THE REASONS FOR DIVORCE

Divorce is a hard reality that many people have to face in these ungodly times, and that, sadly, includes Christians as well.

Divorce has been in history as the official break up of a legally recognized marriage, since the beginning of society; and it was also adopted by the early Jews during the times prior to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

In the Law of Moses, divorced dissolved the marriage union at the sole instance of the husband, by declaring that he was divorcing his wife, for any reason, while giving her a written statement of this.

(Deuteronomy 24:1-2).

Jesus changed this Mosaic Law to the original form in Eden, teaching that marriage was for life, as God intended it to be, declaring also that any break up in marriage, except for sexual desire, was to be considered adultery:

“But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery”

Matthew 5:32

“Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

Matthew 19:8-9

CAUSALS FOR DIVORCE IN CHRISTIANITY

Since Lord Jesus cancelled the mosaic laws for divorce, the reasons to admit a legitimate separation with right to a new marriage with someone else, it has been restricted to only to two main concessions given in the NT:

1 – SEXUAL IMMORALITY

When one of the partners exhibits signs of sexual immorality, or adultery.

This concession was made by the Lord Himself under the term πορνείᾳ, which includes all sorts of ‘sexual immorality’. Under this term are catalogued all unnatural practices, violence, and adultery.

(Matthew 5:32; 19:9)

2 – CASE OF APOSTASY AND ABANDONMENT

Also called the ‘Pauline exception’, when a non-believer decides to abandon the believing counterpart.

Even though Paul recommends that a believing partner should remain married with a non-converted partner, as long as they agree to live together, however, if he or she decides to abandon the believing companion, then the believing person is free to divorce him/her, and marry someone else.

It is important to know, that this clause it is given in cases of conversion, when one person of a pagan couple becomes a Christian; and not a concession for an already believing person, to marry a non-believer.

(1Corinthians 7:13-15; 2Corinthians 6:14)

ONLY under these two circumstances, Christians are allowed to file for a dissolution of their marriage and re-marry again, with God’s blessing.

WHAT ABOUT WHEN LIFE IS AT RISK

There are also times when a believing person can become mentally disturbed and violent against their partners, to the point that they may fear for their own lives.

For any case of violence, separation is allowed in Christianity, and specially if it is for self-preservation, but re-marriage is not allowed under these circumstances. In these cases, there must be an attempt to amend things, or in the worst case, to remain alone.

(1Corinthians 7:10-11)

IF THERE ANY OTHER CASE?

According to the Scripture, there are not more cases where divorce and remarriage is allowed, apart from the already mentioned.

There are some churches that allow divorce and remarriage under any circumstance, more than one time; but this is abhorrent to the Lord’s teachings.

Omar Flores.