The Most Asked Questions About Divorce & Remarriage 9 The Most Asked Questions About Divorce & Remarriage

PERFECT MARRIAGE 1 Man + 1 Woman Life

Questions Can the innocent party re-marry? Can the guilty party re-marry? What is the proper repentance for the guilty? What do we do with people who are re-married and want to be baptized?

Can a marriage be dissolved and if it can, by what?

When Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; and large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” - Mt. 19:1-3

And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined 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 no man separate.” - Mt. 19:4-6

They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” - Mt. 19:7-9

Adultery is breaking the marriage vow in an unjust way. Opinion A Adultery is breaking the marriage vow in an unjust way. Opinion B Adultery is the sex someone has in the second marriage.

Opinion A – Why? ADULTERY / FORNICATION = Sex outside of marriage = Sex with someone other than your spouse = Breaking of a vow

GREEK GRAMMAR Point Action (Punctiliar) - One Time Linear (Durative) - Continuous

Linear (Continuous) Positions Adultery is committed in re-marrying Dissolution/celibacy necessary for true repentance.

J. McKinney Professor of Greek Harding University Dr. C. Osborne Head of Bible Pepperdine University A.T. Robertson (D) Greek Commentary Dr. R. Kelcy (D) Professor of Greek - Chair, Bible Dept. Oklahoma Christian

More Grammar If the part of the sentence on which the subject is conditional is punctiliar (one time) then the conclusion is also punctiliar.

In Matthew 19:9, the conditional verbs are clearly punctiliar: anyone who divorces = one time and marries another = one time …therefore the conclusion needs to be interpreted in the one time mode as well. commits adultery = one time

PUNCTILIAR (ONE TIME) POSITIONS Breaking of the vow in order to remarry constitutes adultery.

PUNCTILIAR (ONE TIME) POSITIONS Breaking of the vow in order to remarry constitutes adultery. Marriages are dissolved by divorce.

PUNCTILIAR (ONE TIME) POSITIONS Breaking of the vow in order to remarry constitutes adultery. Marriages are dissolved by divorce. Divorce without just cause is the sin not remarriage.

What about the Guilty Party? Repentance Brings Forgiveness /Restoration Guilty do not need to dissolve or be celibate

What about the Guilty Party? Divorce is the sin, not remarriage

What about the Guilty Party? Divorce is the sin, not remarriage Jesus makes all the restitution

What about the Guilty Party? Divorce is the sin, not remarriage Jesus makes all the restitution No example in the New Testament

What about the Guilty Party? Divorce is the sin, not remarriage Jesus makes all the restitution No example in the New Testament No example in any church history

“It was said, ‘WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. - Matthew 5:31-32

Innocent party considered an adulterer. Grammar Again Active Innocent party considered an adulterer.

Innocent party commits adultery if they remarry. Grammar Again Active Innocent party commits adultery if they remarry.

Grammar Again Active Anyone who marries the innocent party in a divorce is also guilty of adultery.

Grammar Again Passive The innocent party is “tainted” by the stigma of immorality and so is any future partner.

What About the Innocent Party? Jesus removes the burden from the victim and places it squarely at the feet of the one who unjustly divorces: Commits adultery Destroys the marriage Stigmatizes the innocent party and future legitimate partners

The “passive” tense agrees with… The general principle of Grace in the gospel. Paul’s teaching in I Corinthians 7:15;28

Both Guilty and Innocent have access to God’s mercy and grace in Christ.