A preacher asks concerning Deuteronomy 24:1, the text to which Jesus refers in his own teaching about divorce, "Does 'uncleanness' in this passage mean that the woman has been immoral?" * * * That has always been open to question, among ancient Jewish rabbis as well as among Christians today. Where English translations say "uncleanness" or "indecency" (NASB) in Deut. 24:1, the Greek Old Testament used by the earliest church and known as the Septuagint has "disgraceful (aschemon) thing (pragma)." A few verses earlier, the same two words refer to excrement which Israelites are to bury and not … [Read more...]

"I have heard it said," writes a gracEmail subscriber from the Southeast USA, "that anyone who divorces a spouse for an 'unscriptural' reason and marries someone else must leave their present mate and remarry the original spouse, or else remain unmarried. It is argued that Matthew 19:9 describes an ongoing action which continues simultaneously with any subsequent marriage following an 'unscriptural' divorce. What are your thoughts?" * * * I think this more closely resembles the teaching of the Pharisees and the Scribes than that of the Lord Jesus Christ (compare Matthew 23:4 with Matthew … [Read more...]

A subscriber writes concerning two single Christians, both previously married and divorced, who are considering marriage. The woman's first husband had numerous affairs over a period of years. The man's first wife withheld conjugal rights for more than 20 years of marriage. "Is there a scriptural reason," the inquirer asks, "against this couple marrying?" * * * It seems abundantly clear to me, from the whole of Scripture, that God is for marriage and that he is against divorce (Gen. 2:24; Mal. 2:16). No matter what the cause, divorce is a tragic thing which reveals a fall from God's ideal … [Read more...]

A reader from Washington asks: "What can you say about New Testament teaching concerning divorce and remarriage?" * * * It is easy, when discussing this sensitive subject, to confuse two very distinct questions. One might inquire, "What is God's will concerning marriage and divorce?" Or one might ask, "May the person who has transgressed God's command and come short of his will, then be forgiven and go forward to do his will in the future?" To the first inquiry, I think, Christians of all denominations are essentially agreed. God's original plan and permanent ideal is for one man to be … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber writes: "I'm approaching the first anniversary of my divorce and I'm still struggling with so much anger, pain and even guilt over what I could have done differently to make my husband stay. He left me for another woman and I just can't seem to let go of all these negative emotions. I don't know how to move beyond all this." * * * We cannot change the past and there is no value in trying to relive it now. Instead, focus on living in the present with each new day that God gives you to enjoy. Taken together, those new days constitute your (as yet unfulfilled) future. I … [Read more...]

A gracEmail reader and her husband are divorcing because they think they have nothing in common anymore. Meanwhile, she has found a male friend who so resonates with her that she wonders if they might be "soul-mates" -- two souls created to find each other and to be together. Finally, she asks, can she be forgiven if she marries this friend some day after her divorce is final? * * * I am afraid that the "soul-mate" notion is a romantic invention. It makes for sweet stories and sentimental movies, but it totally lacks any scriptural basis. Certainly, some people seem to "match" each other … [Read more...]