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 yes, requires) is to leave a marriage where one (or both) of the spouses are already divorced from their very own 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.
Divorce ends a marriage that is only joined civilly and not by God because joining that marriage would be sinful. Divorce only ends that kind of marriage; a marriage that is sexually immoral (fornication). A marriage of sexual immorality or fornication isn't joined by God because one or both spouses are already "one flesh" and bound with another still living (and divorced from) 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.
"But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit 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 person while the spouse you were married and joined to by God, but are now divorced from, still lives. The sexually immoral marriage or "fornication" is the only marriage where divorcing or "putting away" of a spouse is permitted by the Lord Jesus Christ, since that marriage isn't 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 He 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 (Genesis 2:18-25). Only if the husband or wife passes away is the "one flesh" marriage bond no longer applicable, yet still recognized. (Matthew 1:6, Romans 7:1-3, and 1 Corinthians 7:39)