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What does the Bible say about remarriage?
1 Corinthians 7:1 - 12
ESV - 1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
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Asked June 21 2013
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Ojo Rufus
Supporter
Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
Seth Freeman
Supporter
To answer what the Bible says about remarriage you first have to acknowledge what it says about divorce. There are two instances in which a "Bliblical" divorce is permitted. In both these cases, I believe remarriage is also permitted. The other allowance for remarriage is when one spouse dies. Matthew 5:32 - But i say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, EXCEPT for the reason of unchastity [adultery], makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. This verse as well as the corresponding one in chapter 19 are very clear that when a married woman (or man) receives a divorce for any reason OTHER than adultery, that if they are to remarry they themselves are committing adultery. What this means is that in the eyes of God, even if a couple gets a divorce, if the divorce is not because of adultery, they are actually still married in the eyes of God. Only a married person can commit adultery, or cause another to commit adultery. Thus, what we have here is a statement that if the divorce IS because of adultery, then there is no adultery committed upon a remarriage. I Corinthians 7:13,15 - And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband aways. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases... This is the second allowance for divorce and remarriage. In the case of an unequally yoked marriage, if the unbelieving spouse, and only the unbelieving spouse insists on a divorce, then it is permitted. There is something special and unique about a Christian marraige that is absent in a non-believing marriage. That something is the Holy Spirit. Ecclesiastes tells us a marriage is like a cord of three strands, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. For Christians, marriage is unique, a covenant held together by God himself. For non-Christians, it is a covenant made by two fallen humans, important - but different. So basically, divorce AND remarriage is only permitted in the case of adultery or an unequally yoked marriage.
Andrea Spirit
Supporter
I personally don't believe in remarriage, for exceptional of death. It's not our opinion but what the Bible say. Matthew 5:32 "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery." Matthew 19:4-6 "And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ ? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:8-9 "He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” I Corinthians 7:10-11 "Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife."
Anonymous
I agree with the above but there is also another issue which Christians find hard to deal with. Abuse of any sort (emotional, sexual or physical) destroys trust and intimacy. If the perpetrator does not recognise the wrongdoing of his and her actions (and it takes humility, revelation and skill of those around the couple), repent and CHANGE then the marriage no longer functions. The marriage vows are broken and separation at least needs to happen if not divorce. The church needs to be clearer about this as such dysfunctional marriages that limp along or are dead because of abuse dishonours God as well as destroys lives.People set free to be healed and to love and cherish and to be loved and cherished glorifies God.
Mike Acke
Supporter
Genesis makes it very clear that when a man and woman are married they become one flesh. Jesus confirms this in Matthew. Adultery does not separate the one flesh. Only death does which is why our wedding vows say for better or for worse.... until DEATH do us part. God makes us one flesh and only God can separate that one flesh (through death). Romans 7:2-3 makes this point clear. And the Corinthians passage says If the unbeliever leaves we as Christians ought to let them go, but it does not say we are to remarry. It only says we are not in bondage (to serve that person as a spouse).
Anonymous
Divorce and remarriage are sins but Jesus died for these and other less spectacular sins. Many of these "other" sins are repeated by us sinners as well. Also, and I hope this is not taken as rationalization but divorce had much greater negative ramifications in Bible times than they do now.
Willie Washington
Supporter
There is a lot of debate over the meaning of passages like I Cor 7:10-11 and Matt 19:4-9. If liberally applied it could include the person who lust in their hearts as the adulterer or allow the spouses unbelief to become the justification for divorcee (and by extension remarriage). Rather than ask what God will allow, we should ask what the Father would prefer. As Hosea remained faithfully married to his promiscuous wife, a forgiving heart seeking God's divine will would remain married because this seems to be God's preference. Just because we can does not mean we should. THAT is Christianity at its best; but like Moses God has made allowances for our weakness. This allowance gives us the option to divorce but it does not command we do so. If we take the scriptural divorce option we are no longer bound. My hearts desire is we strive for the more perfect option.
Pam Johnson
Supporter
God is the author of life and death. God is also the author of marriage and that covenant between two people. While I agree based on God's word there are circumstances in which it is appropriate to divorce, the only time a true Christian can be remarried is if God takes the life of the other spouse. Can/does God do this at times? Yes, it happened to my brother. He and his wife belonged to God. Their marriage failed and my sister-in-law chose to turn her back on the truth and became involved in a homosexual relationship. Several months after the divorce, God caused to her have a massive seizure and she died. God provided for my brother again and he is now happily married to a Christian woman and they have two beautiful children. "All those who do not remain in the vine and produce fruit keeping with repentance will be cut off and thrown into the fire." Did my sister-in-law lose her salvation and go to hell? Yes......and her maiden last name was Frye
Bob Jennings
Supporter
1Co.6:13 ESV “... The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. .This to me is saying that if a spouse is leading a life of sexual immorality and will not quit, even though much effort has been made to restore faithfulness to the marriage, then the faithful spouse has a responsibility to give a letter of divorcement and put away the unfaithful spouse. The faithful spouse being then "not bound" by the marriage is free to remarry (De.24.1-2) Robert Jennings
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