*** WHOEVER divorces their mate and remarries, is committing adultery.
And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardnesss of your heart he wrote you this precept... What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he saith unto them, WHOSOEVER SHALL PUT AWAY HIS WIFE, AND MARRY ANOTHER, COMMITTETH ADULTERY AGAINST HER. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, SHE COMMITTETH ADULTERY. Mark 10:2-5, 9-12
Also Luke:
And he said also unto his disciples,... WHOSOEVER PUTTETH AWAY HIS WIFE, AND MARRIETH ANOTHER, COMMITTETH ADULTERY: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. Luke 16:1, 18.
The Lord commands the same through Paul:
For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then IF, WHILE HER HUSBAND LIVETH, SHE BE MARRIED TO ANOTHER MAN, SHE SHALL BE CALLED AN ADULTERESS... Romans 7:2-3
And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord: Let not the wife depart from her husband: but and if she depart, let her remain unmarried... 1 Cor. 7:10-11
*** VERSUS ***
NOT EVERYONE who divorces their mate and remarries is committing adultery.
And the Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them,... What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses them command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 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. Matt. 19:3, 4, 6-9
It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, SAVING FOR THE CAUSE OF FORNICATION, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Matt. 5:31, 32.
Explanation:
The original commandments of God were actually quite clear, and liberal (for the male) on the issue of divorce. Deut. 24:1-2 gives Gods commandment:
"When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife."
This commandment was from God and was not to be adjusted:
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Deut. 4:2 ..if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day,... Deut. 28:1
Infidelity has throughout history been a major cause of divorce. At times it may even have been the single largest root cause. The commandment, "anyone who remarries commits adultery," is quite clear (and quite different than that given in Moses time). However, another commandment allowing remarriage in the case of adultery or fornication, is also very clear, AND VERY DIFFERENT. To illustrate: If a parent says to a disobedient child, "you are grounded and cannot go to the movies for a month." That would be very different from saying "you are grounded and cannot go to the movies for a month, EXCEPT ON THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS. The two are not compatible.
An absolute statement defining remarriage after divorce as adultery is one thing. A statement permitting divorce and remarriage, in the instance of one of the most common reasons and cause for divorce, is quite another. ***
cheers,
Darrel
*** "I was feeling sorry for you and thinking I was doing my Christian duty by making love to you." --Republican Bob Packwood, quoted from his diary, speaking to someone other than his wife. ***