Is divorce a theological issue

I see at as being there, but not ideally.

" 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." ( 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 )

Marriage is defined according to God's Law in Romans 7:1-3.
Divorce, if it happens, is for a specific reason... fornication, or sex outside of the marriage covenant.
Other reasons may come into view, but I don't see Scripture telling us that there are others.

Secondly, despite never having married, I've always looked at marriage as sacred...and the older I get, the more I see that it is a temporal ( temporary, earthly ) picture of the covenant that Christ has made with His church.

A covenant that is permanent.

Similarly, marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman until death.
It's purpose is to produce children.
In the believer, it is an accommodation to the flesh...if a person cannot "contain", then they should get married.
If they can contain, and they have the willpower not to be married, then they can choose to remain single and serve the Lord more attentively.

Divorce is not permitted...so get married with the full intention of keeping that covenant through to the end.
IF a person gets divorced, then they should remain single or be reconciled to their spouse.

In other words, there's only one shot...make it a good one, or don't bother.



As far as being a pastor or deacon is concerned, I agree with Mr. Cassidy's post above.


However, a man can be a deacon and not be married...Stephen comes to mind.
A man can be an evangelist, a pastor or an elder and not be married...Paul comes to mind.
A also don't see anywhere that Timothy was married, although he may have been...and he was the bishop at Ephesus.

 

Thank you all for allowing me to express my views on this very important subject. I count it a privilege. First, a little bit about myself and how I have arrived at my convictions:

Having been saved for a half century, the divorce and remarriage issue is one that I needed to have settled in my own heart and mind early on. This is a tough issue for many reasons, and it is an issue that must be handled prayerfully, carefully, compassionately, and above all - Biblically. I am Independent Baptist but I have seen steady decline in Independent Baptist churches, and so, above all I consider myself to be a Biblicist. I have complete confidence in the King James Version of the Bible. I have suffered greatly in times past and I am grateful that God has used these experiences to help me "weep with them that weep" (Romans 12:15).

TO WHOEVER IS READING THIS WHO IS AFFECTED BY DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE:
My heart goes out to you. I suggest that you consider the scripture on this subject very carefully and prayerfully and do not just rely on what I say. Search the scriptures for yourself with an open heart and mind and come to your personal convictions based upon what God says.

I approached this subject in the following way:
I confessed my own sins to God.
I asked God to show me the truth.
I committed myself to living the truth no matter what it turned out to be.
I read what men had to say on this subject.
I studied everything that God says on this subject in His holy Word.
I prayed and fasted three times.

I arrived at the following conclusions:

Marriage is between a man and woman who have never been in a covenant marriage before or who no longer are in a covenant marriage due to the death of their spouse.
What I mean by covenant marriage:
I (and some others) use the term "covenant marriage" to mean a marriage where neither husband or wife have been married before in God's eyes. By "never married before in God's eyes" I mean:
A marriage composed of two (male and female, lost or saved) who have never been married before according to Matthew 5:31-32; 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:16-18, Romans 7:1-4, and I Corinthians 7:10-40. I believe that the "exception clause" (for "fornication", occurring in Matthew only) is applicable to the Jewish betrothal period only.

"Remarriage" after divorce from a covenant spouse is adultery.

This adultery is continuous per Romans 7:3 "So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man."

Adultery is very serious: "But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul." - Proverbs 6:32. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind," - I Corinthians 6:9

Adultery (like any other sin) can be repented of (confessed and forsaken by God's great grace). To say that we are sorry for a sin but then continue in it (claiming that this is acceptable because of God's grace) is to misunderstand God's grace and repentance. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;" - Titus 2:11-12. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" - Romans 6:1-2

One of the issues that can cause confusion is the fact that what God says is marriage and what our culture and civil government says is marriage are not always in agreement. Therefore, there are situations where "divorce" and "remarriage" (according to our culture) are simply repentance and marriage.

If you disagree, please let us part as friends. My convictions on this subject have cost me a lot and the only reason that I stick to them is because I believe that they are in conformance with God's Word.

Serving Him because He died for me,
Brother Bruce

 

It's just that divorce is not part of the New Covenant = not valid in any sense.

 

Hi Salty,

Thanks for your reply.

I shouldn't have said, "If you disagree, please let us part as friends". That was ill advised on my part. I've been using that statement in communications that I send to pastors whom I am contacting to inquire if church membership on my part is a possibility. What I mean by it in those cases is, "let's not be enemies over this disagreement, but I understand that I can't be a member of the church that you pastor, so let's go our different ways peacefully". It wasn't appropriate to use in my post on the Baptist Board. I can be friends with lost or saved people whom I believe are living in adultery but interactions can become strained and awkward because, given my beliefs, I don't want to encourage people to live in this sin by appearing to be accepting of it. Becoming close friends in these cases is unlikely as people in these situations would not generally want to be close friends with me. I don't want to sever any friendships that I make on the Baptist Board if possible.

As far has how my convictions on this subject have cost me, that has been in terms of human relationships:
I have two brothers, both of whom are divorced from covenant marriages and "remarried". This has strained our relationships. This also strained my relationship with my parents (who were ok with the "remarriages"). I lost my best friend a few years ago based upon this disagreement. My previous pastor originally told me that we were in complete agreement, then about ten years later told me that he never did agree with me. A pastor of a church that I had wanted to join told me that what I believed is what God teaches in His Word, but he would not teach it because he had friends and family in his church who were living in this sin, and therefore I would not be allowed to be a member. I have received some "hate mail" from pastors whom I have contacted, inquiring regarding their church's position on this subject. The wife of a pastor that I served under in the late 1970's and early 1980's has expressed raw distain for me and mocked my sorrow over this. Even my covenant wife of 35 years does not agree with me on this. All of this has caused me a lot of heartbreak and heartache, but God is good and I suppose that these things are in reality simply "light afflictions" that I wish to be for God's glory.

May God bless you mightily as you serve Him.

Brother Bruce

 

Paul stated that adultery breaks the Covenant made, as did Jesus!

 

Do you hold then that ANY remarried situation is sinful, and that those parties are in perpetual adultery, so the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse them in that state?

 

If it breaks the marriage covenant, why do they commit adultery when they remarry?

 

Because adultery/fornication is anything outside the marriage covenant.
If the man and woman are still alive, then they are in covenant, whether they "like" each other or not.

"Until death do us part".

 

If they are Christians, the blood of Jesus cleansed them from any adultery!

 

Not without repenting = overcoming = new birth.

 

They can repeat before God, confessing to Him they sinned by divorcing, and the blood of Jesus will forgive and cleanse them, correct?

 

I'm having DeJa Vu.
Divorce before conversion able to marry

 

I just cannot find where Divorce meant committing the unpardonable sin!

 

There is no valid divorce in the NT.

 

Not without repenting.

 

It's not the unpardonable sin.
All of a believer's sins were paid for on the cross.

However, being cleansed does not give believers an occasion to the flesh.
Marriage is a picture of God's covenants, and He doesn't break covenants...men do.
That was why Moses gave the writing of divorce...because of man's hard-heartedness, not God's.

Divorce and re-marriage is a very difficult area that has point-blank commandment from the Lord for believers, as I see it.
Remain single, or reconcile to the spouse.


For those who go farther, there is always forgiveness; but from my perspective, any man who divorces and re-marries is automatically disqualified to be a pastor or a deacon in the "office" sense, because they've had more than one wife.
It's about being above reproach outwardly, as well as demonstrating that he can run his own house well.

Want to learn how to deal with two personalities that may rub against one another and start a fire?
Get stuck in a situation that demands it.
It gives good experience for running the house of God, in my estimation.

Question:
How can a man who is unable to reconcile with his wife or unable to discipline his own children and keep them from being unruly, serve the house of God as a pastor or deacon, watching over God's flock?

Answer:
He cannot.

For the man who divorced and then remarried either before or after believing on Christ, I think this should also apply.
He must be the husband of one wife.

That is what I see in the language.

This does not disqualify him from being a teacher or encouraging others with other gifts...just from serving as an overseer/shepherd over God's flock, or from being a deacon.



May God bless you.

 

I do not believe in divorce as in the Bible says you are departed until death. And that it is on an equal level not one over the other to make it work and put God first and foremost in the center of the marriage.
But if you are being abused, it is the only way to divorce someone if they are abusive. Just IMHO.