Is Divorce Ever Allowed In Scripture?  Can a Divorced Person Ever Remarry?

Wow, that's a loaded question for today isn't it?  The opinions (and I stress the word OPINIONS) today vary so widely, it is extremely difficult to discern the truth of the matter. 

As with every other doctrine in the church today, however, the Word of God Alone MUST be our final authority.  I believe the scriptures are very clear on divorce and I also believe it is NOT difficult to understand.

I already realize that many of you will be angry with me over this by the time you get half way through this teaching.  So be it, but let me exhort YOU to read the Word of God for yourself.

Most of us truly believe that Marriage is forever and ever.  The truth is that marriage is an institution given by God to and for man.  While we live, it is God's intention that a marriage lasts for the duration of your natural life.  Once you are dead, your marriage is dissolved and the scriptures fully support that.  (We'll cover that in a few moments). 

Comments are often made such as "When I get to heaven, I'm going to be with my wife again", or "When I get to heaven, I'm going to spend eternity with my husband again".  Yes, you'll see them (provided they really went there).  Yes, you'll spend eternity with them, HOWEVER, you will NOT spend eternity with them as your husband or your wife.  Before you get all angry with me, make sure you know what you are talking about.  We have emotional attachments to people, places, etc. while on this earth that are completely unbiblical in our views. 

I realize that we love our spouses very deeply and the grief at he loss of a spouse can be overwhelming.  It is a natural emotion to experience deep grief and there are some very real reasons why we experience such such pain.  After all, your spouse is the one with whom you share your darkest secrets, one with whom you have experienced the ultimate in human sharing and bonding.  You have given yourself to them in an intimate manner that God designed only for a husband and wife.  It is therefore, natural to mourn the loss of that spouse after they are gone.

Let me, then qualify what I said a couple of paragraphs ago.  I said you WILL NOT spend your eternity with your earthly spouse  and have them as a husband or a wife. 

What do the scriptures say about it?  Let's examine:

Luke seems to make it very clear, especially when he states "neither can they die anymore"...  This would seem to indicate that if there is no more death, there is likewise no more marriage. 

Paul put it like this:

We know the scriptures reaffirm over and over that the Church is the Bride of Christ and that HE is our husband.  This is the very reason there will be no marriage in heaven!  You cannot be the spouse of another and the spouse of Christ also.

Nevertheless, marriage is an institution for MAN while on this present earth.

Let's Examine The Subject of Divorce

I have seen Pastors (and their congregations) support and encourage a marriage for which the parties have been "shacking up" but will shun the marriage of a divorcee' despite their innocence.  This is a complete disregard for scripture and it is a disgrace, not to mention the reproach which it brings upon the name of Christ!

Those who have been divorced are often faced with excommunication (in some churches) and in those churches which practice partaking of communion are often forbidden to partake of communion services.  That is interesting in itself since those same churches will give communion to rapists and mass murderers in prison, but refuse it to an innocent party in a divorce.  You talk about missing the mark of scripture!

Let Me Get Back to the Study

The bible is clear on the subject of divorce.  God hates it.  It is interesting to note, though the biblical passages on divorce.  Take for example Jeremiah 3:6-8:

Whoa!   You mean God divorced his people?  Yes he did.  For what cause?  Adultery.  We know that several years later, Israel repented and returned to God and they were RECONCILED to their husband:  God. 

The bible supports divorce for adultery in other passages of scripture also.  In fact, all 4 of the Gospels record that Adultery is grounds for divorce. 

It may shock you to find that in the Pentateuch (books of the Law), there is NO provision made for divorce on the grounds of Adultery!  The penalty for adultery was NOT divorce, it was death! 

One would certainly NOT need a divorce if those penalties were carried out now would they?  After all, if your spouse is deceased, you are not a "divorcee" but a widow (or widower), and there are few that will argue whether a widow is free to remarry.

Since we know that Jesus forgave and set free an Adulterous woman (which, by the way, was not the penalty called for in the law), let's look at the teachings of Jesus concerning divorce to see what we can learn.