Divorce and remarriage

[good samaritan]

We don’t have a precedent to command a converted saint to leave a second marriage that they entered while in sin. We do have precedent of excommunication of saints that are dead set on entering unlawful unions such as incest ( and homosexuality would fit the bill as well).

Interesting situation:
A man I know just was in a revival where his current wife and his ex wife where present, and there was contention. These things should not be in the church of God and they give occasion to the adversary and bring reproach.

[Esaias]

Confusion reigns.

[coksiw]

I know of two saints that married. Then one backslid and they divorced. But the backslid one returned to church, and the same church where the previous wife was. They are both attending regularly. But the "backslid" man began to date another sister.

I also know of a case where the wife abandoned the husband, while both in church in some town. The wife left him for a long time. She was still going to church in another town, supposedly. The man stayed single for a very long time too. The man moved to another town, and he began to date someone in the church, under the approval of the pastor. They married. The ex wife moved into town, and began to attend the same church as the man with his new wife. The ex wife moved into the same town because the children they had when married moved all to the town where the man was.

Divorce makes thing so complicated, and awkward.

[good samaritan]

I know a preacher who’s wife of 20+ years abondoned him over 5 years ago and he is still single. His wife served him divorce papers 2-3 years ago and it is taking a toll. I think he feels like he is gonna grow old all by himself, but yet he doesn’t feel the ok to consider remarriage. I really feel sympathy for some of these situations, especially for the innocent party.

[coksiw]

Paul quoted the Law here as a way to show the right procedure to address the situation at hand:

2Co 13:1 NKJV - (1) This [will be] the third [time] I am coming to you. "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established."

Deu 19:15 NKJV - (15) "One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.

I believe the Law, which is given by the Holy and Righteous God, can show us how to address certain situations rightfully, and of course, contextualizing it to the New Covenant.

[james34]

Adultery was not a reason to put away a wife. “Under the law”, stoning was the punishment for adultery. You wouldn’t have to put them away. Stoning would have put them away for good. If putting away was the answer for adultery, wouldn’t there have been some discussion about the abolishing of the act of stoning adulterers and adulteresses?

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by james34

Just to keep this alive, If one marries , they are bound to that spouse as long as they are alive. If the spouse dies they are then and only then “free to remarry”.

In the “fornication clause”, The word fornication did not mean adultery. A writing of divorcement, allowed by Moses, did not contradict the law. According to Jesus the divorcement contradicted the will of God which was “from the beginning”. The law of adultery was that they were stoned. Jesus could have said that Moses allowing divorcement contradicted the punishment that was already in place by law( to be stoned) but he did not. He said that it was against the will of God from the beginning, this therefore is dealing with something different than the abolishing of an established marriage.

It falls more in line with an espousal situation, such as Joseph and Mary.

So if a man in modern times marries a woman, and then finds out on the honeymoon that she is infested with an STD from another man, is he free to annul the marriage nd remarry?

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Confusion reigns.

You have addressed the true meaning of "put away" in the past and the laws surrounding that act. Perhaps James needs a refresher.

[james34]

Originally Posted by Originalist

So if a man in modern times marries a woman, and then finds out on the honeymoon that she is infested with an STD from another man, is he free to annul the marriage nd remarry?

No

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by james34

No

Why? You said Matthew 19 speaks of "fornication," correct?