1. “‘For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband.”
Romans 7:2

2. Marriage
Remarriage?

3. Questions And Consequences
Who can marry? [a scriptural right]
Who cannot marry? [no scriptural right]
What are “sexual immorality” and “adultery”?
Does “not under bondage” mean “free to marry”?
Can the “innocent party” remarry if “guilty” does?
This position is usually called “Mental Divorce”,
or “Post-civil-divorce putting away”
Married or Bound?

4. Mental Divorce Man’s Law ??? God’s Law ??? OR
Counter-issues And Counter-arguments
Man’s Law
???
God’s Law
???
The “unscriptural divorce” argument
attempts to establish that not all divorces seen as
“REAL”, “accepted”, “scriptural”, “in God’s eyes” OR
a divorce NOT for fornication is called “unscriptural”
argument is made that it is not a “REAL” divorce, but
only a divorce in the legal sense by MAN’s law
being under GOD’s law, one put away “unscripturally”
still has the right to a “scriptural” or REAL divorce in
certain circumstances; can marry again without sin
is this taught by the scriptures on marriage & divorce?
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

5. N.T. Marriage and Divorce Scripture
Matthew 5:31-32 [God’s righteousness vs. Man’s]
Their abuse of God’s law resulted in adultery
Matthew 19:8-9 [“is it lawful?” (God’s law)]
Mark 10:11-12 [“is it lawful?” (God’s law)]
Luke 16:18 [self-justified vs. God-justified (His law)]
God’s law, as taught by Jesus correcting the Pharisees
Romans 7:1-3 [“to those who know the law” (God’s)]
1 Cor. 7 [The Lord’s command (God’s law) v. 10]
God’s law, as applied by apostle Paul in his teaching

6. Mental Divorce Man’s Law ??? God’s Law ??? OR
Counter-issues And Counter-arguments
Man’s Law
???
God’s Law
???
The “unscriptural divorce” argument
attempts to establish that not all divorces seen as
“REAL”, “accepted”, “scriptural”, “in God’s eyes” OR
a divorce NOT for fornication is called “unscriptural”
The scriptures make no such distinction!
argument is made that it is not a “REAL” divorce, but
only a divorce in the legal sense by MAN’s law
being under GOD’s law, one put away “unscripturally”
still has the right to a “scriptural” or REAL divorce in
certain circumstances; can marry again without sin
The “unscriptural divorce” argument BEGINS
with supposition rather than with scripture
is this taught by the scriptures on marriage & divorce?
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

7. Mental Divorce Counter-issues And Counter-arguments
The “unscriptural divorce” argument
The “men cannot divorce” (only God can) argument
attempts to establish the reason not all divorces
seen as “REAL”, “accepted”, “scriptural”, “by God”
based in Jesus’ teaching on God’s marriage law:
“Therefore what God has joined together,
let not man separate…” [Mt. 19:6; Mk. 10:9]
God separates only fornicators; man cannot separate
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

8. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
“When an innocent woman is divorced, this divorce is, in the sight of God ‘no divorce.’ He does not recognize it! The innocent woman is still married in God’s sight and the husband who ‘divorced’ her is still married to her in God’s sight. Their marriage has not been dissolved and as far as God is concerned she is not ‘put away’ (apoluo). When her husband remarried he committed adultery. I contend that the innocent may then ‘put away’ her husband. Reason? That is exactly what Christ said she could do!” Ken Cheatham
(The Gospel Anchor, June 1979, Vol. 5, p. 301)
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

9. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
“As far as God is concerned one is ‘not divorced’ except it be for fornication.” KEN CHEATHAM
(The Gospel Anchor, June 1979, Vol. 5, p. 299)
“Remember, to deny this divine right to such a person on the grounds of her being a put away person overlooks the fact that such putting away is futile and dethrones divine authority and enthrones human authority.”
(Searching The Scriptures, Mar 1987, Vl. 28, pp )
MARSHALL PATTON
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

10. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
“And so, in conclusion from this, we learn that an unscriptural divorce releases neither party from marriage. When you have an unscriptural divorce, as men count it, it’s not so with God. That bond is still in tact. And that little piece of paper is nothing in the sight of God. Just as well use it as Kleenex and blow your nose and drop it in the toilet. It doesn’t mean a thing to God. God’s law rules over the laws of men.” Ron Halbrook
(MDR sermon preached in Wilkesville, OH, June 14, 1990)
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

11. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
The Conclusions Summarized
if it’s not lawful, it’s not legitimate
if it’s not approved, it’s not actual
if it’s not permitted, it’s not possible
if it’s not right, it’s not real
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

12. Mental Divorce Counter-issues And Counter-arguments
The “unscriptural divorce” argument
The “men cannot divorce” (only God can) argument
attempts to establish the reason not all divorces
seen as “REAL”, “accepted”, “scriptural”, “by God”
based in Jesus’ teaching on God’s marriage law:
“Therefore what God has joined together,
let not man separate…” [Mt. 19:6; Mk. 10:9]
God separates only fornicators; man cannot separate
is this taught by the scriptures on marriage & divorce?
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

13. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
“…let not man put asunder.” – ASV, DRB, KJV, RV, Web, YLT
“…let not that which has been joined by God be parted by
man.” – Bible in basic English
“Let not man therefore put a sunder, that which God hath
coupled together.” – Bishops’ Bible (1568)
“And no one should separate a couple that God has joined
together.” – Contemp. English Version, German versions
“No human being must separate, then, what God has
joined together.” – Good News Bible
“Therefore, don’t let anyone separate...” – God’s Word
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

14. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
God’s law teaches man what he should not do,
not what is impossible for him to do!
[Romans 2:12-13; 7:7; and Galatians 3:19]
“…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
Did Jesus mean that man CANNOT separate or
that he SHOULD NOT separate what God joined
Why would Jesus say “let not man separate”
what was joined by God if man COULD NOT
The fact that Jesus commands NOT TO separate
indicates that man has the POWER to separate,
but does not have God’s PERMISSION to do so
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

15. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [Matthew 6:3]
“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let (let not - ASV, KJV) your left hand know what your right hand is doing…”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

16. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [Luke 21:21]
“Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

17. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [John 14:1]
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

18. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [John 14:27]
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

19. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [Romans 6:12]
“Therefore do not let (let not – ASV, KJV) sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

20. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [Romans 14:3]
“Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

21. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [Romans 14:16]
“Therefore do not let (let not – ASV, KJV) your good be spoken of as evil…”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

22. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [Ephesians 4:26]
“‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let (let not – ASV, KJV) the sun go down on your wrath.”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

23. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [1 Timothy 5:16]
“If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let (let not – ASV, KJV) the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

24. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [James 1:7]
“Let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord…”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

25. Mental Divorce “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6] [Matthew 19:6]
“Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
[Mark 10:9]
“Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
CANNOT
SHOULD NOT
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

26. Mental Divorce Consider… “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
God condemns murder but does not impede it
God condemns prostitution but does not impede it
God condemns fornication but does not impede it
God condemns unlawful divorce but has not made
it impossible to attain one – He does not impede it
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

27. Mental Divorce Consider… “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
Marriages as seen in the Bible
Right or Wrong
Real or Unreal
Approved or Unapproved
Actual or Apparent
N O T ↓
Lawful or Unlawful
“In God’s eyes” or
“In man’s eyes”
Permitted or Prohibited
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

28. (approved, lawful, permitted)
“…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
Consider…
The Marriage of Herod and Herodias
[Mark 6:17-18]
“For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her.
Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
It was not right
(approved, lawful, permitted)
but it was still real
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

29. Mental Divorce Consider… “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
The use of “Wife” in the Bible
Concubine [Gn 16:3; 25:1, 5-6 & 1 Ch 1:32; Judges 19:1-5, 7, 9; 20:4]
Betrothed person [Dt 20:7; 22:23-24; Mt 1:18-20; Rev 19:7]
Bride [Judges 14:15-16, 20]
Widow [Rt 4:10; 1 Sm 27:3; 30:5; 2 Sm 2:2; 3:3; 11:26; 12:9-10, 15]
One who is “married” to another [Judges 15:1-2; 1 Sam 25:44;
2 Sam 3:14-16; Mt 14:3-4; Mk 6:17-18; Lk 3:19; 1 Cor 5:1]
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

30. Mental Divorce Consider… “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
1 Corinthians 7:10-11
When a woman “departs” from her
husband – whatever the reason –
she is “unmarried”, or divorced
“Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.
But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.”
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

31. Mental Divorce Consider… “…let not man separate” [Mt 19:6]
Did Jesus Mean What He Said?
[Matthew 19:9]
“And I say to you, whoever divorces [really? Not really?] his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries [really? Not really?] another, commits adultery; and whoever marries [really? Not really?] another, commits adultery; and whoever marries [really? Not really?] her who is divorced [really? Not really?] commits adultery.”
A closer examination of
Mental Divorce

34. God condemns murder, but does not impede it
God condemns prostitution, but does not impede it
God condemns unlawful divorce, but does not impede it
God condemns people who are converted, but fall away; yet, he does not impede it
The Baptists have a similar argument, saying that a person can NEVER fall away once converted – that is, by God’s law, they are ALWAYS a Christian once converted because “nothing can separate them from the love of Christ”!
Thoughts from Luis em Portugal

35. Can the “innocent party” remarry?
The basic position stated:
“Innocent” person is put away “for just any reason”
The “unscriptural divorce” is not recognized by God,
only by the “law of the land”
“Guilty” person eventually marries someone else by
“the law of the land”, which allows for such actions
This position must be true, or else:
“innocent” person who has not sinned must suffer life
of chastity while the “guilty” person lives “Scott free”
“law of land” nullifies God’s law: “innocent” is barred
from obtaining a “scriptural” divorce because civil law
says they’re already divorced [but not “in God’s eyes”]!
“Mental Divorce”