Divorce is epidemic in the world today. Even in the church we find myriad examples of those who have dissolved their marriages, forsaken their vows and entered into new unions unscripturally.
A young lady recently wrote to ask a question about her mother’s marital status, because she had died while committed to a third union. Neither of the first two marriages were ended because the mate was unfaithful.
When Jesus was in Samaria talking to the woman at the well, the subject of multiple mates was addressed.
“Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly” (John 4:16-18).
The only reason for a scriptural divorce and thus a scriptural remarriage is if the mate who was put away committed adultery. Even then, we must ask whether the unfaithful partner was caused to be unfaithful because his mate refused the conjugal rights (1 Cor. 7:1-5).
“And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery” (Matt. 19:9).
“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” (Matt. 5:32).
In each case there would have to be laws of God that were broken if someone had no right to remarry. If she left (divorced) her first or second husbands because they had committed adultery against her, then she had a right to another marriage. On the other hand, if the first two husbands were faithful to her and she was not faithful to them, then she had no right to remarry. There are plenty of little side issues that would need to be discussed for anyone to know a person’s status.
The Scriptures are clear so that we are not left to wonder.
—Beth Johnson