==== ====
Divorce help
divorce.shared4u2.com
==== ====
With every marriage covenant made between a man and a woman, there is also a Christian
divorce option. If fact, the twenty-first century has taken divorce to a new level. This "modern"
attitude is a far cry from the teachings of divorce found in the Old Testament as well as the New
Testament. For the Christian in a monogamous marriage, divorce should not even be a question
to consider, however it has certainly become one.
By definition, divorce is "a legal dissolution of the marriage relation." Yet to the modern marriage,
Christian divorce can be simply defined as a convenience.
In 1948, Harvard sociologist Pitirim A. Sorokin noticed a change and even a disintegration of the
American Society. Of his findings he wrote:
An illiterate society can survive, but a thoroughly antisocial society cannot. Until recently the family
was the principle school of socialization for the newborn human animals, rendering them fit for
social life. At present this vital mission is performed less and less by the family.
Sorokin's concern was triggered by what he thought was an alarming change in the divorce rate
within America. He had seen the divorce rate rise from 1 in 10 in 1910 to 1 in 4 in 1948.
The divorce rate had risen from 10 percent to 25 percent in just thirty eight years. That is an
increase of 150 percent. It would be nice to assume that the divorce rate has leveled off, but that is
not the case.
By 1970, 2 out of 5, or 40 percent of marriages ended in divorce. In 1973 the number of marriages
ending in divorce had grown to 50 percent. In the 63 years since 1910 to 1973, divorce has seen
an increase of 400 percent. Now in the twenty-first century, marriage breakups are an epidemic.
Few people, including the children involved, are untouched by the lasting scars of divorce.
Divorce is so much common place in society today that even the laws of the land provide a variety
of grounds for a legal divorce. Suffering physical and mental cruelty and adultery are all legal
reasons for divorce. In fact, it is not uncommon in our nation to be granted a divorce for no reason
at all. Adopted by society is the no-fault grounds for divorce in which the spouse no longer must
prove that the other has committed a marital wrong.
Unlike the North American society, the Bible has taken a clear stance on Christian divorce. The
divine ideal for marriage in scripture is clearly a lifelong bond which unites husband and wife in a
"one flesh" relationship (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5).
The marriage union is a holy condition founded by God and is not to be dissolved at the will of
human beings (Matt. 19:6). In fact, separations of the marriage bond displease God. The prophet
Malachi expressed this when he wrote, "And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one's garments with violence"
(Mal. 2:15-16).
The Law of Moses seemed to allow a man to divorce his wife when she found "no favor in his
eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her" (Deut. 24:1). The main purpose of this law
was to prevent the husband from taking her again after she had married another man, "an
abomination before the Lord" (Deut. 24:4). This law was not intended to encourage divorce, rather
it was meant to discourage it. A public document known as a "certificate of divorce" was granted
the woman. This permitted her the right to remarry without civil or religious sanction. For the Jew
in the Old Testament, divorce could not be done privately.
The Mosaic Law called for severe penalties for certain types of "uncleanness." Adultery carried the
death penalty by stoning for the woman. A man who believed that his wife was not a virgin when
he married her could have her judged by the elders of the city. If they found her guilty, she could
be put to death (Deut. 22:13-21).
Even though a man was allowed to divorce his wife, the wife was not allowed to divorce her
husband for any reason. Legally the wife was bound to her husband as long as they both lived or
until he divorced her (1 Cor. 7:39).
In Jesus' day, there was much confusion about the grounds for divorce. Even the rabbis, Shammai
and Hillel, could not agree on what constituted the "uncleanness" of Deuteronomy 24:1.7
Followers of Rabbi Shammai felt adultery, or any moral delinquency in the woman, was the only
grounds for divorce. Those who followed Rabbi Hillel were more liberal and accepted many
reasons, including such things as poor cooking.
The gospels record four statements by Jesus concerning Christian divorce. In two of these
statements Jesus allowed divorce in the case of adultery. Jesus comments on the situation of both
the woman and her new husband in Matthew 5:32. He said, "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."
In another statement, Jesus describes the position of the man who divorced his wife. Jesus states
that, "Whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits
adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery" (Matt. 19:9).
While these two statements seem to allow Christian divorce because of unfaithfulness, two other
statements made by Jesus seem to make no stipulation for divorce (Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18).
In light of these two differing statements by Jesus, there is reason to wonder what was the intent
of Jesus concerning divorce and moreover, Christian Divorce. Jesus' statements in Mark and Luke
were made in conversations with Pharisees about the Mosaic Law.
The Pharisees believed divorce was allowed on grounds other than adultery (Deut. 24:1-4). Jesus'
main point in these statements was that divorce is contrary to God's plan for marriage and should
never be taken lightly. Even though Moses allowed divorce, this was an exception granted under
the law because of their "hardness" of heart (Mark 10:5).9 Even if the divorced couple had not
been sexually unfaithful to each other, they would commit adultery in God's sight if they married
other partners.
By allowing divorce for the reason of "immorality," or illicit sexual intercourse, Jesus' perception is
that a person dissolves his marriage by creating a sexual union with someone other than the
marriage partner. Adultery violates the sacred "oneness" intended by God when he united Adam
and Eve in the first marriage relationship (Gen. 2:18-25).
Christian Divorce on the grounds of adultery may seem to free the innocent partner to remarry
without guilt (Matt. 19:9). However, this is sometimes questioned. Even though Jesus allowed
divorce for adultery, He did not require it. Instead Jesus insisted that divorce disrupts God's plan
for marriage and left the way open for repentance and forgiveness.
Paul was essentially in agreement with Jesus' teachings on marriage and Christian divorce. Paul,
however, was forced to deal with new situations involving divorce between two believers and
between a believer and an unbeliever. For the two believers, Paul exhorts them to follow the
Lord's teachings and be reconciled. Under no circumstances is either allowed to marry again (1
Cor. 7:10-11).
In 1 Corinthians 7:15, Paul says that a Christian whose mate has abandoned the marriage should
be free to go through with the divorce. Paul says that, "If the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a
brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases." Many scholars hold that the phrase "not
under bondage" means that a deserted Christian spouse may go from divorce to remarriage.
However, other scholars disagree with this interpretation. Which ever the case may be, Paul still
encourages the believer to keep the marriage together in hopes that the unbelieving partner might
be saved (1 Cor. 7:16).
Since the time of Paul, Christian divorce has become as much of a "disease" as it is for those who
chose to live an ungodly life. In fact, within Christian circles there is an attitude in which believers
rationalize divorce by saying they "married the wrong person" and are therefore out of God's will.
This type of thinking not only limits God, it also ignores the clear teachings of scripture in regards
to the marriage covenant.
God does not make mistakes. When a believer says that they married the wrong person, it is
limiting God. God could, and is willing to, turn a bad marriage into a healthy one. The Bible clearly
stresses in clear terms the sanctity of marriage.
This principle is clear throughout the entire Bible. From Genesis (2:24) through to the teachings of
Jesus (Matt. 19:4-6) and Paul (Eph. 5:31), a committed and monogamous marriage is
emphasized. The marriage commitment is a covenant that must not be broken while both
members live, even if they think they may have made a mistake.
Marriage was instituted by God when He declared, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will
make him a helper comparable to him" (Gen. 2:18). For this reason God fashioned a woman and
brought her to Adam. On seeing the woman, Adam exclaimed, "This is now bone of my bones and
flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man" (Gen. 2:23).
This passage emphasizes the truth that "a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to
his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). It is God's desire for a man to be the
husband of one wife and for the marriage to be permanent.
In the twenty-first century, Christian divorce has become a convenient way to dissolve a marriage.
If fact, the trend has grown to new heights in the modern society. This "loose" attitude is a far cry
from the teachings of divorce found in scripture.
Jesus pointed stated that Christian divorce is contrary to God's plan for marriage and should never
be taken lightly. The legal dissolution of a marriage goes against the divine ideal for marriage. The
ideal of a lifelong bond that unites husband and wife in a "one flesh" relationship.
Pastor Kent Janz is the Senior Pastor of McDougal Chapel in Sundre, Alberta, Canada. For fun,
he also likes to work on his website called Basic Bible Knowledge.
I hope you found the article informative.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=K_Janz
==== ====
Divorce help
divorce.shared4u2.com
==== ====