Two doctrines on divorce but one is false
From our study of the history of divorce we have seen that since the time of the Reformation the Christian Church has been split on the issue. Some theologians, building on the work of Erasmus and Luther, claim that Jesus allows full divorce (a divorce that dissolves the marriage bond and allows remarriage) in the case of adultery and desertion. This view has become increasingly popular during the 20th century, and is held by most evangelical Christians and Protestant denominations, and is gaining ground in the Church of England. It underpins the campaign to change the marriage discipline of the Church of England and introduce remarriage in church during the lifetime of a former partner.
On the other side of the doctrinal divide are those who believe that marriage is an indissoluble union created by God; that the teaching of the Scriptures permit separation without the right to remarry because the marriage bond is still intact and cannot be broken by legal divorce. The Roman Catholic Church has always held this position, and it is found in the canon law of the Church of England.
These two positions are, of course, diametrically opposed to each other and they cannot both be right; it follows, therefore, that there is a major error in one section of the Christian Church. All the evidence considered in this book suggests that the Protestant doctrine of divorce is based on a false interpretation of the teaching of Christ. The weight of biblical teaching is that divorce is wrong and against God’s will; that it is rebellion against God’s divine institution of marriage. From the very beginning, God’s intention was that marriage is for life.