7:17-24). Jesus in particular used strong language in condemning the practice. Similarly, anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If this is correct, then we have the principle that underlies modern annulments: Those who are not validly married are free to contract it. According to 1 Corinthians 7:20-27, there is nothing in salvation that demands a particular social or marital status. 7:39; 2 Cor. Jesus talks about remarriage and adultery in Matthew 5:31-32. At the end of this time there was the “fetching of the bride” ceremony, where the groom took her back to his own home with family and friends accompanying them. Because “God has called us to peace” (v. 15), divorce is allowed and may be preferable in such situations. According to the predominant Protestant paradigm, the Church itself is a spiritual, invisible entity, though some of its members, namely, all those believers still living in this present life, are visible, because they […] God does forgive that sin immediately when repentance takes place, and there is nothing in Scripture to indicate anything other than that. He alone would seem to have a reason to clarify why Joseph’s planned course of action was legitimate, given what Jesus said later regarding marriage. The differences between divorce and annulment can be confusing to Catholics and non-Catholics alike especially when remarriage is a possibility. 7:39). Servicios en español, Grace Community Church
Believers who pursue divorce on unbiblical grounds are subject to church discipline because they openly reject the Word of God. He taught that God’s law allowed divorce only because of “hardness of heart” (Matt. Adultery is a fault-based ground for divorce permitted in Massachusetts. This is why Paul says that a believing woman who sinfully divorces should “remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband” (1 Cor. 19:3), and to show them the gravity of pursuing a sinful divorce. R. T. France points out that the Jews, to whom Christ spoke (19:1ff), naturally would have understood that a legitimate divorce … However, there are exceptions. §19-5-4 (b). 5:32; 19:9). The one who obtains an unbiblical divorce and remarries is guilty of adultery since God did not permit the original divorce (Matt. Do I need a deposition for divorce on grounds of adultery? In Judaism around this period, there was a debate between the school of Hillel and the school of Shammai over the circumstances in which one could divorce. When a couple petitions for an annulment, the current practice is to allow the petition only if there is a civil divorce (primarily to establish division of property, child care and responsibility and such matters). Matthew 19:9 has often been read against the context of the Hillel-Shammai debate and interpreted to mean that Jesus was simply siding with Shammai in permitting divorce only for adultery. Now, in truth, if we were confined to considering this alternative in a speculative manner, if there were no concrete facts but only abstract probabilities, we should have no difficulty in arguing our case. That person is subject to the steps of church discipline as outlined in Matthew 18:15-17. Divorce Magazine. 2. Also, if the unbeliever leaves the marital relationship permanently but is not willing to file for divorce, perhaps because of lifestyle, irresponsibility, or to avoid monetary obligations, then the believer is in an impossible situation of having legal and moral obligations that he or she cannot fulfill. The state is powerless to undo what God truly has joined. Workshops. Matthew, writing in an eastern-Mediterranean context, would have had reason to insert a clarification to prevent such converts from using the unqualified statement as justification for staying with their current spouses. These advocates point out also that many peoples in the eastern-Mediterranean region had marriage practices that allowed unions forbidden by Leviticus 18. There are no other grounds for divorce with most of them, though. If it cannot then a separation is permitted. With God’s help a marriage can survive the worst sins. Learn More. When an unbeliever desires to leave, trying to keep him or her in the marriage may only create greater tension and conflict. In Matthew 5:31–32, he says, “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Similarly, in Matthew 19:9, he says, “And I say to you: Whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery” (emphases added). In the eyes of the Church unless the marriage has received a Declaration of Nullity (also known as an annulment) from the Diocesan Tribunal, the divorced Catholic is still considered to be in a sacramental marriage, even if there was a civil divorce. In Acts 15:29, it is proposed that, to avoid offending Jewish believers, Gentile converts abstain from eating idol meat, blood, strangled animals, and from porneia. The only New Testament grounds for divorce are sexual sin or desertion by an unbeliever. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). Lenski observed that this “implication” is “too plain” to miss. Again, in some cases this would affect the application of the biblical principles (1 Cor. A sign of true repentance will be a desire to implement 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, which would involve a willingness to pursue reconciliation with his or her former spouse, if that is possible. In cases where a believer obtained a divorce on unbiblical grounds and remarried, he or she is guilty of the sin of adultery until that sin is confessed (Mark 10:11-12). What we wind up with is divorce on demand, with a technical proviso of committing adultery. However, in Jesus’ time it was customary for a couple to be legally married for about a year before the consummation. 7:12, 15]—what we know today as the Pauline privilege—but that is a different matter.). 5:23-24). Therefore, the believer should never consider divorce except in specific circumstances (see next section), and even in those circumstances it should only be pursued reluctantly because there is no other recourse. Before such a divorce, however, reasonable time should be allowed for the possibility of the unfaithful spouse returning because of the discipline. For example, the church leadership may at times need to decide whether one or both of the former partners could be legitimately considered “believers” at the time of their past divorce, because this will affect the application of biblical principles to their current situation (1 Cor. The second reason for permitting a divorce is in cases where an unbelieving mate does not desire to live with his or her believing spouse (1 Cor. In the event the court presiding over a divorce matter finds that one spouse has consented to or condoned the other spouses adultery, or other faulty activities, the court may deny a divorce to the spouse seeking the divorce on these grounds. What might this be? Matthew has the disciples react all too humanly to Jesus’ total prohibition of divorce” (ibid., 253). The bride continued to live with her family while the husband prepared their home. Another possibility is that the exceptive clauses are a way of avoiding altogether the subject of an unchaste spouse. The first is found in Jesus’ use of the Greek word porneia (Matt. Indeed, in the passages cited above, Jesus uses the term for adultery (moicheia) and does not identify it with porneia. He says that anyone who divorces his faithful wife causes her to commit adultery (presumably when she remarries). But a husband and wife who remained faithful to each other would not be allowed to divorce; indeed their attempt at divorce would be considered adultery. One of the most fundamental differences between the Protestant and Catholic ecclesial paradigms concerns the nature of the Church that Christ founded. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. . In fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ – “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” (Matt. There are pros and cons to trying to prove adultery. The Catholic Church is not in the business of divorces. If a professing Christian violates the marriage covenant and refuses to repent during the process of church discipline, Scripture instructs that he or she should be put out of the church and treated as an unbeliever (v. 17). When one partner violates the unity and intimacy of a marriage by sexual sin—and forsakes his or her covenant obligation—the faithful partner is placed in an extremely difficult situation. Whichever above arguments you find convincing, it is clearly false that Jesus meant to allow divorce and remarriage when one party has committed adultery. SURVIVING DIVORCE Parish Program by Rose Sweet. Any experienced Evangelical counselor can attest that many Evangelicals who find themselves in difficult marital situations do commit such sins specifically for purposes of being able to divorce and remarry. Others have interpreted the Greek term used for “unchastity”— porneia—as a reference to incest, the idea being that divorce and remarriage is permissible in the case of incestuous marriages, since the marriage was never valid to begin with. In Matthew 19:3-9, Christ teaches clearly that divorce is an accommodation to man’s sin that violates God’s original purpose for the intimate unity and permanence of the marriage bond (Gen. 2:24). The exceptive clauses could be a way of avoiding this debate. The Hillelites argued that it could be essentially for any reason, while the Shammaites argued it could be only for adultery. Some may say it is allowable only for adultery, and some may say it is allowable also for cases of desertion. Jesus speaks about divorce: “Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate,” (Mark 10:9). O.C.G.A. Clearly, within this long time frame unchastity was possible on the part of one of the spouses. As a general rule, divorce disqualifies a man from service as either a pastor or deacon. This is a general term that encompasses sexual sin such as adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, and incest. 7:1-3; 1 Cor. NOTE. If the divorce was not on biblical grounds and there is still a responsibility to reconcile, the person who marries the divorcee is considered an adulterer (Mark 10:12). These considerations make it reasonable to assume that porneia is being used in the exceptive clauses to refer to incestuous unions. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states: The separation of the spouses while maintaining the marriage bond can be legitimate in certain cases provided for by canon law. 5:32; Mark 10:11-12). Because he is the only one who mentions that, when Mary was discovered to be with child by the Holy Spirit, Joseph had in mind to divorce her quietly (Matt. These objections are often regarded as being based directly on Leviticus 17–18, where the same things are prohibited in the same order. Remarriage is permitted for the faithful partner only when the divorce was on biblical grounds. In other words, the clauses indicate that if one divorces an adulterous wife, one isn’t making her into an adulteress because she already is one. The Catholic Church expected a certain amount of sin, and arranged methods for dealing with it; the Protestants, on the contrary, abandoned the Catholic practices of confessions and absolution, and left the sinner in a much more hopeless position than he occupies in the Catholic Church. But note that "divorce" means permanent separation; it does not terminate the marriage, nor make the spouses available for re-marriage.. So, a civil divorce does not necessarily mean that a person will be free to marry in the eyes of the Church. After all, both rabbinic opinions were perfectly respectable” (The Vision of Matthew, 252). The only New Testament grounds for divorce are sexual sin or desertion by an unbeliever. This all constitutes a strange church discipline, one in which adultery seems encouraged and fidelity discouraged” (ibid.). HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY (Old Testament) This Catholic commentary on the Old Testament, following the Douay-Rheims Bible text, was originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. Methodist Polity, having been unanimously adopted by the General Conference of the A. M. E. Church, in its session of May, 1888, on motion of Rev. The rarity of divorce is an argument in favour of divorce; and the multiplicity of divorce is an argument against marriage. Time will tell whether this new recognition of the seriousness of Jesus’ teaching on divorce and remarriage will bear significant fruit. Also, because people often transfer to or from other churches and many of those churches do not practice church discipline, it might be necessary for the leadership to decide whether a member’s estranged or former spouse should currently be considered a Christian or treated as an unbeliever because of continued disobedience. In marriage, the two become one flesh in a union joined by God, (Mark 10:8). My understanding is that the Catholic Church does not permit divorce for any reason. The Grounds for Divorce. In fact, the purpose for a biblical divorce is to make clear that the faithful partner is free to remarry, but only in the Lord (Rom. This is striking. Choosing a no-fault divorce should reduce both conflict and expenses. Page iv. My husband and I have signed a stipulation agreement. Without legitimate grounds for divorce, the spouses are positively obliged to live together as husband and wife. There are also typically no grounds for divorce in their stance. A court will grant a divorce on the basis of adultery if adequate proof is presented. Divorce & Annulments. If she repents from her sin of unbiblical divorce, the true fruits of that repentance would be to seek reconciliation with her former husband (Matt. The same is true for a man who divorces unbiblically (1 Cor. Please note that being unfaithful is not grounds for annulment. Finally, “if Matthew were espousing adultery as grounds for divorce, he would soon run up against grave practical difficulties. Meier again: “This is not a reaction to the well-known position of Shammai, which would hardly lead a Jew or anyone else to such a conclusion. Matthew has the disciples react all too humanly to Jesus’ total prohibition of divorce” (ibid., 253). “[O]nly the Roman Catholic Church and a few others deny remarriage to the innocent party” (1943, 734). Please login or create an account to use this feature, Learn More | Live Stream | Bulletin
sabrinaofmnMay 18, 2004, 7:37pm. Finally, “if Matthew were espousing adultery as grounds for divorce, he would soon run up against grave practical difficulties. 7:10-11). All Rights Reserved. 19:8). A Covenant Theology of Sex A theology of sex and marriage, any layman and woman capable of committing themselves to marriage can understand, is offered in this article by Mr. John F. Kippley. The Bible also gives a word of caution to anyone who is considering marriage to a divorcee. 1. Since divorce is only a concession to man’s sin and is not part of God’s original plan for marriage, all believers should hate divorce as God does and pursue it only when there is no other recourse. The idea that porneia is being used in this narrow way is suggested by two other biblical passages. 2:14-16). 7:15) and is therefore no longer obligated to remain married, the believer may file for divorce without fearing the displeasure of God. In Mark 10:11-12, He explains that anyone who divorces a faithful spouse and remarries also commits adultery. If the husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.”, Paul was dealing also with a Greco-Roman audience, and he also does not make an exception for unfaithfulness or sexual sin. (The only exception he does make is for the dissolution of a non-sacramental marriage when one spouse has converted to Christianity [1 Cor. 7:12-15). 7:15; 2 Cor. The leadership in the local church should also help single believers who have been divorced to understand their situation biblically, especially in cases where the appropriate application of biblical teaching does not seem clear. The exceptive clauses also do not appear in Paul’s discussion of divorce and remarriage. The Church maintains that a new union cannot be recognized as valid, if the first marriage was. How could Mark and Luke, writing for the Greco-Roman world, omit the one, glaring exception that allows remarriage after divorce? Matthew 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. Although Jesus did say that divorce is permitted in some situations, we must remember that His primary point in this discourse is to correct the Jews’ idea that they could divorce one another “for any cause at all” (Matt. Divorce in the Scripture is permitted only because of man’s sin. The second passage is 1 Corinthians 5:1, where Paul applies the word porneia to the case of a man who has married his stepmother—a case forbidden by Leviticus 18:8. 10:11-12). Divorce and annulment arent the same thing; they differ in two ways: Those who divorce on any other grounds have sinned against God and their partners, and for them to marry another is an act of “adultery” (Mark 10:11-12). At that point, it is possible to dissolve the marriage, for marriages become indissoluble only when they are consummated. There's no such thing as "Catholic divorce" but the bad news is Catholics do civilly divorce. That doesn’t mean that she’s free to remarry; it just means that you aren’t forcing her into an adulterous situation if you divorce her. 7:15). 6:14). A third possibility is that the Greek term used for “unchastity”— porneia—is being used in a special sense. This transcription is based on Haydock's notes as they appear in the 1859 edition of Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary… Far and away the biggest, most likely and most problematic influence adultery will have on a divorce is in the negotiation of settlement. Because “the brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases” (1 Cor. "The result of frivolous divorce, will be frivolous marriage." He hates it because it always involves unfaithfulness to the solemn covenant of marriage that two partners have entered into before Him, and because it brings harmful consequences to those partners and their children (Mal. Mark and Luke would have realized that their audiences needed to know about the exception even more than the Jewish audience for which Matthew wrote. From that point on the believer should continue in his or her current marriage. But if her husband dies she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.”, And in 1 Corinthians 7:10–11, 39, he writes, “To the married I give charge, not I but the Lord, that the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, let her remain single or else be reconciled to her husband)—and that the husband should not divorce his wife. The situation Meier describes is actually found in many Protestant churches. We provide advice about divorce law, divorce lawyers, family law, custody, support and other divorce related issues along with a directory of divorce professionals. 13248 Roscoe Blvd. Yes, it is allowed in that case. . If reconciliation is not possible, however, because the former spouse is an unbeliever or is remarried, then the forgiven believer could pursue another relationship under the careful guidance and counsel of church leadership. 100% Catholic divorce support programs to help you recover, rebuild and renew your life after divorce. Even John P. Meier, a biblical liberal, notes, “If the Pharisees are simply asking Jesus he favors the opinion of Hillel or Shammi, how does this constitute a malicious attempt to force him into a dilemma whereby one choice or either choice would involve a damaging statement? The Catholic church has consistently taught this down through the centuries, and so have many other church groups. Although they vary by state, the most common fault grounds are adultery, abuse, desertion, and incarceration. In cases where divorce took place on unbiblical grounds and the guilty partner later repents, the grace of God is operative at the point of repentance. Then, during the wedding party, the couple would retire and consummate their union. In this hypothesis, Matthew would allow divorce and remarriage for a husband and wife who had committed adultery. Legal divorce was a concession for the faithful partner due to the sexual sin or abandonment by the sinning partner, so that the faithful partner was no longer bound to the marriage (Matt. The first is found in Jesus’ use of the Greek word porneia (Matt. 7:12-15). An annulment is commonly and incorrectly called a Catholic divorce. Did they have to leave their spouses? 5:32; 19:9; 1 Cor. This law was modified in 1798 and in 1803 (Code Napoleon), was subsequently abrogated in 1816, and reintroduced in 1884; the grounds of divorce being adultery of either party; excesses, cruelty, grave injury inflicted by one spouse on the other; condemnation to infamous penalty of either of the spouses; mutual and persevering agreement of the wedded to separate, if said consent is expressed … #1. 7:11). First, 19:3 specifically says that the Pharisees were trying to test Jesus, and it uses a Greek word—peirazo—that the synoptic Gospels use to indicate an act of malice. Sun Valley, CA 91352, M–F 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM PST
6:14). Copyright © 2020 Grace Community Church. They may say to themselves, “Jesus will forgive me afterwards” or “I have already been forgiven for all my sins—future ones included.” Through this loophole Evangelicalism has absorbed the secular world’s divorce and remarriage ethic, just as it has absorbed the secular world’s contraceptive mentality. There are a number of problems with this. 818-909-5500. The Apostle Paul, therefore, instructs believers to recognize that God providentially allows the circumstances they find themselves in when they come to Christ. Because the exceptive clauses occur only in Matthew’s Gospel—one written for a Jewish audience—it suggests that they reflect some issue of particular concern to Jews. Today, with the tradition of the wedding night, it is highly unlikely a spouse could be unfaithful between the marriage ceremony and the consummation. This caused problems when individuals wanted to convert to Judaism and Christianity. The only time such a person could remarry another is if the former spouse remarries, proves to be an unbeliever, or dies, in which cases reconciliation would no longer be possible. If they were called while married, then they are not required to seek a divorce (even though divorce may be permitted on biblical grounds). For a fuller treatment of divorce and remarriage, see The Biblical Position on Divorce & Remarriage from Grace Community Church’s Elders’ Perspective Series, from which this paper was adapted. Fortunately, in recent years all the interpretive options mentioned above have found advocates in conservative Protestant circles. In some states, spouses can still pursue a "fault divorce," where one spouse blames the other for the split and identifies specific conduct that caused the breakup. Books written especially for divorced Catholics — only available here. In such a case, the former spouses are still considered to be married. . We're here to help, and to encourage healing through the Sacraments where you'll personally encounter Christ—with all His love and tender mercies.