask him!
I think that if anyone divorces and remarries they are committing adultery as the bible has said and if someone continues in adultery unrepentant they will not go to heaven – Exodus chapter 20 verse 14 and Revelations chapter 21 verse 8.
Thank you for sharing your insights. We pray that God will give his people the grace and wisdom to obey him.