“And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.” Luke 21.8
Did the Lord Jesus Christ or His Apostles say divorce ends a marriage?
The Lord Jesus Christ has much to offer the humble heart…
The core truth: In today’s world, anyone can get a divorce. However, the only divorce that the Lord Jesus Christ allows (and requires) is when the divorce certificate voids a civil marriage in which one (or both) of the spouses are already divorced from their own (private) husband or wife. That kind of re-marriage is called fornication (KJV) or sexual immorality (NIV). See Matthew 19, Mark 6, and 1 Corinthians 7:2.
A marriage, for those who strive to enter God’s Kingdom, can only be between a own (private) husband and own (private) wife. A modern term to describe the kind of the marriage that God creates is EXCLUSIVE. The two become one flesh spiritually and nothing ever voids the marriage, and only the death of a spouse renders the covenant “n/a” (not applicable).
The divorce only voids the civil marriage certificate. That means that a marriage to a husband or wife that’s NOT your own (private or exclusive) is sexual immoral (NIV) or fornication (KJV). A marriage of sexual immorality or fornication isn’t joined by God in a marriage covenant (“one flesh”) because one or both spouses are already “one flesh” and bound to their still living (and divorced from) own (private or exclusive) spouse. Since God will not join a sinful re-marriage, a marriage of sexual immorality or fornication is only a civil contract that must be divorced from to honor the original marriage bond that remains applicable until death.
So, you could have a civil marriage to a second (or third, etc.) husband or wife, but if your “one flesh” divorced husband or wife still lives, your current marriage is not private (exclusive):
“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 5:32 (KJV)
“But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Matthew 5:32 (NIV)
Application: This identifies that “fornication” or sexual immorality is being married to another husband or wife while your own private (exclusive), God – joined husband or wife you originally married (but are now divorced from) still lives. The sexually immoral marriage or “fornication” is the only marriage where divorcing of a spouse is permitted by the Lord Jesus Christ, since that marriage was not joined by God.
“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Matthew 19:6 (KJV)
Application: This establishes that God is the Creator of the marriage HE joins. When He performs the miracle of “making the two one flesh” (because neither the husband or wife already have a living spouse that God joined them to) divorce can put asunder / separate a one flesh marriage, but divorce cannot undo it. For the husband and wife that God makes one flesh, the bond is unbreakable (see the description of how unchangeable the marriage bond is in Genesis 2:18-25). Only if the husband or wife passes away is the “one flesh” marriage bond no longer applicable and yet still recognized. (see Matthew 1:6, Romans 7:1-3, and 1 Corinthians 7:39)
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That is why Adam and Eve are the perfect analogy for marriage, they were one flesh and bound together, from the beginning:
“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh inst
Paul further explains the Commandments of Jesus Christ, when he says; “Wives, submit yourselves unto your OWN husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. his is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. ” Ephesians 5:22-33 KJV
To understand the limits of a wife’s or husband’s liberty, one must look to the totality of Scripture. Romans confirms that the authority of the God’s marriage law remains active as long as both spouses are alive.
“Do you not know, brothers and sisters–for I am speaking to those who know the law–that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.” Romans 7:1-3 (NIV)
Summary: While a believer is not required to fight a spouse’s desire to separate (the bondage of conflict), they remain spiritually bound to that spouse by God. Physical departure does not equal spiritual “un-joining”; therefore, the marriage bond remains applicable until the death of a spouse.
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*God Does Not Join All Marriages: John the Baptist was martyred for telling Herod his marriage to Herodias was unlawful. She was still the wife of, and bound to, her living husband, Philip. This proves that a civil marriage does not override God’s Law:
“For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.” Matthew 14:3-4 (KJV)
“For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife. ” Mark 6:17-18 (KJV)
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The Rock and the Sand: Addressing Common Misconceptions on Marriage
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. ” Matthew 7:24-27 “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away”. Luke 21:23
To ensure we are building on eternal Word of God (the Rock) that will not pass away, we must examine where human traditions and private interpretations have drifted from the Word of God:
Human Tradition Only (the sand): “God Wants Me to be Happy”: Prioritizing personal satisfaction and emotional relief over holiness.
The Word of God (the Rock):
Human Tradition Only (the sand): My “Soulmate/True Love”: Claiming the second union is “real love” so the first marriage shouldn’t count and/or was a mistake.
The Word of God (the Rock):
Jesus Christ has to come first and everything we do that includes marriage.
The Lord promised us trials and tribulations in this life, but He said, “Be of good cheer for I’ve overcome the world”. This is the narrow way, this is the straight gate, this is the one that few will. The disciples realized there would be difficulties in a marriage and that’s why they said, “Lord if this is the case of a man with his wife it’d be better not to be married”. But Jesus said, that this is given, this ability to live enjoy and peace despite any marital difficulties to whom it is given. And if we’re married it’s been given to us. And the Lord will give us strength.
*God Does Not Join All Marriages: John the Baptist was martyred for telling Herod his marriage to Herodias was unlawful. She was still the wife of, and bound to, her living husband, Philip. This proves that a civil marriage does not override God’s Law:
“For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.” Matthew 14:3-4 (KJV)
“For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife. ” Mark 6:17-18 (KJV)