Why is it written that whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery? • Moldova Creștină

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Question:

How do you comment on the Bible verses that say that whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery?

This statement is mentioned by the Lord Jesus several times in the New Testament when talking about the sin of adultery.

Context determines meaning

We first find this statement in chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus spoke about the sin of adultery:

You have heard what was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye offends you, pluck it out and throw it away from you, for it is better for you that one of your members perish, rather than your whole body being cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you, for it is better for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell. It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, he should give her a divorce decree. But I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for the guilt of adultery, gives her a reason to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:27-32)

This entire passage shows what fornication is and how serious its consequences are, one of them is divorce, or separation. Fornication is the reason why someone leaves his wife, and if a man leaves his wife not because of adultery, then he gives her a reason to commit adultery. If someone gets divorced because she committed adultery, then the one who marries this woman commits adultery, because she committed adultery while married.

Divorce law

This is better seen when we look at the passage from the Old Testament to which Jesus made reference to the letter of divorce. This passage covers cases of divorce and says the following:

If someone takes a wife and becomes her husband, and she does not find favor in his eyes, because he finds something nasty in her, and writes her a letter of divorce, and gives her into her hands, and sends her away from his house, and she He will leave his house and go and marry another husband. (Deuteronomy 24:1-2)

When the Pharisees wanted to know what reasons for divorce were included in this commandment, they asked this:

And the Pharisees came to Him and, tempting Him, said to Him: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason? He answered and said to them, Have you not read that He who created in the beginning made them male and female? And he said, “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 that they are no longer two, but one flesh.” So, what God has joined together, let no man separate. They say to Him: How did Moses command to give a letter of divorce and divorce her? He says to them: Moses, because of your hardness of heart, allowed you to divorce your wives, but at first it was not so; but I say to you: whoever divorces his wife for reasons other than adultery and marries another commits adultery; and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 19:3-9)

In this passage, God says that women should be given a letter of divorce only to protect them from a man with a hard heart who is looking for any reason for divorce, as the Pharisees said at the beginning of their conversation with Jesus. Therefore, God told a man with a hard heart to give his wife a letter of divorce, that is, a document on the basis of which the woman could remarry, and God allowed this woman to enter into a new marriage, without saying that the one who marries this woman is committing some kind of crime. sin. The Lord Jesus points out that only one commits adultery who marries a woman left by her husband because of adultery.

Commentary on Matthew 5:31

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Commentary on Matthew 5:31 / Matthew 5:31

Gospel of Matthew 5 verse 31 - synodal text:

It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, he should give her a divorce decree.

John Chrysostom (~347−407)

It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, he should give her a divorce decree.

The Savior moves on to a new subject only after he has revealed the previous one in its entirety. So in this case, He shows us another type of adultery. Which one is it? There was a law in the Old Testament that did not forbid anyone who did not love his wife for any reason to reject her and marry another instead. However, the law did not simply order this to be done, but ordered that the wife be given a divorce decree so that she would no longer be able to return to her husband again, in order to preserve in this way at least the appearance of the marriage. If there were no such command in the law, and it were allowed to let go of one wife and take another, and then return the first again, then great confusion would occur; then everyone would constantly take each other’s wives, and this would be obvious adultery. The legislator showed considerable leniency by allowing divorce; but this was done to avoid another, much greater evil. In fact, if the law forced one to keep a hated wife, then the hater could easily kill her. And the Jewish people were capable of this. If the Jews did not spare their children, killed the prophets and shed blood like water, much less would they have spared their wives. Therefore, the Legislator allowed a lesser evil in order to stop a greater one. And that this law was not one of the original ones, listen to how Christ speaks about this: “Moses wrote this because of the hardness of your hearts” (Matthew 19:8), that is, so that you, keeping your wives, would not kill them, but they would drive them away from themselves.

Source: Conversations on the Gospel of Matthew.

Chromatius of Aquileia (†~407)

It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, he should give her a divorce decree.

Our Lord and Savior changes the commandments of the ancient law for the better in everything. However, long ago Moses allowed the Jewish people, who lived lawlessly and indulged in pleasures, to grant a divorce for any reason. Not because the spirit of the law required it, but because the unbridled carnal passion of the people could not adhere to the solid truth of the teaching of the law. Therefore, such an opportunity was provided, as in another place the Lord answers the question of the Sadducees. When they ask why Moses allowed divorce, the Lord answers, saying: Moses, because of your hardness of heart, allowed you to divorce your wives; but at first it was not so (Matthew 19:8). Therefore, now it is no coincidence that our Lord and Savior, having abolished this right, restores the commandments of the ancient law. So He commands the union of pure marriage to be preserved by an inviolable law, indicating that the law of marriage was first established by Him. He says: Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate (Matt. 19:6; Mark 10:9).

Source: Treatise on the Gospel of Matthew.

Hieronymus of Stridon (~347−419/20)

Art. 31−33 It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, he should give her a divorce decree. But I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for the guilt of fornication, gives her cause to commit adultery: and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. You have also heard what was said to the ancients: “Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows before the Lord.”

In one of the following speeches, the Savior explains this passage more fully, saying that Moses commanded that divorce be granted because of the hard-heartedness of the spouses, that is, not making a concession to discord, but preventing murder (Deut. 24:1-4). Indeed, it is better to become at least in regrettable disagreement [and disperse] than to shed blood as a result of hatred.

Source: Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.

Theophylact of Bulgaria (~1078−~1107)

It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, he should give her a divorce decree.

Moses commanded that if anyone hated his wife, he should divorce her, so that the worst would not happen, for the one who was hated could be killed - and he gave the divorced woman a letter of divorce, which was called a letter of release, so that the woman who had been released would never return to him. and there was no discord when the husband began to live with another.

Source: Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.

Priest Confessor Nicodemus (Milash)

Art. 31-32 It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, he should give her a divorce decree. But I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for the guilt of fornication, gives her a reason to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery

We became acquainted with the teaching of the Orthodox Church on divorce in the interpretation of Trullo Rule 87. In it, the Trullan fathers refer to the present rule of Basil the Great and to the passages of Holy Scripture that Saint Basil also cites. To the question of Amphilochius, whether a wife can also demand a divorce when her husband is caught in adultery, what right does the husband of an adulterous wife enjoy, Saint Basil quotes the words of Jesus Christ and notes that this commandment applies equally to both husband and wife (εξ ίσου καί άνδράσι, καί γυναιξίν αρμόζει, ex aequo et viris et mulieribus convenit), i.e., that the husband can seek a divorce if his wife is adulterous, and the wife can also demand the same if her husband is an adulterer. What Saint Basil said on the basis of the cited passage of Holy Scripture is confirmed by other places thereof. When the Pharisees, tempting Christ and trying to convict him of a mistake, asked Him about divorce, He referred them to the law of Moses, which, due to their hardness of heart, allowed that a husband could let his wife go, but added that this was not the case. beginning, so that the one who takes a divorced woman also commits adultery (και ό άπολελυμένην γαμήσας μοιχάται) (Matthew 19:3−9), which equates the betrayal of a husband entirely with the betrayal of a wife (cf. Mark 10:11− 12). Meanwhile, this church teaching about the identity of the conjugal rights of husband and wife, which is based on divine right and which Saint Basil cites at the beginning of this canon, could not be established in Christian society for a long time, but the pre-Christian custom was firmly preserved, according to which only the husband had the right to break off the marriage. bonds in the event of a wife’s infidelity, and the wife had to tolerate her adulterous husband. Saint Basil mentions this custom in this rule and notes that it was still in force then. According to pre-Christian Roman laws, the wife was a powerless member of society, subordinate to her husband in everything. This power was the basis for the social improvement of that time, and the subject of legislation was the protection of the rights of the husband, but no one even thought about protecting the rights of the wife. As a result, in married life only the rights of the husband were protected by law, and the wife’s infidelity was punished as adultery, while the husband’s infidelity was not punished by law and the wife, as a person without rights, had to submit to the despotic power of the husband and his relatives and endure, put up with her husband’s infidelity, who sometimes knew no boundaries in this. Some change in this regard came only in the time of Augustus, or rather, there were then attempts to do something in this regard. Namely: the lex Julia de adulteriis coercendis invalidated many of the laws that had been issued before that time and in which free, in addition to the legal wife, communication between a husband and strangers was depersonalized, and declared any relationship between a husband and wife illegal and worthy of punishment. , with third parties. One might think that with the publication of this law, promiscuity would cease in Roman society and the equality of husband and wife in marriage relations would be established - equality, which is required by both divine laws and nature, and which determines the happiness and prosperity of the family itself. However, public promiscuity was so deeply rooted that neither this law of Augustus, nor the punishments for adulterers provided for in it, could destroy the evil custom. And what’s worse is that this vice was carried over into Christian society by persons converting to Christianity from Roman-pagan society. In Christian society, of course, all marital infidelity was condemned, both by the wife and the husband; however, according to the traditional concept of the wife's subordination and the husband's advantages in marriage, the husband's infidelity was punished much more leniently than the wife's infidelity. For treason, the husband was considered only a fornicator, while the wife was considered an adulteress (Basily the Great 21). The Church Fathers strictly condemned this perverse concept of the conjugal rights of husband and wife. In the 3rd century, Tertullian raised his voice against this, calling everyone an adulterer, qui aliam carnem sibi immiscet super illam pristinam, quam Deus aut conjunxit in duos, aut conjunctam deprehendit. Subsequently, civil legislation came to the aid of the church, and the law of Emperor Constantine the Great prescribed the death penalty for anyone caught committing adultery. The church fathers of subsequent centuries did not cease to teach, in their works, about the conjugal rights of married persons. Objecting to those who denied the right of a wife to complain about a husband guilty of adultery, Athanasius the Great explains that the sin of adultery (μοιχεία) always occurs, whether a husband commits fornication (πορνεύση) with another woman, or a wife with a stranger. John Chrysostom puts this forward even stronger and more decisively: “It is not adultery only when a man commits fornication with a married woman, but adultery also occurs when a husband commits fornication with an unmarried and unmarried woman” (άφετήν καί λελυμένην, liberam et solutam). That Basil the Great also judges this issue, like other fathers and teachers of the church, is evidenced by both the beginning of his present rule and further words that an adulterer (μοιχαλις, adultera) is every wife who has cheated on her husband, and an adulterer (μοιχαλίς, adulter) any husband who has cheated on his wife; the same is said in the 77th rule of Basil the Great, where anyone who cheats on his wife is condemned for adultery (τψ της μοιχείας κρίματι), and reference is made precisely to the mentioned place of Holy Scripture (Matthew 19:9). Adultery, therefore, according to the teaching of Basil the Great, as well as all other fathers and teachers of the church, is a reason for divorce for both the wife and the husband. As for the Roman custom, which also existed in the time of St. Basil (IV century), according to which the husband had all the rights in marriage matters, but the wife had none, then St. Basil certainly does not approve of this, but mentions it only because it existed even in his time; and that this is so is evidenced by both the method and the uncertainty (ούκ οίδα) with which he generally speaks about it. However, we also talk about the same thing in the interpretation of the 21st rule of Basil the Great.

Source: Rules of the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church with interpretations.

Evfimy Zigaben (~1050−~1122)

Art. 31-32 It was said that if anyone lets his wife go, let him give her a book of immorality. But I say to you, that whoever lets his wife go without committing adultery commits adultery: and whoever understands the prostitute commits adultery.

This indicates another type of adultery. The ancient law ordered that anyone who hated his wife for any reason should not detain her, but should let her go, giving her a letter of divorce, so that murder would not happen. The Jews were almost irreconcilable not only towards their wives, but also towards their children. Therefore, Christ said to them: Moses, out of the hardness of your hearts, commanded you to let your wife go (Matthew 19:8), but to give a letter of divorce, so that later, when the woman released marries another, the one who let her go could not take her again as his wife, and so that unrest and strife do not arise from here. Teaching with the above-mentioned words to be more meek, Christ now commands not only not to let go of a wife, unless it is the word of the fornicator, i.e. except for the guilt of fornication, calling here fornication - adultery - but he does not allow the released woman to marry another husband. Whoever lets his wife go without the guilt of fornication makes her adulterous if she unites with another husband; but whoever marries one who has been set aside by another commits adultery with someone else. Having legalized this, He made the wife more prudent. Hearing that no one will take a wife who has been freed, she will love her husband and please him. Thus, reminding the guilt of adultery both to the one who sets his wife free without reason, and to the one who marries one set aside by another, He strengthened the peace of the spouses and took care that adultery was not allowed. He who does not let go and loves his own will not desire someone else's. And the one who is forbidden to marry someone else’s woman will not let go of his own.

Source: Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew.

Mikhail (Luzin) (1830−1887)

It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, he should give her a divorce decree.

In the Law of Moses (Deut. 24:1-2). A husband, if for some reason he wanted to divorce his wife, had to give her a letter of divorce, a written certificate that she was his wife and that he was letting her go for one reason or another. Opinions about the reasons sufficient for divorce varied, but in reality the husband used this right completely at his own discretion and will, he could let his wife go whenever he wanted, under the most empty pretexts, without violating the letter of the Law of Moses. The woman's position was difficult. The Savior says elsewhere that this Law was given to the Jews because of their hardness of heart (Mark 10:2-12). God, having created husband and wife, united them for life, sanctifying marriage. But by the time of Moses, the morals of the Jews had changed so much that, due to their hardness of heart, in order not to put a woman in too difficult a position with a hard-hearted husband, he allowed divorce under the condition of a letter of divorce.

Source: Explanatory Gospel.

Anonymous comment

It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, he should give her a divorce decree.

When the Lord spoke about one who is angry in vain and who lusts, He appropriately commanded not to divorce his wife. Indeed, if he who is angry with his brother in vain will be subject to judgment, then how will he not be guilty who, without the guilt of adultery, hates his wife so much that he divorces her? But you will say: my wife is to blame for many things. What? Are you without sin? After all, if we are obliged to bear the sins of others, according to the word of the apostle: Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2), then much more are we obliged [to bear the sins of] wives. If someone, looking at a woman with lust, commits adultery with her in his heart, then will not he be condemned for adultery who, by divorcing his wife, gives rise to committing adultery, so that she commits adultery with another, and another with her? For a Christian must not only not defile himself, but also not give others a reason to defile himself. Otherwise, their crime will turn out to be the sin of the one who became the reason for others to commit an offense. And look, whoever gives a divorce [letter of divorce], guided by the law, commits four iniquities. The first is that for God he becomes a murderer; second, that he is not divorcing an adulteress; third, what compels her to commit adultery; fourth, that the one who accepted it also commits adultery. But nothing like this happens if the commandment of Christ has been kept.

Lopukhin A.P. (1852−1904)

It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife, he should give her a divorce decree.

Again the formula of verses 21 and 27, repeated in 33, 38, 43, which indicates that all this speech of the Savior was delivered simultaneously and at one time. The connection is well explained by John Chrysostom: “The Savior moves on to a new subject only after he has revealed the previous one in its entirety. So in this case, He shows us another type of adultery.” More on this subject in Deut. 24:1-4 is stated by the Savior very briefly and completely freely. Only the essence of the matter is conveyed and the circumstances that gave rise to the divorce, indicated in Deuteronomy, are not indicated at all.

Trinity leaves

It is also said that if anyone divorces his wife , who wants to divorce her and marry another, he should give her a divorce letter - a letter of divorce. This divorce had to be allowed in ancient times, because a cruel husband, to whom his wife was subordinated as a slave, could kill her, defenseless. During the time of Jesus Christ, the Jews became so corrupt that they began to change wives on a whim, under the most empty pretext, just to give their former wife a divorce decree on paper. Thus, they disregarded the God-established law of marriage, and at the same time took refuge in the letter of the Law of Moses. It happened that another voluptuous Jew drove away several wives one after another, the children followed the wives, and how many such unfortunate wives wandered without shelter, how many children without parental shelter! And now Christ the Savior, as the sovereign Lawgiver of the New Testament, completely abolishes the letter of the Old Testament of Moses, and shows what holiness and power the original Law of God on marriage has: But I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for the guilt of fornication , - when the wife will not remain faithful to her husband when she cheats on him - he gives her a reason - gives her permission to commit adultery - from a living husband to sin with another - and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery . Because if he had not taken her, she might have returned to her first husband and reconciled with him. So holy and inviolable is the marital union. God, having created husband and wife, blessed and sanctified their union for life: and the two become one flesh; what God has joined together, let no man separate. The only case when the Lord allows divorce is when the wife or husband is unfaithful; then the sacred marriage union is dissolved by itself and there may be a divorce. But even then, according to the law of the Church, this guardian and interpreter of the Law of Christ, a criminal wife (or a criminal husband) is deprived of the right to remarry. “Christ,” says St. John Chrysostom, “closed the criminal door for a wife to marry another husband in order to make her faithful to her husband and chaste, even against her desire. Thus, here too, Christ the Savior does not destroy the old law, but reveals its primitive severity, purity and holiness... Finally, by allowing divorce due to adultery, He has chastity as a goal here too. If a husband were commanded to keep in his house a wife who lived with many, then by this he would seem to be encouraging adultery.”

Source: Trinity Leaves. No. 801−1050.

The principle also applies to men

In the Gospel of Mark, the Lord Jesus said:

He said to them: whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if a wife divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. (Mark 10:11-12)

So, let no one think that only a man who marries a divorced woman because of adultery commits adultery. A woman who accepts a proposal to marry a man whose wife has divorced due to adultery also commits adultery.

How does this principle apply to Christians who remarry?

It is normal for the reader to have another question: How do these principles apply to a woman or man who has been divorced due to adultery, but then turned to God with all his heart, entered into the New Covenant with Jesus Christ, and is now living in complete obedience to Him. Is remarriage possible in this case? Is the person committing adultery who accepts an offer to marry such a Christian? No way. Anyone who has turned to God with all his heart, if he has entered into the New Covenant and been born again, he has become a new creation, as the Scripture says:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the ancient has passed away, now everything is new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Whoever turns to the Lord is free to create a family in the Lord, and whoever marries such a Christian or Christian woman does not commit adultery, because he does not marry an adulterer or a libertine, as he was before, but with a man or woman who has become in Christ a new creation. The ancient has passed away: this is how everything has become new. Translation: Moses Natalya

We often receive questions of this type: “I am divorced for such and such a reason. Can I get married again? or “I have been divorced twice—the first time because of my spouse’s infidelity, and the second time because of inadequacy. I am currently dating a man who has been divorced three times: the first time due to inadequacy, the second because of his infidelity, and the third because of his wife’s infidelity. Can we get married? Such questions are very difficult to answer because the Bible does not go into detail about the reasons why a person may or may not remarry.

What we can know for sure is this: God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). God's plan for a married couple is for them to remain married for the rest of their lives (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:6). The only specific point that allows remarriage after divorce is adultery by one of the spouses (Matthew 19:9) - and even this is controversial among Christians. Another possibility is when an unbelieving spouse leaves a believing spouse (1 Corinthians 7:12-15). However, this text does not refer directly to remarriage, but rather to divorce itself. We also think that physical, sexual, or severe emotional abuse is enough to warrant divorce and possibly remarriage. However, the Bible does not specifically say this.

Regarding this issue, we know two things for sure: 1) again, God hates divorce; 2) God is merciful and forgiving. Every divorce is the result of sin, on one or both sides. Does God Forgive Divorce? Without a doubt! Divorce is forgiven like any other sin. Forgiveness of all sins is available through faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7). Does it mean that if God forgives the sin of divorce, we can freely remarry? Not necessary. God sometimes calls people to be themselves (1 Corinthians 7:7-8). Loneliness should not be seen as a punishment, but rather as an opportunity to serve God more selflessly (1 Corinthians 7:32-36). God's Word tells us that it is better to marry “rather than to burn with fire” (1 Corinthians 7:9). Perhaps this sometimes applies to remarriage after divorce.

So, can or should you remarry? We are not able to answer this question. First and foremost, this should be decided between you, your potential spouse, and most importantly, God. The only advice I can give you is to ask God to reveal to you what He wants you to do (James 1:5). Pray with an open mind and wholeheartedly ask the Lord to place His desires in your heart (Psalm 37:4). Seek God's will (Proverbs 3:5-6) and follow His leading. This is the best advice we can give you.