Hey Shawn; will ya look at the head on that one; that is one ugly looking horse!
Ok down to business:
"God has not called us to be happy, but has called us to follow Him, with all integrity and devotion."- G.L. Archer
This is no doubt a tough verse. You will notice in Matt 19:10 even the disciples comment on how tough it is! But not all hope is lost.
*First of all God is God and undoubtedly supply you a woman without making you into a adulterer.
* Secondly, you are free to marry a divorced woman if she is divorced because of martial unfaithfulness.
*Thridly, of the many divorced people, there are many whose ex-spouses are re-married, living with another or otherwise having sexual relations with someone other than their original spouse. This would seem to satisfy the conditions of this verse.
Fourthly, there are plenty of never married women in the Phillipines.
I do agree with you, but I think you would be surprised how many available women there really are. I always inquire of a divorced woman I am interested in as to.the cause of her divorce. If I get any kind of answer like ; " we just tell out of love" , " we didn't get along" or" we grew apart" ; I'm outta there!
What if a thief gets saved and forgiven, does it release him of the responsibility of restitution? Should he not as Christian attempt to pay back what he has stolen? Why would it be any different for divorce? If a women gets saved after a divorce and neither spouse is remarried or in a similar situation then she should either be reconciled with her husband or remain single. Unless the divorced occurred because of marital unfaithfulness.
I see your point. But stealing is against the LAW before and after salvation, divorce is a free choice for the heathens...grant it it was a bad choice, but it did not break no LAW's, it is natural to the old man, so do the old things pass away upon conversion?
What about a pastor? A MAN gets married & divorced 2 times while unsaved, then gets married a third time to a Christian lady and she is a good wife, he gets saved and and is the model husband and father, has well behaved kids, an upstanding member of the community and feels he is called to preach. Or worse, volunteers to teach Sunday School!
Is he disqualified to be pastor or Sunday School teacher?
Allow me to preface by saying ; Gods Grace is Sufficient. But that does not release us from the responsibility of being led by the Spirit who is in agreement with scripture. I will not bury you in a mountain of verses but will say the Bible teaches to right your wrongs if you can. For example you borrow a tool from a neighbor, before you are saved. Since he hasnt asked for it back, you don't return it. Then you get saved. The Holy Spirit should convict you the next time you see that tool. And as a Christian you should give it back. You don't say to yourself; " since. I borrowed it and kept it before I was saved I get to keep it!
In summary; regardless of when you got saved the scripture still applies; if there has been no marital unfaithfulness (even after the divorce) you should seek reconciliation or stay single.
As for the pastor. I take the Titus 1:6 scripture in the context of the day, meaning to have more than one wife at the same time. However many believe it to include those who are divorced and remarried. The homosexual who contracts hiv or a alcoholic who has ruined his liver still has consequences to live with after they are saved. Why not this pastor? But in the scenario you describe there has been marital unfaithfulness with the second and thrid wives. And most likely they have not stayed celibate either so there is nothing to do. If the church or denomination interprets the Titus scripture to include the divorced then he can't be a elder. In my opinion for the pastor scenario ; I see no problem.
I hear you. But Shawn has stated he has not the faith to get past this scripture. So what else is there to do except explain it. I can think of no time when the Spirit would lead contrary to scripture. Yet I know Gods Grace is sufficient for all who fall short of Gods best in marriage.
There are few stories I want to share here (true stories of course):
- there was a local celebrity here, he was a vocalist of a famous boyband in his time. He cheated from time to time with different woman each time, into drugs, gambled a lot, and of course was an alcoholic. His family was in a total mess, his daughter got pregnant in a very young age, his son was a junkie and spent years in jail. Only his wife was the only one who was saved in his family, his wife never stopped praying for his family. He hit his wife every time he was home, only stopped after he fell asleep. Finally, after 29 years, his family was recovered, his children were healed, and he loved his wife more than ever. Never at one time his wife ever had in mind to leave him. For 29 years, she had been faithful, she never lost any hope, and she believed that Jesus is alive and Jesus knew what she and her family was going through.
- a businessman here, his wife cheated and ran away with his driver. He never heard anything from her again ever since, people (include people in the church) told him to forget her and started a new family with a nice woman. He refused and kept waiting. After 10 years, his wife came home and they lived happily ever after, happier than before.
And there are many more testimonies but I am thumbing here, so please understand lol
I, to be honest, still doubt that divorced people could remarry again. Tho I know the verses but I still have doubt in my heart regarding to this matter. If I still have doubt, I prefer not doing it. It is just me personally.
Me and my coworkers once discussed this topic. And my friend came up with, where did Paul get the idea of marriage? He himself was never married, he compared a marriage between wife and hubby as a marriage between him and Christ.
Christ is always the person who is left out, being cheated, hurt, you name it. While we always the one who walk out, cheated and hurt Him. Does Christ ever or would ever leave us? No, He stays for now and ever.
Is it anything impossible for Christ?
Is it impossible for Jesus to reconcile you back with your ex?
Shawn, I personally would not do things that still brings me doubt in my heart. If you have peace in your heart, then go for it. We have the Holy Spirit inside, He is the best guardian ever and the best teacher. And this place is one of the best place to share everything (include some food recipes :ROFL:)
Paul was a Pharisee;to be a Pharisee a man had to be married.
1Cor. 9:1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
1Cor. 9:2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
1Cor. 9:3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,
1Cor. 9:4 Have we not power to eat and to drink?
1Cor 9:5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
1Cor 9:6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
Peter also had a wife.
Mat 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
To the posted topic:Divorce and dating
Every sin against the Son of man will be forgiven.
Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Let us examine Matthew 5:31-32;First we need the context from verses 20-22 before we tread along.
VS.20 Yeshua talks about ones righteousness exceeding that of the Pharisees.
We see "It was said by them of old time" and "but I say unto you"
Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Mat 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
Mat 5:32 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.
I believe the idea is of Pharisail teachings and righteousness vs Christs righteousness and teachings.
Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mat 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
