1. Why Christians disagree & the Matthean Exception
Divorce & Remarriage
Why Christians disagree
& the Matthean Exception

2. Matthean Exception (5:31-2)
Divorce
It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for *marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
NIV Version
Divorce
'It has also been said, Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal. But I say this to you, everyone who divorces his wife, except for the case of *an illicit marriage, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Jerusalem Bible
* ‘Porneia’ in the Greek texts

3. Clue 1
St Matthew’s Gospel is the only Synoptic Gospel to contain this phrase in which Jesus seems to allow an exception of any kind – the other two Gospels don’t mention any exception.

4. Clue 2
Porneia usually carries the meaning of sexual sin, fornication, unlawful intercourse (some marriages permitted in Greek-Roman culture might be seen as incestuous in early Judeo-Christian understanding)
Moichea is a Greek word that specifically means adultery, unfaithfulness

5. Clue 3
In Matthew 15, Jesus mentions the two words porneia and moichea together:
For from the heart come evil intentions: murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, slander. These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating with unwashed hands does not make anyone unclean.'
moichea,
porneia,

6. Clue 4 In Jesus’ time there were two opinions about divorce:
A man could divorce his wife for adultery (Rabbi Shammai’s school of thought)
A man could divorce his wife for a range of lesser ‘offences’ (Rabbi Hillel’s school of thought)

7. Clue 5
The betrothal period in a Jewish marriage at the time of Jesus could last up to a year
The couple were considered on the threshold of marriage
They lived apart; the man was expected to get the household ready
Then there was a ceremony marking the fact that their full married life had begun

8. Clue 6
St Matthew is the only evangelist (Gospel writer) who tells us of the dilemma St Joseph had when he discovered his young betrothed (Mary) was pregnant
His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally.

9. Task
Why do Christians disagree as to whether divorced Christians should be allowed to remarry in Church?