Divorce and Re-Marriage

Matt 19

God's Design for Marriage: A Deep Dive into Divorce

Bible Passage: Matthew 19:1–13

Summary: In this passage, Jesus addresses the topic of divorce while emphasizing God's original design for marriage as a sacred union meant to last a lifetime. He responds to the Pharisees' questions about divorce, reiterating the importance of faithfulness and the significance of marriage commitments.

Application: This teaching can help Christians assess their own relationships, understand the gravity of their marriage vows, and seek healing in their own struggles with divorce or marital conflict.Perhaps we can view it from a perspective of how Jesus encourages reflection on God's purpose for marriage and offers hope and restoration for those who have experienced brokenness in their relationships.

Teaching: The teaching focuses on God’s intention for marriage as a lifelong covenant and the impact of divorce not only on the individuals involved but also on the family and community. It stresses the importance and call for reconciliation, love, and the possibility of healing in broken relationships.

How this passage could point to Christ: In the broader context of the Bible, this passage highlights Christ as the ultimate healer of broken relationships.

Quest: Are we not through His teachings taught how to see through how the world views things but how God sees things. Is it possible thru the carnage of divorce and even a rejection of God’s will in violation of a sacred union. Are we to see how He can re-establish the sanctity of marriage, showing that even when human decisions lead to separation, are we not motivated to search for His love as it offers redemption and restoration.

I think we have to search hard sometime to see it but “love” is always present in God’s working within our lives for the good!

Big picture: God calls us to honor the sanctity of marriage while offering grace and healing to those impacted by divorce.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this teaching, consider exploring the historical context of divorce in Jewish law during Jesus’ time focusing on the cultural implications of Jesus' teachings. Additionally, study relevant passages that reflect the New Testament's view on marriage and divorce, particularly Paul's writings in 1 Corinthians.

1. Purpose of Marriage

Matthew 19:1-6

You could begin by focusing on Jesus' response to the Pharisees about God's original design for marriage. This sets the foundation that marriage is meant to be a lifelong covenant, reflecting God's enduring love and commitment. This is a given in scripture that we don’t need to even bother trying to side-step. Highlighting this should encourage all of us to view marriage with reverence and understand the profound spiritual bond it represents.

2. Problem with Divorce

Matthew 19:7-9

Perhaps continue by addressing the Pharisees' justification for divorce and Jesus' clarification of Moses' command as a concession to human hard-heartedness. This emphasizes the seriousness of divorce “its penalty warranted death according to God’s law!

Deuteronomy 24:1 ““When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house,”

The contrast between the Old Testament's allowance for divorce and Jesus’ teaching can be likened to a ship’s anchor. Old Testament laws offered a temporary hold in turbulent waters, but Jesus invites us to a lasting anchor in His love. Just as a sailor must trust his anchor in stormy seas, we must trust in the strength and resilience of the marriage covenant Jesus preserves, deepening our commitment to one another.

Grammatical Structure: “She shall be called an adulteress”

The Greek verb chrēmatisei (translated “shall be called”) is future indicative passive—meaning:

Future: This designation applies as long as the condition holds.

Passive: It’s a label assigned to her, not necessarily her self-identification.

Indicative: It’s a statement of fact, not hypothetical.

The condition is: “if while her husband lives, she is joined to another man.” So yes—grammatically, the phrase implies that as long as she remains married to another man while her first husband is alive, she continues to bear the label “adulteress.”

🧭 Theological Implications

Paul is using this analogy to illustrate our relationship to the Law and Christ—not to legislate marriage ethics in this passage. But the analogy only works if the ongoing union is considered illegitimate while the first covenant remains intact.

However, this raises theological questions:

Is the woman in a perpetual state of adultery, or was the act of entering the second marriage adulterous?

Does repentance require dissolving the second marriage, or does grace call for faithfulness going forward?

🕊️ Balancing Law and Grace

While Romans 7:3 implies ongoing adultery as long as the first husband lives and the second marriage continues, Scripture does not explicitly command the dissolution of the second marriage. Instead, the broader biblical witness leans toward:

Repentance for past sin

Honor of present covenant

Faithfulness moving forward

###This is consistent with Deuteronomy 24:1–4, which forbids returning to a former spouse after a second marriage—suggesting that the second marriage is real and binding, even if it began in sin.

Sin, Identity, and Redemption [analogy]

In biblical terms:

A murderer is someone who has committed murder. That fact doesn’t change.

Moses was a murderer

Paul was a murderer

An adulteress, in Romans 7:3, is someone who remains in a union that violates a prior covenant.

But in both cases, repentance and forgiveness are available—and they transform the spiritual reality, even if the earthly label remains.

Paul himself was an accomplice to murderer (Acts 8:1–3), yet he became a vessel of grace. He never denied his past, but he also didn’t live under its condemnation:

Genesis 9:6

Murder was punishable by death...just like adultery!

“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”

Exodus 21:12

“Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.”

This is the earliest divine mandate for capital punishment.

It links the sanctity of human life to the image of God, making murder not just a crime against man, but against God Himself.

“I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief… and the grace of our Lord overflowed…” — 1 Timothy 1:13–14

🕊️ Grace Doesn’t Erase History—It Redeems It

Forgiveness doesn’t rewrite the past, but it reorients the future. The label may remain in human terms, but in divine terms:

You are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1).

You are washed, sanctified, justified (1 Corinthians 6:11).

You are called to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

🔍 Adultery and Ongoing Status

So when Romans 7:3 says “she shall be called an adulteress,” it’s describing a legal and covenantal status—not necessarily a spiritual condition if repentance has occurred. The key is whether the union continues to violate the original covenant. If it does, the label remains. But if repentance leads to honoring the current covenant, then grace covers the sin, even if the past cannot be undone.

In the novel, “The Scarlet Letter”, Hester Pryne, even after years of charitable service and a softened public perception (the “A” came to mean “Able” rather than “Adulteress”), Hester chooses to continue wearing it. As one summary puts it:

“She understands that its removal would be as meaningless as its original placement. Her identity and, she believes, her soul’s salvation are matters that are between her and God”.

So while she could have cast it off permanently, she embraces it as part of her redemptive journey—not as a mark of shame, but of transformation.

3. Promise of Grace

Matthew 19:10-12

Maybe conclude with the disciples' reaction to Jesus' teaching and His affirmation of those who choose singleness or marriage for the sake of the Kingdom. This passage highlights Jesus’ call to follow His higher standard and offers comfort and strength for those who have experienced brokenness, reminding them of God's grace and healing power.

Spiritual Reflection

This passage doesn’t diminish marriage—it elevates both marriage and celibacy as sacred callings. Jesus is saying:

Marriage is a lifelong covenant, not a convenience.

Singleness can be a powerful form of undivided devotion.

Both require grace, discipline, and spiritual maturity.