I found this interesting article about divorce in the bible
The widely used verse in Malachi, where God seems to state that He "hates divorce", is mistranslated. What God hates is literally "the putting out" of a woman.
Putting out is altogether different than divorce in Jewish culture. A man would permanently kick his wife out, denying her the Jewish divorce certificate. This woman would still be legally married, but with no home. Her dowry and children would be retained by the husband. She would have already surrendered her virginity to him. She would be ineligible to remarry, since technically, she was still legally bound to her husband. Further, her culture would label her as an adulteress since she did not have a valid divorce certificate. And this lady couldn't just rent an apartment and get a job teaching kindergarten - there was no place for a put out woman in Jewish culture of that day except prostitution. Since the marriages were most often arranged, this whole horrible chain of events would have been completely out of her control.
The husband, however, was free to marry again and to do this as much as he liked. That is why Moses required a divorce certificate to be given... so that the marriage was legally, fairly, and religiously terminated and the woman would be free to remarry and go on with life.
For more info about this topic, do a search on the word "agunah". That means "chained women". The act of putting a woman out is still happening and today there are 1000s of "chained women" in Israel! A Jewish divorce certificate is so valuable that often after a man puts out a woman, he will legally obtain the certificate and then sell it to the highest bidder. "Agunah" is one of the greatest problems faced by orthodox Judaism today.
All over the Bible we have ignorantly and clumsily translated "put out" as "divorce". This has caused many errant doctrines to be formed and made a terrible mess out of millions of people's lives. The toll in human suffering because of our ignorance is overwhelming. The Bible simply does not say that God hates divorce. It says that God hates the putting away.
In the New Testament, Jesus continues to address this cruel breach of human rights. Nearly all of the verses translated "divorce" in the Gospels actually say "put away". It is a completely different situation which we have no equivalent for. Knowing this makes a world of difference. For instance, many believe that Christian remarriage is adultery. But Jesus did not say that if a man marries a divorced woman, he would be committing adultery. He said that if a man married a "put out" woman, he would be committing adultery. This is because she was technically still married! In Israel, putting a woman out is a devastating, intentional ruination of a woman's life. God still hates it.
We have mangled the meaning of what is going on here and used it to place people under a different type of legalism. The worst result of this mistake is that when a marriage does break down, people will often believe that God rejects them, and they will lose their faith just when they need it the most.
There are myriads of reasons why marriage relationships break down. God hates it when a heavy, inflexible grid of legalism is imposed on people and they are broken and turn away from Him as a result. It is obvious that marriages are intended to be lifelong and that every attempt should be made to reconcile and to recapture the first love that founded the relationship. But in this imperfect world, God's provision of divorce is sometimes vital, and can be lifesaving.
If you read : Matthew 5:31-32, 19:1-12, Mark 10:11-12, Luke 16:18, you will see the subjects of the divorce certificate and if the married man commits adultery are specifically addressed.
It puzzles me why you would post on such a controversy topic without at the very least reading what Jesus had to say on the subject......
...unless.....
... you are pushing a preconceived agenda trying to make it appear Biblical?
I have implied here is that the churches traditional teaching on divorce and remarriage is actually the cause of Christian divorce rates being higher that those of atheists. Sounds pretty bad. But before condemning the likes of John Piper as false teachers,"let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man," (James 3:1)
I have read those passages over many times and also the Greek words for put away and divorce. The argument, if someone wants to challenge me, would be to say put away is the verb and divorce (certificate) is the noun but mean the same.thing. I posted this as an example they are similar but different. Hardness of heart is then seen as forbidding re-marriage after a legal divorce. Looking closely at the Words of Jesus we see He never condemned re-marriage after a legal divorce certificate (get) was given.
This charge, is that the churches false teaching on this is what causes Christian divorce rates to be higher than say the atheists. says,
Consider this your challenge then. If Jesus's teaching on divorce is as lax as you say then why did the disciples after hearing Jesus's is teaching on marriage and divorce say : " If this is the situation between a husband and wife it is better not to marry"? (Matthew 19:10)
hmmm...
As Desi said to Lucy, " You got some splainin to do"
Your post troubles me sheperd. Now we can do away with gods laws.Did not the pharesses do this about not honoring parents. Jesus did warn us not to ad to the law.
Matt 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."
Put away and divorced are the same Greek word used in this verse. And it means put away or, like Agunah, a victim of hardheartedness. I have yet to find any New Testament passage where Jesus forbids remarriage to those who have been legally divorced (no longer bound).There is one O.T Deut. 22:29 that forbids divorce under special conditions.
I just read a doctrine which stated Christians are never allowed to divorce each other but if they do they must remain unmarried for life. If one is guilty they can declare them a non-believer. Because it is OK to divorce a non-believer and get remarried. Maybe that is why the disciples said it is better not to marry. They may get excommunicated, :ROFL: or worse treated like infidels. Unfortunately it is all to true, divorced people are shunned and looked upon as losers when they are no more than victims.
Other than hardheartedness the "cause of fornication" is more than adultery alone. . The Greek Porneia for fornication has within it sexual Idolotry.
Maybe it is as simple as flirting with a shoe salesman over shoes. But does it make the man hate her, or want to put her away like a chained wife. God IS a jealous God. And it is not unreasonable for a husband to be jealous of his wife's affections.It is unthinkable if you think about it. And IMHO grounds for divorce
Our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees (matt5). "And you have heard it said" (matt5) by the Pharisees not to do this or that. But Jesus said Don't even think about it (Matt5). If you do you are just as guilty. . :waving:
The cause of fornication or because of fornication does not have to be the physical act. Using the same type of rhetorical exaggeration, common to Rabbis of that day, (MATT5) Jesus said don't even think about it, "For as a man thinks in his heart so is he."
This is the power and authority wives have over their husbands (1 Corinthians 7:4 & Proverbs 31:11) "The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain."
A cheating wife can really upset a mans life and bring him to ruin. That is why fornication can ruin the marriage. Sure, it is hardness of heart that Moses granted divorce. Each case is unique but it seems fornication is a deal breaker too. Whether hardness of heart or fornication the O.T. Hebrew husbands hated their wives so much they put them away without a divorce. A woman put away (chained wife) would be devastated with no dowry no virginity no right to re-marry.The woman put away without a divorce would become a prostitute to survive. Moses' divorce law was an act of mercy for the woman put away. She could re-marry only if she had been given a get (religious divorce) according to the law of Moses, Deut. 24:1-4. It seems clear the Jewish divorce had two parts; she had to be put away (move out) and the writing of a divorce certificate put in her hand according to the Law.
Asked about the law of Moses, Jesus knowing their trick questions, did not give them what they wanted to hear. Instead of the law Jesus focused on the heart of the man.
shepherdingking you sure like beating a dead horse! I haven't read this but don't need to. In past post on this topic that had pretty much run it's course of discussion, you would still dragging it out with your opinions. What is your fetish with divorce? It is borderlineing weird???
Rev 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
