For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. Romans 7:2

Marriage Remarriage?

Apostolic Teaching And Application Married Married o Bound or ?

Married or Bound? Who can marry? [a scriptural right] Someone who has never been married Someone whose mate has died Someone who divorces a mate for fornication Someone who is reconciling Questions And Consequences

Married or Bound? Who can marry? [a scriptural right] Who cannot marry? [no scriptural right] Someone who has been put away Someone who puts away not for fornication ! Commits Adultery !

Questions And Consequences Married or Bound? Who can marry? [a scriptural right] Who cannot marry? [no scriptural right] What are sexual immorality and adultery? Sexual immorality [also called fornication] Very broad use; any unlawful sex, including adultery Is only reason Jesus allows for divorce [Mt 5:32; 19:9] Adultery Very narrow; unlawful sex involving a bound person No divorce for adultery…in his heart [Mt 5:27-28]

Questions And Consequences Married or Bound? Who can marry? [a scriptural right] Who cannot marry? [no scriptural right] What are sexual immorality and adultery? Does not under bondage mean free to marry? Is 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 another exception? General context of Gods marriage law [Gn 2] says NO Specific context of 1 Corinthians 7 says NO

Questions And Consequences Married or Bound? Who can marry? [a scriptural right] Who cannot marry? [no scriptural right] What are sexual immorality and adultery? Does not under bondage mean free to marry? This position is usually called Mental Divorce Can the innocent party remarry if guilty does?

Can the innocent party remarry? Mental Divorce? The basic position stated: Innocent person is put away for just any reason unbeliever departs from believer [1 Cor. 7:15] OR… no longer in love, burns dinner, is a slob; etc. fornication is not the issue; therefore, not scriptural

Can the innocent party remarry? Mental Divorce? The basic position stated: Innocent person is put away for just any reason innocent person did not want divorce; fought publicly The unscriptural divorce is not accepted by God, only by the law of the land [Mt 19:6] innocent person stays chaste; desires reconciliation innocent person has not sinned; abides in Gods law God only accepts divorce in cases of fornication, so He does not break the bond here [Mt 19:9; Rm 7:2-3] Theyre not divorced in Gods eyes, only in mans divorce is used accommodatively, as civil law uses it

Can the innocent party remarry? Mental Divorce? The basic position stated: Innocent person is put away for just any reason The unscriptural divorce is not accepted by God, only by the law of the land [Mt 19:6] Guilty person eventually marries someone else by the law of the land, which allows for such actions innocent now mentally divorces guilty fornicator innocent has put away a fornicator; now can marry since God did not accept the divorce nor break the bond, guilty is now in adultery [Mt 19:9] involves a public declaration before the church necessary: law of land says theyre already divorced!

Can the innocent party remarry? Mental Divorce? The basic position stated: Innocent person is put away for just any reason The unscriptural divorce is not accepted by God, only by the law of the land [Mt 19:6] Guilty person eventually marries someone else by the law of the land, which allows for such actions law of land nullifies Gods law: innocent is barred from obtaining a scriptural divorce because civil law says theyre already divorced [but not in Gods eyes]! innocent person who has not sinned must suffer life of chastity while the guilty person lives Scott free This position must be true, or else:

Begin with a normal marriage HUSBANDWIFE bound by God …what God has joined together, let not man separate [Mt 19:6] Mental Divorce?

Innocent person is put away; not for fornication INNOCENTGUILTY Just any reason …what God has joined together, let not man separate [Mt 19:6] Mental Divorce? And I say to you, whoever divorces..., except for sexual immorality [Mt 19:9] HUSBANDWIFE bound by God Thus, an unscriptural divorce not accepted by God

Guilty person eventually marries; is in adultery! INNOCENT GUILTY …what God has joined together, let not man separate [Mt 19:6] Mental Divorce? whoever divorces…except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery [Mt 19:9] still bound by God Married to another while still bound to first! Another Adultery if, while her husband lives, she marries… she will be called an adulteress [Rm 7:3]

NOW Innocent puts away guilty for fornication INNOCENT GUILTY Mental Divorce? whoever divorces…except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery [Mt 19:9] still bound by God Therefore, Innocent is free to marry! Another Adultery put away in Gods eyes for fornication Another bound by God scriptural, REAL divorce; NOW the bond is broken

Questions And Consequences Married or Bound? Who can marry? [a scriptural right] Who cannot marry? [no scriptural right] What are sexual immorality and adultery? Does not under bondage mean free to marry? This position is usually called Mental Divorce Can the innocent party remarry if guilty does? Appears to be reasonable, fair, scriptural Lets examine the argument one more time for clarity:

Can the innocent party remarry? Mental Divorce? The basic position stated: Innocent person is put away for just any reason unbeliever departs from believer [1 Cor. 7:15] OR… no longer in love, burns dinner, is a slob; etc. fornication is not the issue; therefore, not scriptural

Can the innocent party remarry? Mental Divorce? The basic position stated: Innocent person is put away for just any reason innocent person did not want divorce; fought publicly The unscriptural divorce is not accepted by God, only by the law of the land [Mt 19:6] innocent person stays chaste; desires reconciliation innocent person has not sinned; abides in Gods law God only accepts divorce in cases of fornication, so He does not break the bond here [Mt 19:9; Rm 7:2-3] Theyre not divorced in Gods eyes, only in mans divorce is used accommodatively, as civil law uses it

Can the innocent party remarry? Mental Divorce? The basic position stated: Innocent person is put away for just any reason The unscriptural divorce is not accepted by God, only by the law of the land [Mt 19:6] Guilty person eventually marries someone else by the law of the land, which allows for such actions innocent now mentally divorces guilty fornicator innocent has put away a fornicator; now can marry since God did not accept the divorce nor break the bond, guilty is now in adultery [Mt 19:9] involves a public declaration before the church necessary: law of land says theyre already divorced!

Can the innocent party remarry? Mental Divorce? The basic position stated: Innocent person is put away for just any reason The unscriptural divorce is not accepted by God, only by the law of the land [Mt 19:6] Guilty person eventually marries someone else by the law of the land, which allows for such actions law of land nullifies Gods law: innocent is barred from obtaining a scriptural divorce because civil law says theyre already divorced [but not in Gods eyes]! innocent person who has not sinned must suffer life of chastity while the guilty person lives Scott free This position must be true, or else:

Begin with a normal marriage HUSBANDWIFE bound by God …what God has joined together, let not man separate [Mt 19:6] Mental Divorce?

Innocent person is put away; not for fornication INNOCENTGUILTY Just any reason …what God has joined together, let not man separate [Mt 19:6] Mental Divorce? And I say to you, whoever divorces..., except for sexual immorality [Mt 19:9] HUSBANDWIFE bound by God Thus, an unscriptural divorce not accepted by God

Guilty person eventually marries; is in adultery! INNOCENT GUILTY …what God has joined together, let not man separate [Mt 19:6] Mental Divorce? whoever divorces…except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery [Mt 19:9] still bound by God Married to another while still bound to first! Another Adultery if, while her husband lives, she marries… she will be called an adulteress [Rm 7:3]

NOW Innocent puts away guilty for fornication INNOCENT GUILTY Mental Divorce? whoever divorces…except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery [Mt 19:9] still bound by God Therefore, Innocent is free to marry! Another Adultery put away in Gods eyes for fornication Another bound by God scriptural, REAL divorce; NOW the bond is broken

Questions And Consequences Married or Bound? Who can marry? [a scriptural right] Who cannot marry? [no scriptural right] What are sexual immorality and adultery? Does not under bondage mean free to marry? This position is usually called Mental Divorce Can the innocent party remarry if guilty does? Appears to be reasonable, fair, scriptural Very compelling argument, but WRONG, sinful!

Questions And Consequences A closer examination of Mental Divorce Non-biblical terms innocent and guilty used – though understandable why these terms used, they just cloud the issue with an emotional element not in text Argument appeals to sense of reason, fairness – innocent is the victim, who has not sinned, yet is put away by law of the land even though fought it – guilty is the one who does the divorcing (by law of the land) for just any reason, not for fornication – Remember: Gods law is not based on our emotions but on His justice and truth [John 17:17; 1 Peter 4:11; etc.]

Questions And Consequences A closer examination of Mental Divorce Mt 19:6, 9; Rm 7:2-3; 1 Cor. 7:15ff; most cited certainly God doesnt want the innocent to suffer! Argument appeals to sense of reason, fairness – In reality, the scriptures are only used to back up the emotional presumptions that initiated the argument – As with most doctrinal error, the correction lies within the very scripture used to support the doctrine Argument appears to be backed up by scripture we must allow scripture to guide our understanding and not let our understanding guide the scripture!

Questions And Consequences A closer examination of Mental Divorce We labored through the basics in order to meet the complications of false doctrines with truth! Argument appeals to sense of reason, fairness – Our study Who cannot marry? already dealt with this Argument appears to be backed up by scripture Argument has already been answered in our study!

Questions And Consequences Married or Bound? Who can marry? [a scriptural right] Someone who has been put away Matthew 5:32 whoever marries a woman who is divorced whoever marries her who is divorced Who cannot marry? [no scriptural right] Matthew 19:9 Luke 16:18 …marries her who is divorced from her husband ! Commits Adultery !

Questions And Consequences Married or Bound? Who can marry? [a scriptural right] Someone who has been put away Matthew 5:32; 19:9; Luke 16:18 Who cannot marry? [no scriptural right] Put away clarifies is divorced [passive] !Commits Adultery! Greek is chorizo; in this case, the woman did not do the divorcing, but divorce was enacted on her in English, is divorced describes situation of both; in the Greek here, it describes only the put away question of who received divorce, not who gave it

Questions And Consequences Married or Bound? Who can marry? [a scriptural right] Someone who has been put away Matthew 5:32; 19:9; Luke 16:18 Who cannot marry? [no scriptural right] Put away clarifies is divorced [passive] !Commits Adultery! if put away for fornication, certainly adultery if put away for any other reason, still adultery No consideration of motive behind the divorce

Whoever marries her who is divorced… Was Put Away For: Who Cannot Marry? Burned the dinner Irreconcilable Differences One Who Has Been Put Away Fell out of love SEXUAL IMMORALITY Any other reason… …commits adultery Mate divorced to marry other Unbeliever departs [1 Cor. 7:15]

Questions And Consequences A closer examination of Mental Divorce We labored through the basics in order to meet the complications of false doctrines with truth! Argument appeals to sense of reason, fairness – Our study Who cannot marry? already dealt with this Argument appears to be backed up by scripture Argument has already been answered in our study! anyone who has received a divorce – for any reason at all – cannot marry; is the case of the innocent here this is the most simple refutation of the argument, and it uses the very scriptures that support it However, we must also correct false counter-issues!

Next time: Analyzing false counter-arguments that seek to prove Mental Divorce

Can the innocent party remarry? Mental Divorce The basic position stated: Innocent person is put away for just any reason The unscriptural divorce is not recognized by God, only by the law of the land Guilty person eventually marries someone else by the law of the land, which allows for such actions law of land nullifies Gods law: innocent is barred from obtaining a scriptural divorce because civil law says theyre already divorced [but not in Gods eyes]! innocent person who has not sinned must suffer life of chastity while the guilty person lives Scott free This position must be true, or else: