Marriage, Divorce & Remarriage

C. R. Sutton

ARE YOU SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED?
 

  If you are married, are you Scripturally married? By "'Scripturally married", I mean, is your marriage in harmony with the teaching of the Scriptures? In other words, does God approve of your marriage? Our appeal must always be to the Scriptures to learn what is Scriptural or what God approves of.

  If you have never been married you have a right to be married (see Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 7:2). If your wife dies you have a right to be married (see Rom. 7:2-3; 1 Cor. 7:39). If your wife commits fornication you have a right to put her away (i.e., divorce her) for that reason. You then would have a right to marry another who has the right to marry. There is no Scriptural evidence that fornication puts asunder what God hath joined together. When a person commits fornication the spouse has a Scriptural right to put away (divorce) that guilty person. Notice the following passages.

  --Luke 16:18-"Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." NOTE: A man who puts away (divorces) his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery. The man who marries a put away (divorced) woman is also guilty of adultery. This is God's law!

  --Mark 10:11-12- "Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. This is God's law and applies to women as well to men.

  There is one exception to God's law as stated in the above passages. It is found in Mt. 19:9 where Jesus said: "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." NOTE: Jesus gives only one reason that a husband may put away (divorce) his wife. If she commits fornication the husband has a right to put her away (divorce her) for that reason and that alone. FURTHER NOTE: There is no Scriptural evidence that he can some way skirt around the civil laws for divorce and later put away (divorce) her mentally and be free to marry again after she has already divorced (put away) him.

  The Scriptures never mention the idea of a person mentally divorcing a spouse after that person has been put away (divorced) by his or her spouse. The "mental divorce" argument has been born of emotions and brought forth by wishful thinking. If one can ignore civil laws for divorce and mentally divorce his wife and marry another with God's approval, why can't a person ignore civil laws regarding marriage and menially marry someone and be husband and wife with God's approval? This would allow a man and woman in this country to mentally agree to be married. They could ignore civil laws regarding marriage and they could simply begin living together as husband and wife with God's approval.

  Whether one is marrying or divorcing, it is essential that one comply with civil laws according to the teachings in Rom. 13:1-7; I Pet. 2:13-14 & Titus 3:1.

  Are you Scripturally married? If not, please get out of your adulterous situation!


WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO MARRY ANOTHER

  The question, Who Has the Right to Marry Another, should be of interest to all of us who are concerned about the welfare and happiness of people in this life and their eternal welfare in the world to come. The only reliable source of information concerning this question is the Word of God. To it we now appeal.

  Mark 10:11-12- (Jesus said): "Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery."

  Luke 16:18- "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." NOTE: God's law of putting a spouse away and marrying another is stated in the above passages. Whoever puts away his/her spouse and marries another commits adultery and whoever marries the one put away commits adultery!

  In Matthew 19:9 we find an exception to the above stated law. Listen to Jesus: "...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." NOTE: The only exception to the law stated above is "for fornication". In Mt. 5:32 Jesus said: "... 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."

  In the above passages we have one spouse who puts away (or divorces) the other spouse and one spouse who is put away (or is divorced). Please consider the fact that one puts away the other one! So, according to Jesus, there is one who puts away (divorces) and there is one who is put way (or is divorced). Simple, isn't it — if we stay with the texts?

  According to the words of the texts, who has a right to marry another. The one who is put away (is divorced) or the one who puts away the other one for the cause of fornication? If you are having any difficulty whatsoever understanding the answer that Jesus gives in these passages to our question, please read the texts very carefully. The texts are plain. The answer is clear. The person who is put away (is divorced) does not have the right to marry another. Only the person who puts away (divorces) his/her spouse for the cause of fornication has the right to marry another, according to Jesus in the above texts.

  Of course, all of us realize that Romans 7:1-3 and 1 Cor. 7:39 teach that a person whose spouse has died has a right to marry another, but "only in the Lord".

DOES A “PUT AWAY” PERSON HAVE A SCRIPTURAL RIGHT TO MARRY ANOTHER?

  There has been much discussion about the above question. The only standard by which we can determine the proper answer is the Word of God. It will instruct us in what is right. To it we now appeal.

  In Luke 16:18 Jesus said: "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." NOTE: This passage deals specifically with the question in our subject. It says that whosoever marries the one "put away" commits adultery!

  In Matthew 19:9 Jesus declared that "...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." NOTE: This passage also deals specifically with our question stated in the title of this article. It says that whoever marries the "put away" person commits adultery.

  In Mt. 5:32 Jesus said: "... 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." NOTE: Again Jesus plainly says that whoever marries her that is "divorced" commits adultery.

  CONCLUSION: We must conclude from the above Scriptures that a "put away" person has no Scriptural right to marry another as long as her/his spouse lives. (See Rom. 7:2-3) NOTE: A person who is put away (divorced) "for (he cause of fornication" may not have a Scriptural right to marry another although his/her spouse may be dead. I am not sure about this

  In an effort to justify unscriptural divorces and marriages some have taken the position that it is not essential that a person comply with civil law in order for a person to marry or to divorce although Rom. 13:1-7; Titus 3:1 & 1 Peter 2:13-17 teach us that we should obey civil laws. Of course, if we are commanded by civil law to violate God's law, "we ought to obey God rather than men." (See Acts 5:29).

To get around civil law some define the words translated "put away" or "divorce" as repudiate, dismiss or leave. However, this does not help their case one bit. Substitute repudiate, dismiss or leave for the words "put away" or "divorces" in Luke 16:18; Mt. 19:9 & Mt. 5:32 and see what it says.

  Luke 16:18 would say: Whosoever repudiates (dismisses or leaves) his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is repudiated for dismissed or left) from (or by - Ed) her husband committeth adultery." NOTE: Whosoever marries the repudiated, (or dismissed or left) wife would be guilty of adultery!

  Mt. 19:9 would say: "...Whosoever shall repudiate, (dismiss or leave) his wife, except for the cause of fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is repudiated (or dismissed or left) doth commit adultery." NOTE: Whoso marries the repudiated, dismissed or left one would commit adultery!

  Mt. 5:32 would say: "...whosoever shall marry her that is repudiated (or dismissed or left) committeth adultery." NOTE: In each of the above cases the "put away" or repudiated or dismissed one would not have the right to marry another even if the civil laws are disregarded!