Divorce and the Bible

1512 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Gender roles in ancient times

The law defines divorce as ¡§a legal dissolution of the marriage contract by a court or other body having competent authority. This is properly a divorce, and called, technically, divorce a vinculo matrimonii. ``from the bond of matrimony.'' (b) The separation of a married woman from the bed and board of her husband -- divorce a mensa et toro (or thoro), ``from bed board.''¡¨ Does this definition follow that of the Bible?
Mark 10:1-12¡X ¡¥Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, ¡§Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?¡¨
¡§What did Moses command you?¡¨ He replied.
They said, ¡§Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.¡¨
¡§It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,¡¨ Jesus replied.
¡§But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.¡¨
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, ¡§Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.¡¦
According to Mark, Jesus was not only against divorce but he detested the actions of man to allow it against the word of God. He is trying to explain what divorce means to God. Apparently, it is the joining of two people¡Xminds, bodies, and souls. These people are no longer people. They are a person. He also states that Moses only made the law to solve the problems that humankind was having.
It seems that Moses was without patience when making his declaration. The crowd was already going against God, and their religion had taken a step down their priority list. Moses was just giving his people what they wanted to hear. He only allowed the man to give a statement of divorce. He allowed them to take from that what they did. He was still serving his religion with this decision. He was not allowing them to separate their souls.
I believe Jesus was only reiterating, or clarifying, this act of Moses. He explained to the masses that Mose...

... middle of paper ...

...owever, in this case, the union of souls is not stressed. How can an unbeliever expect the God that they do not believe in to unite them? Once the unbeliever is saved, the souls will be united and a divorce is not allowed.
However, if the unbeliever never does accept God, then the he/she is permitted to cut off the marriage. A believer is to stand by the side of his beloved. He/she is held to all the rules of marriage and divorce. This, of course, meaning that the believer calling for divorce does not separate the couple in God¡¦s eyes. If the unbeliever calls for a divorce, then it is as if the marriage never took place. They are free to remarry.
Most of these authors hold the same views. Divorce is an accepted thing before man, but not before God. Then, divorce only means that you are allowed to live in separate homes. As far as remarriage goes, it is adultery on the behalf of all involved. The exception from this rule is only applicable if one of the marriage partners is an unbeliever and, as such, calls for the divorce. Then the divorce is a complete divorce and remarriage is allowed without being considered adultery.

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of A History Of Marriage By Stephanie Coontz

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the Middle Ages the Catholic Church was the epicenter of most people 's lives and it influenced them greatly, and their rulings shaped many societies. In order to encourage civil relations and less greed and bloodshed the Catholic Church installed a rule of no longer allowing divorce. For some time divorce was used in order to sever ties with your spouse when they couldn’t provide an heir, land or financial gain, or as much as another suitor. This led to many divorces and serial marriages, bloodshed and out right injustice. Some may argue that these marriages weren’t entered in with high regards to such a hefty commitment knowing that it could simply be ended whenever either spouse pleased.

    Read More

  • Social And Political Reactions To Mormon Polygamy

    2000 Words  | 4 Pages

    This is ironic because the anti-polygamists believed in the Bible, but not polygamy, one of its teachings. Many of God’s righteous followers in the Old Testament practiced polygamy. Abraham married Hagar, Sarai’s handmaiden (Genesis 16:1-3). Jacob was married to Leah, Rachel, Billah, and Zilpha, all at the same time.

    Read More

  • Moses: The Pivotal Prophet of Judaism

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    Moses had the duty of not only leading these people into a new land, but guiding them as well, teaching them the things G-d told him to. Moses would meet with G-d in private and relay the messages to the Hebrews or sometimes “tuning” in his people to the words of G-d that described what they were and were not to do, them not being able to hear G-d by themselves, since their spiritual height wasn’t as large as his. The merging of all these tenets became the Torah, “traditionally translated as 'law '.” (BBC, “Moses”), which was authoritative in nature. He was responsible for “bringing the Torah to Israel and in interpreting the Torah for them.” (Rabbi Louis Jacobs, Moses: In the Bible & Beyond).The Torah encompassed every facet of life, it being an instructional guide on how live righteously, these rules reaching 613 commandments. 603 of the commandments all fall in categories under the Aseret ha-D 'varim or the Ten Commandments. (Judaism101, “Aseret ha-Dibrot: The "Ten Commandments"”) It was Moses who brought the two tablets, on which these regulations were inscribed on, down from Mount. Sinai and he was the one who explained these laws for the Israelites. He even was charged with “hearing cases and judging them for the people” (Judaism 101, “Moses, Aaron and Miriam”) By establishing these laws in G-d’s favor and facilitating them to teach and discipline his people, Moses put himself up for being one of the greatest

    Read More

  • The High Divorce Rate in the United States

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...on of hardship, from adults to children, and therefore cannot be viewed as a morally neutral act” (Dafoe 1). “Until death do us part” is a strong phrase and is not to be taken lightly. Death of a marriage is inevitable when a couple cannot reconcile its differences. The end of the marriage affects the whole family, which eventually affects society. A person who chooses divorce will need to make this decision with these things in mind. For me, divorce was against my moral belief even though it was necessary to continue raising my children. They can grow up with peace and an understanding of what a marriage can be, and what it should not be.

    Read More

  • John Milton Mosaic Law Of Grace

    988 Words  | 2 Pages

    While the Hebrews were expected to abide by the laws laid out in the Old Testament by Moses, the coming and crucifixion of Jesus negated many of these laws, as the Law of Grace took precedence over everything prior. In his Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, Milton uses scripture from both the Old and New Testaments and argues that the Law of Moses was more lenient than that of Grace, and therefore makes more sense.

    Read More

  • Love And Marriage Essay

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    comprehend that those who did not marry were considered sinners. Today, we see so many

    Read More

  • Summary On Sobonfu Some's The Spirit Of Intimacy

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some states that divorce is a foreign concept in the village. A person who uses freedom of choice often makes terrible decisions. People in the west will break up rather than deal with certain problems. Divorce never suddenly happens, it occurs as problems build up over time and then the unexpected happens. Not only do a divorce affect the parent’s relationship but the family also. Children being raised in homes without both parents can result to resentment towards their parents. Which could lead to the child’s adult years of not knowing how to remain in a relationship, communicate effectively or he might bring the pain and sorrow he once felt towards his parent, into his existing relationship. When bothered by a specific situation, people should not vanish from a problem nor should one not say something. They should deal with the problem when it’s occurring, rather than waiting to address it later. According to Some, if something doesn’t work, change it. A situation stinks, go somewhere else. Unresolved problems do not just disappear because we walk away. They will show up under a different face in our next relationship. In today society, a marriage doesn’t last as long compared to marriages in the past. Marriages are supposed to help us learn how to love unconditionally as though god loves us. If God won’t abandon you, why should you abandon your spouse? You should invariably stay in one accord, and if you feel

    Read More

  • Meaning of Marriage in Different Cultures

    1752 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...des aid to the husband by completing household duties and by bearing children. Divorce in Christianity is not encouraged; in fact, everything possible is to be done to save the marriage. In fact, the Catholic Church does not grant divorce unless an annulment is allowed. An annulment will be given if there is any type of abuse in the relationship. Nevertheless, the Catholic Church will first try to rescue what remains of the marriage before allowing the couple to divorce. Marriage is viewed as being a relationship that will last till death is the reason that the couple be separated. Unlike Islam, in the Bible there is no definite answer for the question about Jesus ever being married. Lastly, the Christian faith does not allow for marriage to be completed between the same sexes. The only Christian division that allows it to an extent is some branches of Protestants.

    Read More

  • Does The Bible Really Condemn Homosexuality

    756 Words  | 2 Pages

    “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate (NIV Mark 10:6-9).” The Bible clearly states that a man and a woman are the intended union God planned out in the Bible.

    Read More

  • The True Meaning of Marriage

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    A husband and wife do not appear to be a choice that means ?forever? anymore. When a person plans to marry, it should be when they are ready to start a family and begin acting responsibly. All marriages have their ups and downs, and we are prone to argue; but we need to let love conquer hate, not the other way around. The divorce rate is too high and it affects everybody. There should be no reason for a person to give up their marriage for selfish reasons. Arguments between husband and wife occur, of course; but when something is wrong, it should be worked-out peacefully. The meaning of a divorce is betrayal; it?s unfair and the cruelest situation to put your ?loved? one through. For instance, if a man wants to divorce his wife aft...

    Read More

  • Should Pope Francis Be Allowed To Obtain Annulment?

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Only an annulment, the decree that a marriage was not valid from the beginning in the eyes of the church, can end a marriage, according to Canonical Law. An annulment may only be granted through the church due to a ruling that states that preconditions such as free will, psychological maturity, fidelity, and willingness to have children, were not met. If one remarries without an annulment, this is seen as adultery, as one who never left the first marriage, and is a serious sin. This sin results in one’s exclusion from Holy Communion, among other things. In the past, the church tried to forbid divorce and force the faithful to remain married, no matter the reasoning.

    Read More

  • Polygamy Essay

    1350 Words  | 3 Pages

    Note in that particular verse it says “wife” not “wives”, and that’s how it should be. There fore it is morally wrong to practice polygamy, and if one feels that it is not, maybe they should rethink their values, and what they consider morals to really be.

    Read More

  • God: The Abrahamic Covenant Of Redemption

    1571 Words  | 4 Pages

    The New Covenant would establish laws written in their minds and hearts, unlike the laws that were earlier written in stone. It was Jesus Christ who mediated this covenant between God and His people. It was Jesus who would pay the curse of death for man for his previous broken covenants. "The New Covenant was established at the Last Supper is analogous to Moses and the elders sharing a meal with God on Mt. Sinai. On the other hand Jesus' very words, This is my blood of the covenant" recall Moses's words when sprinkling the shed blood of the sacrificial animals during the ratification of the covenant on Mount Sinai (Exod 24:8.)" Just as God sacrificed His son to pay for the sins of mankind, animals were sacrificed in the ratification of the New Covenant. When Moses sprinkled their blood, Jesus declared, “This is my blood of the covenant” (Matt 26:28). The unleavened bread at the Last Supper was declared to be Christ, or the body of

    Read More

  • The Development of Marriage

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    God intended for us to be united with the opposite sex since the beginning of time. The book of Genesis tells us: "God created man in his image, He created him in the image of God, man and woman, He created them. God saw what he had done and said, "This is good, it is not good that man should be alone."(McLachlan 5). Marriage is inherently good and pleasing to God. It was part of God's original plan for mankind. It is also shown that Jesus held marriage in great esteem, for it was at a wedding where he performed his first public miracle. Furthermore, it is Jesus who raises Marriage to a Sacrament of the New Law. Our Lord is also the one who told us that divorce was wrong. He says, "What God has joined together, no human being must separate."(Matrimony 1).

    Read More

  • Lessons on Divorce

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    I agree with the article’s thesis. Divorce has slowly seeped its way into the “normal” way of life and is running rampant through our country and Americans have become numb and desensitized to its abhorrence. Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more prominent and society equates this as normal. The Funk and Wagnall’s Dictionary defines divorce as the “Dissolution of a marriage bond by legal process or by accepted custom.

    Read More

More about Divorce and the Bible

Open Document