1. What Is Biblical “Putting Away?”
The New Disagreement Is Not Over:
Whether Or Not Fornication Is The Only Acceptable Cause For Divorce – All Bible Believers Say That It Is The Only Cause
Who Has The Right To Remarry In Marriages Where Fornication Is Committed – All Bible Believers Say It Is The Innocent Party
Whether Or Not The Put Away Fornicator Has The Right To Marry Another – All Bible Believers Say That They Do Not
The Unfairness Of Any Particular Situation – All Bible Believers Will Rely Upon God’s Word As The Final Authority In Determining Marriage or Remarriage Rights. The Seeming “Unfairness” Of A Matter Does Not Change God’s Will
Some “Loosing Where God Has Not Loosed” – It Is Over Them “Binding Where God Has Not Bound”

2. What Is Biblical “Putting Away?”
The New Disagreement Is Not Over:
Whether Or Not We Are To Obey Civil Authorities – All Bible Believers Contend that Civil Authorities Must Be Obeyed (Rom. 13:1-4; Tit. 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13-15)
Whether Or Not Different Cultures, And The Cultures Of Different Times, Have Different Cultural Procedures For Recognizing Marriages and Divorces – All Agree That These Procedures Are In A Constant State Of Change
The New Disagreement Concerns Whether Or Not Biblical Putting Away Is Synonymous With Civil Divorce In One’s Respective Society!

3. Jesus Answered The Question:
Biblical “Putting Away”
Motive Over Method
“And some Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?” (Matt. 19:3, NAS)
Jesus Answered The Question:
“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9, NKJV)
“But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Matt. 5:32, NAS).

4. “Cause” (Gr. Aition)
“So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no fault in this Man’" (Lk. 23:4, NKJV). (“I find no basis for a charge against this man.” - NIV) 
“…You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him” (Lk. 23:14).
“Then he said to them the third time, ‘Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason (“no grounds” – NIV) for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go’" (Lk. 23:22).
“For we are in danger of being called in question for today's uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering" (Acts 19:40).

5. Fellowship & Applications
Some say the civil or cultural procedure determines the right of remarriage
Some say that God-given liberties are nullified by whatever human laws may contradict them
Some take the race-to-the-courthouse position
Some take the race-to-repudiation position
Some require the cause to be stated on the court document
Some allow a counter suit by the innocent party to reverse the effects of the fornicator’s legal victory
Some allow a public announcement by the innocent party to their church, elders, friends, family, on radio, or in the newspaper, to reverse the effects of the fornicator's legal victory

6. Some Observations About “Apoluo”
King James translators variously translate apoluo by the words: “depart, dismiss, divorce, forgive, go, let, let go, liberty, loose, put, release and send.”
When used of “divorce,” Thayer says apoluo means, "to dismiss from the house, to repudiate." (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, pg. 66).
Our word “Divorce” comes from the Latin “Repudiatus,” which means to “repudiate.” (Lat. Repudium = separation)
The use of the word apoluo does not necessarily imply or involve court houses, trials, writs, warrants, judges, lawyers, clerks, bailiffs, juries, witnesses, legal filings, or any particular legal procedure. These are not inherent in “apoluo.”

7. Synonyms of “Apoluo” “choridzo” “aphiemi”
“Is it lawful for a man to put away (apoluo) his wife for every cause?” (Matt. 19:3)
“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder (choridzo)” (Matt. 19:6)
“…Whosoever shall put away (apoluo) his wife, except it be for fornication…” (Matt. 19:9)
Active
Voice
{10} “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart (choridzo) from her husband. {11} But even if she does depart (choridzo), let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce (aphiemi) his wife” (1 Cor. 7:10-11, NKJV)
Passive
Voice
“aphiemi”

8. One Party Had The Power or Right
“PUTTING AWAY”
POWER
Jews “Departed” From Paul (Acts 28:25)
Sanhedrin “Let” the Disciples “Go” (Acts 4:21,23; 5:40)
Assemblies Were “Dismissed” (Acts 15:30,33; 19:41)
Sins Were “Forgiven” (Lk. 6:37)
Woman Was “Loosed” From Her Infirmity (Lk. 13:12)
Paul & Barnabas Were “Sent” by the Church & HS (Acts 13:3)
Innocent Party “Put Away” the Guilty Party (Matt. 19:3)
In Each Case
One Party Had The Power or Right
To Act For or Against Another

9. “Depart” (apoluo)
“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart (apoluo) in peace, according to thy word…” (Luke 2:29, KJV).
“So the chief captain then let the young man depart (apoluo), and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me” (Acts 23:22)
“And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed (apoluo), after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,” (Acts 28:25, KJV).
The word “apoluo” has no inherent connection with civil authorities or legal procedures!

10. “Go” or “Let Go” (apoluo)
“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go (apoluo)” (Acts 3:13).
“Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go (apoluo)” (Luke 23:22).
“And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go (apoluo) in peace from the brethren unto the apostles” (Acts 15:33).
The word “apoluo” has no inherent connection with civil authorities or legal procedures!

11. “Dismiss” (apoluo)
“So when they were dismissed (apoluo), they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle” (Acts 15:30)
“And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed (apoluo) the assembly” (Acts 19:41).
Due to its broad meaning and general use, it understandable why the word apoluo is used in connection with civil actions. However, it is not limited to this application!

12. No Civil Law Procedures Here!
“Forgive” (apoluo)
“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive (apoluo), and ye shall be forgiven (apoluo)” (Luke 6:37).
“Loose” (apoluo)
“But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from (apoluo) your infirmity" (Luke 13:11-12).
{2} “And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. {3} “And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ {4} “But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go (apoluo)” (Luke 14:2-4, NKJV)
No Civil Law Procedures Here!

13. “Send” (away) (apoluo)
“But Jesus sent him away (apoluo), saying, ‘Return to your own house…’” (Luke 8:38-39). (Demon Possessed Man)
Acts 13:3 tells of the occasion when the prophets and teachers at the church in Antioch were told to “Separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” After fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and “sent them away (apoluo).”
On different occasions we read where Jesus sent the multitudes away (apoluo) (Matt. 14:15,22,23; Mk. 6:36,45; 8:3,9).
The Greek word apoluo does not even imply any general civil law activity, much less require any specific legal procedures!

14. “Release” (apoluo)
Custom to “release (apoluo) unto the multitude a prisoner whom they wished” (Matt. 27:15)
“Pilate said unto them, ‘Whom will ye that I release (apoluo) unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?’” (Vs. 17)
“Whether of the twain will ye that I release (apoluo) unto you?” (Vs. 21)
“Then released (apoluo) he Barabbas unto them…” (Vs. 26) (cp. Mark 15:6,9,11,15; Luke 23:16,18,20,22,25; and John 18:39(twice); 19:10,12).
In the parable of forgiveness, the servant with great, debt fell down at his master’s feet and pleads for patience. We then read that his master “was moved with compassion, and loosed (apoluo) him, and forgave him the debt” (Matt. 18:27).

15. “Put Away” “Divorce” (apoluo)
“But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away (apoluo) his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced (apoluo) committeth adultery” (Matt. 5:32)
“Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away (apoluo) privately” (Matt.1:19).
“And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away (apoluo) his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away (apoluo) doth commit adultery” (Matt. 19:9).
“Apoluo” means and involves the same thing in these passages that it does in all of the others! It means to separate, dismiss, release, loose, depart, send away, repudiate, leave, or let go.

16. One Party Had The Power or Right
“PUTTING AWAY”
POWER
Jews “Departed” From Paul (Acts 28:25)
Sanhedrin “Let” the Disciples “Go” (Acts 4:21,23; 5:40)
Assemblies Were “Dismissed” (Acts 15:30,33; 19:41)
Sins Were “Forgiven” (Lk. 6:37)
Woman Was “Loosed” From Her Infirmity (Lk. 13:12)
Paul & Barnabas Were “Sent” by the Church & HS (Acts 13:3)
Innocent Party “Put Away” the Guilty Party (Matt. 19:3)
In Each Case
One Party Had The Power or Right
To Act For or Against Another

17. “Forbidding” What God Allows: (1 Tim. 4:3)
To Forbid Marriage (Among Eligible Candidates) (Ex. Nazi Germany, Slavery)
To Ban The Eating Of Certain Foods
Doctrine Of
Devils
God Allows The Eating of Meats (1 Tim. 4:3-5; Romans 14:6,14)
God Allows Marriage Between Eligible People (1 Cor. 7:2; Heb. 13:4; Matt. 19:11)
Doctrine Of
Christ

18. Exception Clause Inserted From Matthew’s Account
The Case of the First Century Woman
{11}“Whosoever shall put away his wife [except for sexual immorality], and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
{12}“And if a woman shall put away her husband [except for sexual immorality], and be married to another, she committeth adultery” (Mk. 10:11-12)
Exception Clause Inserted From Matthew’s Account
Jewish Civil Law
& Cultural Procedure
Granted Divorce
Rights Only To
Men
(Deut. 24:1-4)
However