Is Remarriage after Divorce, Adultery?

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How many believe in second marriages after divorce?

  • Only if divorce was due to sexual infidelity by the spouse?

    Votes: 8 100.0%
  • Only if a written document of divorce is given for any reason?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Allowed if there was physical abuse in the marriage?

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • Allowed if spouse refused to work and help financially?

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    8

1stCenturyLady

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In today's Church it is deemed alright to remarry after divorce by many. Some say only if adultery was involved is the innocent party free to remarry. Old denominations such as the RCC say divorce is not possible under any circumstances. I'm curious how much of our mindset is from the compromising age of Laodecia that we live in. What was the mindset of the early Christians? I like to read what they believed.

There is a piece of Christian literature from the late first century, the Shepherd of Hermas, found in the Codex Sinaiticus along with the Epistle of Barnabas also written in the 1st century, that may give us a clue as to why Montanists of the second century went so far as believing in only one marriage. For them, no second marriage was allowed, even after the death of a spouse, let alone divorce.

This same piece of literature shows that remarriage after adultery, even by the innocent party is adultery. How many of us today want to accept that as fact? Even 1 Corinthians 7 allows for divorce (not being bound) but says nothing about then being free to remarry - that we've added ourselves. In fact, at the end of the chapter it clarifies that only after the death of the party is one free to remarry. Mark 10:11-12 also shows that remarriage after divorce is adultery. I've seen some liberals say that adultery is not the unpardonable sin, so even if the two adulterers who left their spouses for one another marry, they just need to repent and are allowed to stay married to each other. How is that turning away from their sin? I doubt that God sees it that way. What a tangled mess we get into when we take sin to higher levels of sin.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, 4 then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

The Shepherd of Hermas differs from Deuteronomy 24 in that the first husband may take back the wife if they repentant, but it must be their first repentance. In Deuteronomy this only applied to the female, as the males could have more than one wife, but why this was so is not clear, as it wasn't so from the beginning, and again not so at the time of Jesus.

Shepherd of Hermas

1[29]:1 "I charge thee, "saith he, "to keep purity, and let not a thought enter into thy heart concerning another's wife, or concerning fornication, or concerning any such like evil deeds; for in so doing thou commitest a great sin. But remember thine own wife always, and thou shalt never go wrong.

1[29]:2 For should this desire enter into thine heart, thou wilt go wrong, and should any other as evil as this, thou commitest sin. For this desire in a servant of God is a great sin; and if any man doeth this evil deed, he worketh out death for himself.

1[29]:3 Look to it therefore. Abstain from this desire; for, where holiness dwelleth, there lawlessness ought not to enter into the heart of a righteous man."

1[29]:4 I say to him, "Sir, permit me to ask thee a few more questions" "Say on," saith he. "Sir," say I, "if a man who has a wife that is faithful in the Lord detect her in adultery, doth the husband sin in living with her?"

1[29]:5 "So long as he is ignorant," saith he, "he sinneth not; but if the husband know of her sin, and the wife repent not, but continue in her fornication, and her husband live with her, he makes himself responsible for her sin and an accomplice in her adultery."

1[29]:6 "What then, Sir," say I, "shall the husband do, if the wife continue in this case?" "Let him divorce her," saith he, "and let the husband abide alone: but if after divorcing his wife he shall marry another, he likewise committeth adultery."

1[29]:7 "If then, Sir," say I, "after the wife is divorced, she repent and desire to return to her own husband, shall she not be received?"

1[29]:8 "Certainly," saith he, "if the husband receiveth her not, he sinneth and bringeth great sin upon himself; nay, one who hath sinned and repented must be received, yet not often; for there is but one repentance for the servants of God. For the sake of her repentance therefore the husband ought not to marry. This is the manner of acting enjoined on husband and wife.

1[29]:9 Not only," saith he, "is it adultery, if a man pollute his flesh, but whosoever doeth things like unto the heathen committeth adultery. If therefore in such deeds as these likewise a man continue and repent not, keep away from him, and live not with him. Otherwise, thou also art a partaker of his sin.

1[29]:10 For this cause ye were enjoined to remain single, whether husband or wife; for in such cases repentance is possible.

1[29]:11 I," said he, "am not giving an excuse that this matter should be concluded thus, but to the end that the sinner should sin no more. But as concerning his former sin, there is One Who is able to give healing; it is He Who hath authority over all things."
 
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Helen

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It is said in the service " Whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder.."

In unsaved marriages God is not even in the picture.
Even in marriages of many Christians it is was God who put them together. But their own choice.

Just my opinion....
 
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1stCenturyLady

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It is said in the service " Whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder.."

In unsaved marriages God is not even in the picture.
Even in marriages of many Christians it is was God who put them together. But their own choice.

Just my opinion....

I would say that is true of homosexual marriages, or between a human and an animal, but not between two unbelievers, or even an unbeliever and a believer. 1 Corinthians 7 tells the Christian to NOT leave such marriages. If what you say was true, Paul wouldn't have said to stay.
 

Nancy

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It seems that some of the Gospel writers omit certain parts of what Jesus said about divorce. Maybe they didn’t think they were particularly relevant to their audience? Cultural thing? I know God is the same always and does not change yet, culture sure does! Lol...I dunno. This subject is a conundrum to me.
 

Jane_Doe22

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Everyone will agree that divorce is a tragedy that no one ever wants to see happen.
People will disagree on when such a tragedy is necessary / the lessor poison, and what to do in various circumstances.
In the Christian world, you'll have some people who disagree on what a person who is split from their once spouse should do.

Personally / my denomination do not frown on a divorced person getting re-married. Yes, we should make every effort to avoid divorce in the first place, but when it does happen there is nothing sinful about that person getting re-marreid.
 
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Episkopos

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The actual biblical position is that a woman is married to her husband as long as he lives. If a wife is unfaithful...then a man can marry another. (The woman was created for the man.) Whoever marries such a woman (unfaithful) commits adultery. If a man puts away his wife to marry another, he commits adultery and is also responsible for the ensuing adultery of his rejected wife.
 

Enoch111

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It seems that some of the Gospel writers omit certain parts of what Jesus said about divorce.
We need to have a firmly settled conviction that whatever was recorded in the Gospels was under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They have always been regarded as Scripture, so what is in our Gospels in God's truth.

Back to the OP, the sole reason given for divorce by Christ was adultery by the offending spouse. Which did not bar the other spouse from re-marriage. In God's eyes, divorce TERMINATES marriage.
 
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1stCenturyLady

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Everyone will agree that divorce is a tragedy that no one ever wants to see happen.
People will disagree on when such a tragedy is necessary / the lessor poison, and what to do in various circumstances.
In the Christian world, you'll have some people who disagree on what a person who is split from their once spouse should do.

Personally / my denomination do not frown on a divorced person getting re-married. Yes, we should make every effort to avoid divorce in the first place, but when it does happen there is nothing sinful about that person getting re-marreid.

"there is nothing "sinful" about that person getting re-married," even when the Bible calls it adultery? The last time I looked, adultery is a sin.
 
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1stCenturyLady

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The actual biblical position is that a woman is married to her husband as long as he lives. If a wife is unfaithful...then a man can marry another. (The woman was created for the man.) Whoever marries such a woman (unfaithful) commits adultery. If a man puts away his wife to marry another, he commits adultery and is also responsible for the ensuing adultery of his rejected wife.

So what about the woman if her husband is unfaithful...can she also marry another, or must she wait until he is dead?
 

1stCenturyLady

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We need to have a firmly settled conviction that whatever was recorded in the Gospels was under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They have always been regarded as Scripture, so what is in our Gospels in God's truth.

Back to the OP, the sole reason given for divorce by Christ was adultery by the offending spouse. Which did not bar the other spouse from re-marriage. In God's eyes, divorce TERMINATES marriage.

The Bible says we may divorce. But no where does it say that automatically means re-marriage. It actually says, remarriage after divorce is adultery.

That is the point of the OP. Are we compromising, or adhering to God's actual word.
 
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Enoch111

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"there is nothing "sinful" about that person getting re-married," even when the Bible calls it adultery? The last time I looked, adultery is a sin.
It would be best to actually look at the pertinent Scriptures carefully:

Matthew 5:32 - But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Matthew 19:9 - And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

So what do we learn from these passages:
1. Divorce is generally unacceptable to God.
2. Christ allows divorce for one reason alone -- fornication/adultery by the offending spouse
3. The one who marries the offending spouse also commits adultery.
4. The injured spouse is NOT forbidden to remarry.
 

Jane_Doe22

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"there is nothing "sinful" about that person getting re-married," even when the Bible calls it adultery? The last time I looked, adultery is a sin.
Speaking my thoughts: I find that such passages are frequently misinterpreted. Of course I respect that they have the right to believe how they believe. And I not a fan about arguing beliefs (such is seldom seldom productive).
 

Episkopos

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So what about the woman if her husband is unfaithful...can she also marry another, or must she wait until he is dead?

According to the word..she must wait. It is covered by...as long as he lives.

Difficult as that is.
 

Enoch111

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It actually says, remarriage after divorce is adultery.
For whom? For the offending spouse and her next husband. You are reading into the text more than what is permissible.

Divorce -- like death -- terminates marriage. Since widows (and presumably widowers) are encouraged to remarry in Scripture, the injured spouse is in the same position. If he or she chooses to remarry, that is not a sin, since they are no longer married to the original spouse.
 
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Episkopos

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It would be best to actually look at the pertinent Scriptures carefully:

Matthew 5:32 - But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Matthew 19:9 - And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

So what do we learn from these passages:
1. Divorce is generally unacceptable to God.
2. Christ allows divorce for one reason alone -- fornication/adultery by the offending spouse
3. The one who marries the offending spouse also commits adultery.
4. The injured spouse is NOT forbidden to remarry.

You are doing it again. You are adding in your own ideas here. You must learn to be more careful in your reading and less partisan. A woman is married to her husband as long as he live. It does NOT say a man is married to his wife as long as she lives.

Check it out.
 

1stCenturyLady

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For whom? For the offending spouse and her next husband. You are reading into the text more than what is permissible.

Divorce -- like death -- terminates marriage. Since widows (and presumably widowers) are encouraged to remarry in Scripture, the injured spouse is in the same position. If he or she chooses to remarry, that is not a sin, since they are no longer married to the original spouse.

That still is a compromise to what is actually written, and thus lukewarm. How do you really believe God looks at it? Does He stoop to our compromise, or is His word truth?
 

Enoch111

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That still is a compromise to what is actually written, and thus lukewarm. How do you really believe God looks at it? Does He stoop to our compromise, or is His word truth?
It is you who imagine it is a compromise. But in God's eyes the remarriage of younger widows is perfectly legitimate and encouraged ( 1 Tim 5:3-16). The injured spouse is in the same position as a widow or widower.