I must confess, that last Sunday's sermon was not an easy one to preach. First of all the text itself poses its own difficulties and then on top of that there is the added dimension that there are so many circumstances that are not addressed in scripture. That leaves a pastor with the responsibility to interpret what God has revealed and apply it to a variety of circumstances. Obviously not easy. Gordon Fee in his commentary on 1 Corinthians notes: "This issue is so complex, and the individual cases so diverse, that this text with its singular focus on maintaining mixed marriages does not offer much help"
On the subject of divorce and remarriage there is plenty of debate to go around even among the best of preachers, theologians and scholars, and subsequently lay believers. So we must realize we are treading on ground where there is not unanimous assent. There are some things we do agree on; and that is that marriage is a lifelong sacred bond between man and woman, instituted by God, and is to be treated with reverence (Heb. 13:4) by all. It is a commitment that 2 people make to each other that reflects the love and commitment of God for his people. There is unanimous agreement that God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16). So the question remains, "Is it lawful to get a divorce?"
In my sermon I treated 1 Cor. 7:10-12 and Mark 10:2-9 as dealing with 2 believing people. I would like clarify something. I would not say this refers exclusively to 2 believers but rather 2 people who are equally yoked as opposed to unequally yoked which was referred to in 13-16. So that can also refer to 2 unbelievers, since marriage is honorable among all. Therefore I believe that the scriptures teaches that apart from adultery, there are no legitimate grounds for divorce whether they are 2 nonbelievers or believers. This would be consistent with Deut. 24:1. (I believe that the "indecency" is a reference to sexual immorality.) Therefore the marriage would be binding in God's eyes until one of the spouses dies. But there are caveats. What if you have divorced for some reason other than adultery and your ex-spouse, remarries. Is their marriage legitimate in God's eyes? Does that free the remaining spouse to remarry? A closer look at Deut. 24 reveals some answers. vs. 2-4 says, "...and if she goes and becomes another man's wife, and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance." It seems to me at least, that the woman who was divorced, and then remarried is no longer a consideration for reconciliation, even after her second husband dies. Apparently she is defiled, and to remarry would bring defilement on the land of Israel. This seem a bit complicated, being that Christ teaches that whoever remarries after divorce is guilty of adultery, signaling that the bond from the original marriage is binding, however reconciliation has been ruled out as an option, leaving the innocent party with 2 options- remarry or remain single. This is where disagreement lies. I have heard several arguments in favor of both.
In the end these are issue that can be debated but not divided over. However we can learn some important lessons- 1) That a Christian should not initiate a divorce unless there is a violation of sexual fidelity. Whether a mixed marriage or not, we ought to work hard at maintaining our marriages even in trying circumstances. And we should do our best to discourage divorce in the church and in our families. When we see married couples in trouble, we ought to do everything to help them reconcile. 2) We need to be more understanding of those who have already divorced and remarried. Too often those who are divorced are treated with disdain, and that should not be the case. It is not the unpardonable sin and certainly we have committed sins that are offensive to God as well. Instead we must have an attitude of forgiveness and humility to recognize that apart from God's grace we could be in a worse situation.
A balanced approach should be taken as individuals with a respect towards those with different views. If we take such an approach we will have a more sanctified view of the subject and be more charitable towards each other.
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