Divorce then remarriage – what does the Bible really say?

Tue, Feb 5, 2013

Editor: This has been the 6th article in the series of this very important topic. Given the time and space for printing this article, I believe that I will conclude this topic in two or so more articles.What does the New Testament say about a man who is freed from his wife?{{more}}

1 Cor 7:27-28: Do not seek a wife but if he marries he has not sinned. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use the Greek word “Luo” in verse 27 “Art thou loosed (Luo) from a wife? The word Luo can mean “dissolve” or “destroyed” or “unbind”.

Notice this, Jesus used the same Greek word when he said in John 2:19 “Destroy means “Lou” this temple and, and in three days I will raise it up”.

In 2 Peter 3:10-12, the Greek words means in this context to dissolve “Lou”. Therefore if a man is loosed (Lou) from a wife and marries another such a one has not sinned.

Here is a question; does God anywhere in the Bible prohibit someone from marrying a lawfully divorced person?

Yes. A priest in the Old Testament was prohibited from marrying a lawfully divorced woman.

Lev 21:10-14: This command was not given for all men. Does God recognize only the first marriage that you can only become one flesh with one person?

The following are a few of many verses that clearly refute this teaching. The writers do not in any way advocate polygamy for Christians or anyone else. However, the word of God refutes that false teaching. God’s ideal is one man and one woman as husband and wife. Gen 12:5: “Shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh”. The word wife in Hebrew means “Ishshah” and Sari, Abram’s wife “Ishshah” took Hagar, her maid, the Egyptian and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife “Ishshah”. This portion is found in Gen 16:3-4 and verse 10.

1 Samuel Ch 18:27-28: Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife “Ishshah”. If God recognizes only the first wife, remember Bathsheba was not his first wife, but God blessed the womb of Bathsheba and she gave birth to a future king, the wisest man who ever live. His name was Solomon. Abraham, Moses and Jacob, for instance, had many wives. These men were not living in adultery. They were blessed by God. This is only said to refute the false teaching that God recognizes only the first marriage.

In the New Testament, 1 Timothy 3:2 & 12, Titus 1:6: A man is allowed to have one wife. Especially if he is called to be a pastor, elder, or deacon.

Stay tuned for the 7th article.

On the ground observer