Biblical teaching on divorce
Chapter 16 from The Great Divorce Controversy
Having examined what the Bible says about marriage, we can now turn to the issue of divorce. We have seen that the Bible teaches that marriage is the lifelong union of one man with one woman. That is God’s ideal. What does the Bible have to say on divorce? This remains controversial as we saw in our examination of the parliamentary debates. Although a large theological literature debates the meaning and interpretation of the key biblical passages, there is still uncertainty among Christians as to what the Bible teaches about divorce. The issue at stake is this: does Christ allow divorce with remarriage? In other words, is the marriage bond dissolved by divorce? Those theologians who support the Protestant doctrine of divorce argue that Christ allows divorce for marital unfaithfulness, and some claim that the apostle Paul allows divorce and remarriage following desertion by an unbelieving spouse. On the other side of the debate are those who believe that the Bible teaches that marriage is indissoluble and, therefore, remarriage is not permitted following a divorce. For those who wish to study the detailed theological arguments two books are recommended. Jesus and Divorce by Gordon Wenham and William Heth deals in detail with the arguments of those who support the Erasmian view of divorce.
1. They explore the different schools of interpretation, and provide a strong critique of the view widely held by evangelicals today, that allows for remarriage after divorce on the grounds of immorality. Andrew Cornes, in Divorce and Remarriage, provides a comprehensive study of singleness, marriage, divorce and remarriage from a biblical perspective.
2. I believe that the biblical teaching on divorce and remarriage, an issue that effects everyone, is clear and understandable. Those who claim that the Scriptures are unclear on divorce imply that Jesus Christ taught in a way that caused confusion. The confusion does not lie with Christ, but with those who find themselves unable to accept the plain truth of his teaching. It is a serious error to claim that the teachings of Christ are unclear. On the contrary, he did not fail to tell the world God’s plan for marriage in clear, understandable language. Indeed, he did so in such plain words that his teaching has caused offence even among those who claim to be his followers. The apparent confusion over divorce and remarriage is entirely man-made. This chapter examines two Old Testament passages and the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul.