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Divorce FJK
Divorce FJK
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. What is a Marriage?
2. Should God abdicate the Throne?
3. What Jesus said about Divorce and what he did not say
4. What did Paul teach about Divorce?
5. Can the Divorced Remarry?
6. The Husband of One Wife
A) Respected Theologians
B) Greek Scholarship
C) The Church Fathers
D) The Scriptures
Introduction
If you are like me, learning the Bible has been an eye opening
experience. One of the biggest surprises was to learn that many beliefs
held dear by Baptists are mere tradition and not found in the Bible.
Sometimes, the Baptists have just as much church tradition as our
Romanist counterparts.
This short treatise on what the Bible says about divorce is being
especially prepared for a Pulpit Committee, but it has application for all
Christians.
Before we get to the heart of the matter, I think it necessary to
introduce the subject at hand. Certain questions will be asked of me or
anyone else who questions the Fundamentalist Tradition on this matter.
I am Divorced. As I hear the book slam shut and many refuse to
even hear what the Bible says on the matter, I pray that some will
actually be a Berean and search the Scriptures to see if what they have
been taught is accurate. When I was much younger, the woman I
married committed adultery against me (and God) and abandoned me.
She demanded a divorce and it was granted. I am not happy this
happened. It was crushing to me. That being said, the Bible has
something to say on the matter. We will see exactly what it says.
I arrived at my conclusions about divorce many years ago. What I
believe I have taught in Sunday school, on tape, radio, and privately
years before I was ever married. Unlike Charles Stanley and others who
proclaimed they would quit the ministry if divorced and conveniently
changed their position when their situation (or those of their family or
friends) changed, I have not. The Bible does not change.
Now don't get mad at me. I am just reading what the Bible has to
say. Stay with me as we search after truth.
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Now here is the important part. Let's look at what Jesus DID NOT say:
Jesus did not say this was the whole of the teaching on divorce
Jesus did not say he would rather the wronged spouse stay with
the adulterous mate
Jesus did not say that a marriage cannot be broken.
Jesus did not say that all divorced and remarried people were
living in adultery
Jesus did not say that a divorced person cannot remarry
Jesus did not say that he was referring to an engagement (as
some have taught) and not the actual marriage. There is no
logical, grammatical, or exegetical ground for limiting
fornication to immorality before marriage. It is nowhere in the
text and is nonsense.
Jesus did not address Gentiles or the New Testament Church
We rely on the Holy Spirit to show you that you should believe
what Jesus said and not put words in his mouth. Next, we will see what
Paul said about the matter.
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Now we have a place where one must honestly examine the Bible
and see exactly what we are being told here. In the next couple of
paragraphs we will attempt to do so.
The first thing we notice is that divorce IS NOT mentioned and is
not in the context. Some will read this into the passage, but Paul does
not mention divorce. The only connection is that the law is not dead
we are just divorced from it.
There are three views as to what Paul meant by The Law':
Roman Law
Jewish Law
Moral Law of God
The first two choices are equivalent as far as the ramifications of it.
The third choice is what we must address.
It is quite easy to see that Paul is not addressing the Law of God in
Rom 7. We see that by the fact that:
Paul just finished addressing the superiority of grace over the
law in Romans 6. He would hardly jump into a discussion of
what the Law obligates us to do.
Rom 7 is not a dissertation on the Law. Paul is contrasting civil
law with the bondage that the Mosaic Law put on a man.
Far from trumpeting the Law, he stresses the bondage of it!
The context of 1 Cor 7 agrees. Paul had just finished addressing a series
of individuals in regarding to matrimony. He spoke to:
Single Men v. 1, 7
All Unmarried v.8
Divorced Christians v. 15, 27-28
Single Women or virgins never married v. 28, 36
Paul had one more situation to address widows. That is why
death of a spouse is mentioned.
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Tit 1:5-9 - For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in
order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I
had appointed thee: "6": If any be blameless, the husband of one wife,
having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.7": For a bishop
must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon
angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; "8": But a
lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
"9": Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may
be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the
gainsayers.
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We could quote many others. How many know that Charles Stanley and
CI Scofield were both divorced. They are among the most widely used
preachers of the last century, are they not?
Prov 19:20 - Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest
be wise in thy latter end.
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The mere fact that a man is divorced does not mean that he did
not rule his own house well. Ruling the house properly is often
the very reason a rebellious woman will seek a divorce. God is
divorced. Is he guilty of not ruling his own house well? Hardly.
If a man is called to the ministry, should he quit because his
wife turns from God? Is that the will of God? Ever?
Romanist Reasoning - which says a divorced person could never
be pastor or deacon but would allow a repentant murderer or child
molester to do so is not Biblical or sane.
The plain reading of English grammar - does not dictate any
reference to divorce. If I were to say I am the owner of one car,
you would never assume that I have only owned one car. Only a
scholar or a Pharisee would make that mistake!
If you hold that husband of one wife means only one marriage,
then men like Charles Spurgeon, Bob Jones Sr., Adoniram Judson,
and others who have had a wife die should have left the ministry.
After all, it says one wife, doesnt it? It doesnt say one wife unless
she died.
There are instances where divorce is not preferable and
sometimes God COMMANDS it (1 Cor 7:15a)
In the Millennium, you will find an adulterous murderer (King
David) reigning in Jerusalem, and a divorced King (Jesus)
reigning over the world. 1 Tim 3 and Tit 1 should be studied in
light of this.
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Bibliography
Branson, Roy. A Bill of Divorcement. Bristol, TN: Landmark
Publications, 1994.
Devries, Edward R. Divorced Preachers Are They Qualified? Lake
Charles, LA: School of Biblical & Theological Studies, 2000
Duty, Guy. Divorce & Remarriage. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany
Fellowship Inc., 1967
Greene, Oliver B. The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to Timothy and Titus.
Greenville, SC: The Gospel Hour, 1964
Nicholson, William E. Making a Difference. Dunbar, PA: Stefanos
Printing, 1998
ONeal, Michael D. If You Remarry. Albany, GA: Gospel Light Baptist
Church, 1999
ONeal, Michael D. The Husband of One Wife. Albany, GA: Gospel
Light Baptist Church, 1999
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