Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

In Matthew 19:9, Jesus said, "Whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery: and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (This is an amplification of Jesus' earlier teaching on divorce in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:31-32), in that it addresses the status of the husband if his wife commits fornication against him.) 

This says to me that, from God's perspective based on the teachings of Christ (as opposed to whatever human civil law -- or even the Law given to Israel through Moses -- may say or have said), fornication is the only recognized reason for which divorce may be granted. (As Jesus also said (Matthew 19:7-8), the Law allowed divorce for other reasons only as a concession to the hardness of the human heart, but it was not God's original intent.)

If the wife has committed fornication, and her husband has divorced her for that reason, he can then marry another woman. If the wife has not committed fornication, and her husband divorces her and marries another woman, he commits adultery by doing so.

That is not to say that such an act is unforgivable from God's perspective, but it needs to be recognized as contrary to God's commands, to be confessed to God, and to have forgiveness sought and granted for Christ's sake, just as with other sins that people commit.

December 21 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report