Let's start out with the passage about what Jesus commanded as a NEW Testament teaching for Christians. No one can say this is legalistic nor can they say this is something exclusively under the law. The Sermon on the Mount contained in Matt 5, 6 & 7 is the beginning of Jesus' teaching to us as Christians. Here is where He began to give us New Commandments and many times contrasted these New Commandments to the Mosaic Law. What is important about this Sermon is that this falls under the Great Commission commandment that He gave in that we are to teach all things whatsoever He taught His Disciples directly and privately. See Mat 28:19-20. So no one can say this is legalism.
Mat 5:31 "Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'
Mat 5:32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife FOR ANY REASON EXCEPT sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. NKJV
So we see above that Christ Jesus gave only one exception for divorce and remarriage and that is "sexual Immorality". Different versions use Fornication and Adultery.
In Matt 19 we have more discussion in this matter.
Mat 19:3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"
4 And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,'
5 and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH' ?
6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."
7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"
8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, EXCEPT FOR sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."
Notice again we have the same only exception for divorce....Sexual Immorality/Fornication/Adultery. Now notice the observation His Disciples made about the Marriage Covenant.
10 His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry."
They recognized the strictness of how GOD and Jesus looks at the Marriage Covenant and that there is only one allowance for Divorce and remarriage...between BELIEVERS.
11 But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: NKJV
Well my brothers and sisters, this has been given to us. The question is are you going to obey God and Jesus or are your fleshly desires more important?
Unfortunately many Christians do not realize that there are other exceptions where God permits remarriage after a divorce. Let's take a look.
1Corinthians 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
The mistake made by some concerning the above scripture is that Paul is not talking about the exception clause, he is merely addressing divorce in general. So the exception clause though not mentioned does not mean we can exclude it because it does exist in Matthew 5.
12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
Paul is making a statement and saying that it is himself speaking, NOT the Lord, in this case. That if an unbelieving spouse chooses to leave the believer, (abandon) then the believing spouse in no longer under bondage of the marriage covenant/vows. This means they are free to remarry. What I would like to say for those of you who don't seem to fall within the obvious allowances for remarriage. Remember that while you are separated and your spouse committs adultery during that time, then you have grounds for divorce and remarriage. More often than not, during separation, one spouse will commit adultery. Let us also keep in mind that God gives GRACE and MERCY to us all and that if you have remarried unbiblically, if you repent, God forgives you! This of course does NOT mean you have to divorce. You cannot unscramble eggs. Additionally, if your ex-spouse remarried then he/she freed you to remarry because you cannot reconcile back to him any more. No one should rush to any divorce but allow a period of separation so that God can work on both of you and see if reconciliation is possible. People can change through the power of God. Marriage is a religious institution. So if you get divorced by man's laws, it does not mean that you are divorced in the eyes of God.
We all need to give grace to each other in this and not be legalistic. Some denominations have gone to the extreme on this issue and have even shunned people unnecessarily who are divorced, forgetting themselves that they too are just as bad a sinner, if not worse, as the rest of us. None of us are in any position to cast the first stone.
1John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. NKJV
3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" 4 And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made F93 them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' F94 5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? F95 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." 7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" 8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
Walter: Here is where He began to give us New Commandments and many times contrasted these New Commandments to the Mosaic Law. What is important about this Sermon is that this falls under the Great Commission commandment that He gave in that we are to teach all things whatsoever He taught His Disciples directly and privately. See Mat 28:19-20. So no one can say this is legalism.
Daniel: No contrast with the Mosaic law, but Jesus gave the true meaning of the Mosaic law.
For Matthew 5:
"17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. " KJV
