' this paper will take into consideration some of the teachings in the scriptures which detail on the issue of divorce and remarriage and how the church and the believers can divorce and remarry within the context of the scriptures.'
Divorce and Remarriage: Biblical Perspective
The issue of marriage, divorce, and remarriage is one of the most challenging issues which are grappling humankind in the recent times. This is something which is happening with the confines of the church and beyond the realms of the provisions of God in the scriptures. This is something that has been subject to scrutiny by theologians to find a lasting solution to the problems which can cause divorce and subsequent remarriage. Therefore, this paper will take into consideration some of the teachings in the scriptures which detail on the issue of divorce and remarriage and how the church and the believers can divorce and remarry within the context of the scriptures.
There cannot be divorces without having a marriage first. Thus, marriage is understood as the union of two people, man and woman, who solemnly swear to fidelity, enter a covenant between themselves and to God (Putnam, 2011). This is where they give join themselves before God for a companionship which is lifelong and swear commitment for each other. While God intends that marriage should not be broken, it has been known that in many cases, it is not the case. This is because partners split due to death, cases of adultery or the depart of intention from either of the partners, in a situation which cannot be remedied by the civil magistrates or the church (Putnam, 2011). However, it is for marital unfaithfulness which sets the ground for the nullification of the marriage.
The teachings of God are that people should forgive each other and love one another. Divorce is not necessitated in marriage at any event, and there should be sessions where the couples are advised to seek aspects of reconciliation. Therefore, is the intention of the church to ensure that couples should not mull over divorce in cases where reconciliation is ongoing. Therefore, when two people are enjoined in a church, and before God, they should live lives which would lead to the annulment of their holy matrimony (Hagin, 2007). They should shy ways from those issues which can lead to one partner seeking a divorce. The only way in which marriage can be broken is when one of the spouses has gone to be with the lord.
Divorce can then be understood as a departure from the purpose and will of God to the institution of marriage. In the old testament, divorce can some extent of the relationship between man and women and easily secured. The same applies to polygamy which is something contrary to the intentions of God in Genesis 1:28. This is reiterated by Malachi 2: 16 where he teaches that “For I hate divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel (RSV). In the New Testament, (Matthew 19.10) Jesus taught that the issue of divorce in the Old Testament was accommodated due to the hardness of the hearts of the people and therefore it became a necessary evil. Jesus then detailed the intention of God that “what therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder (Matt 19:26 RSV). Accordingly, the church has an obligation to ensure that it discourages any cases of divorce as a solution to the problems of marriage. therefore, Christians whether married to a believer or not, should remain in marriage and continue to live with their mate if possible (Pearl, 2016).
There are instances in which the scriptures highlight situation which can lead to divorce in a Christian marriage. While it is not in the intentions of God, there are several instances in which it can be permitted. In Matthew 5:22(RSV), Jesus taught that divorce could only be contemplated if there is a case of fornication or rather adultery from one of the spouses. The Bible, having been translated over time into the Greek language uses the word fornication which can be loosely translated into “whoredom.” This is a term which incorporates all aspects of sexual immorality, including adultery, rape, fornication, and others (Pearl, 2016). all these are actions of sexual waywardness which are activities amounting to marriage desecrations.
However, in the Gospel of Luke 16:18 and Mark 10: 6-10, these provisions are absent. They do not give the conditions of going on with the provisions of the Mosaic conditions of divorce as given in the new age of Jesus Christ. They, however, provide a precise interoperation in the handling of the issue of divorce as depicted as lesser evil (Instone-Brewer, 2002). In their case, divorce is discouraged to create room for the marriage of someone else (Mark 10: 11 RSV). Therefore, it is incumbent for the believer to use divorce as a last resort for marital woes, which are only subject to whoredom and not for creating room for someone else. If one of the spouses in marriage is involved in marriage is involved in whoredom, the other mate is permitted, but not required, to file for divorce (Instone-Brewer, 2002). However, if a non-believer seeks to abandon a marriage and walks away from their matrimonial home, it can be deduced that the one who was a believer in the marriage should consent to separate. This reiterated in 1 Corinthians 7:15 where “But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases”. This is an indication such a situation can lead to divorce, even if one of the believers is guilty of no wrong as per the scriptures.
In the case where divorce happens, remarriage should be done within the confines of the scriptures, and due process should be followed. This is because those people who engage into improper remarriage sin adultery despite that they are divorced. Therefore, it is prudent that divorced people should abide by the teachings of the scriptures is follow the due process in remarrying. Adultery is one of the capital sins which is mentioned in the Ten Commandments and therefore every person, should not indulge in wayward sexual behavior based on the misfortunes which have befallen them. Marriage is a union which was sanctified by God when he created Adam and Eve, and therefore people should emulate that example to stay holy and God-fearing.
In the Christian perspective, marriage is by divine intention that those people who are getting married to remain the holy matrimony should be united inseparably. It gives no precedence of dissolution before the God and the church until death does them apart. These confessional statements which people make in the church are bound to be obeyed by everyone and that every person should not contemplate doing activities which can jeopardize it (Pearl, 2016). However, there are situations where the weakness of people has precipitated situations where one or both partners have taken paths which have compromised marriage vows. It is this consideration that situations, where there is extreme unfaithfulness in realms of physical or spiritual,should be considered. However, there should be high levels of unfaithfulness which are beyond intervention and remedy. This is when divorce should be considered if there is admissible evidence that any attempts to thwart dissolution of marriage have been unsuccessful.
The church, under the guidance of the redemption of Jesus Christ and his teachings, may invoke sanctions for divorce and remarriage of people if there is clear evidence for the penitence of sin and failure by one of the couples has manifested itself (Hagin, 2007). The aspect of remarriage is permitted in the scriptures under several occurrences of someone’s life. After a divorce and one of the partner dies, then the remaining party can be permitted to marry. 1 Corinthians 7: 39 and Romans 7: 2 (RSV) makes it abundantly clear that death is an event which dissolves a marriage. Therefore, this informs the vows which are exchanged in the church before God “till death do us apart.”
However, it is not a straightforward activity for all those who were in marriage. The innocent party of adultery in marriage is the one who is supposed to remarry. This is taught by Jesus in Matthew 5: 32 (RSV), where ““Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced (the guilty party) committed adultery.” This implies the innocent has a right to remarry and the right of the guilty to remarry is forbidden. In Mark 10: 11-12 (RSV), it limits any believer who seeks divorce for the purposes of getting married to someone else.
One may wonder if there is inconsistency in the issue if divorce and remarriage in the Old Testament and the New Testament. However, what is deductible is that the Jesus was attempting to interpreting in the passages in Deuteronomy. This is in the sense that in Deuteronomy, where it gives the provisions of “putting away” of a wife, inducing divorce and subsequent remarriage (Ward Powers, 2013). Jesus in the gospels did not refute this notion or change the nature of marriage. He, however, rejected all the rationalization which was extra -scripture and the excuse of divorce for the cause of remarriage. This is in the manner of that he allows only the remaining party who was not guilty in marriage has the right to remarry without guilt.
1 Corinthians 7 teaches the grounds which can be used to permit divorce especially when the unbelieving partner “depart” from the marriage. However, departing on the purposes of remarriage is highly discouraged and not permitted as per verses 11. This is where “But if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.” The verse explains that if the unbelieving deserting party does not remarry or is not deceased, neither should the one who was left remarry (Ward Powers, 2013). In this case, when two people are non-believers, they divorce, things change when is converted to Christianity and has never remarried. It is the prerogative of the church to attempt to restore the broken marriage and of the other non-believer refuses to be reunited with the other partner, the marriage should be treated as described in 1 Corinthians 7: 15.
Therefore, if a person is divorced on other grounds which are not as given in the spiritual ground and one of them remarries, the scriptures define what that union becomes. In Matthew and 19: 9 and 5: 32 (RSV), on spiritual grounds, the person has committed the sin of anadulterer or rather fornication. The person has broken the initial intention of marriage and the sanctity of the marriage relationship (Pearl, 2016). From the scriptures, it can be deduced that remarriage is not a command, but rather it is only permitted under some conditions.
It is prudent that people who are spiritual and remarry should enter marriage again with great caution. This is because it is seldom that when there is a marriage failure, for whatever cause, it is impossible to have either one of the partners to be innocent completely. The person who is an applicant for remarriage should demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt to the church that he or she has an attitude of repentance for whatever role they had to the failure of the previous marriage. This is to ensure that one will receive spiritual guidance and counseling to enable him or she avoid the actions and attitudes which are destructive to the marriage. There is a sense in which those people who remarry for having divorced not only the spiritual grounds commit the sin of adultery and results to a sin. Therefore, such marriages should not be officiated by a spiritual clergyman as this is tantamount to aiding in committing of sin or condoning it.
For those who divorced for reasons other than those on religious grounds and then get converted to Christianity, cannot be absolved from the idea of remarrying. While according to the scriptures that people become new creatures after they are converted to Christianity, those people continue to bear the moral and legal responsibilities of the past, or before conversion. This for example, a person who is owed a debt cannot be absolved the obligation and pay a debt after becoming a believer. A non-believer who had children in a previous marriage cannot stop providing for them if he or she gets converted. Those people who contracted obligation under the previous marriage should not abandon them because of being converted.
Therefore, from the biblical perspective which has been discussed, there are several perspectives which can be deduced from it. People who at first divorced and remarried without the guidance and blessing of the church before being converted should not feel obligated to withdraw from such marriage. The act of remarriage which was entered before is understood as the tow having committed the sin of adultery which broke the first marriage. However, with one person making the marriage be dissolved, one is obligated to keep his or her marriage contract in a faithful way. Having been part of a failed marriage, the person can be considered as living in adultery if the person continues to be unfaithful to his or her present marriage.
People who are divorced and remarried, or divorced and single on spiritual grounds should be entitled to full privileges of membership and fellowship in a church. A person who was divorced, remarried and is still a non-believer should have entitlements to full membership and participation in the church. This is essentially because the grace of Christ is enough to forgive all sins and a new person in Christ becomes a new creation in spirit. However, there should be discretion should be exercised in the choices which people who are divorced and married have in leadership places in the church. While it is true that people all people are equal before the grace of Jesus Christ, not all people are similar in their ability to hold offices in the church. For example, the position of spiritual elders and a deacon in a church should be offices which are held by people of high moral and spiritual standards. This is because they have an obligation to exude a behavior which should be emulated by people or other members of the church.
Also, there are issues in which the clergy should consider the person who needs to be involved in full Christian fellowship in a church. One of them is the person who knowingly induced divorce not on religious grounds and taught in the scriptures is liable for scrutiny. The same is on the people who is a believer and remarries someone who was divorced knowingly should be also subjected to the scrutiny by the clergy. This also applies to those people who sought divorce and was granted and then gone on to remarry should also be being subjected to scrutiny by the church. The scrutiny is that the clergy should encourage these people to exude genuine repentance for their sins of deliberately departing from the teachings of the scriptures. This is the only way in one can have full entitlement to the participation and fellowship in the church.
Today, marriages are failing in every corner, and many people are filing for divorce each day, and remarriage is becoming a common feature in the world. There is a sense in which people have to learn to live together in the confines of marriage without having to refer to the benefit of a marriage contract. The church has an obligation to keep the institution of marriage to be as sacred as it is espoused in the scriptures. It should do everything in its capability to maintain and encourage people to stay faithfully and truthfully to their marriage vows. The church should set standards for the issues in the institution of marriage to be within the teachings of the scriptures. The church should then seek to build redemptive and preventive measures of divorce to build a well-defined way of making sure the institution of marriage stands the test of time.
To conclude, marriage is an institution which is sacred and a cornerstone of the society. It is an institution which was established by God in Genesis 1:18 where it is written: “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a help meet for him.” Over the centuries, marriage has enjoyed divine blessings and sanctions which gives the church and the couples in marriage the responsibility to maintain the sacredness and sanctity of marriage. The church should be involved in educating people on what the scriptures demand of them in a husband and wife relation to avoided cases of nullification of marriage and issues which can lead to such extremes of marriage.
References
Hagin, K. (2007). Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage (p. 142). Oklahoma: Faith Library Publications, Incorporated.
Instone-Brewer, D. (2002). Divorce and remarriage in the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans.
Instone-Brewer, D. (2009). Divorce and Remarriage in the Church: Biblical Solution for Pastoral Realities (p. 322). ReadHowYouWant.com, Limited.
Pearl, M. (2016). The Bible on Divorce and Remarriage. Pleasantville, TN: No Greater Joy Ministries.
Putnam, R. (2011). First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Divorce: A Perspective on the Process. Journal Of Divorce & Remarriage, 52(7), 557-564. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2011.615661
Ward Powers, B. (2013). Divorce and Remarriage: The Bible's Law and Grace Approach (p. 144). Sydney: Wipf & Stock Publishers.
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