Jesus and Divorce There are many problems in this world that need to be addressed. These include things and injustices such as ISIS, the Syrian refugee crisis, the debate on same sex marriage, gun laws, Russia, terrorism, and many more. There is one difficult topic that is not talked about nearly as much as these other more headline news pieces. This subject matter is divorce. Divorce is a problem in this world and has been for quite a while, even among Christians. Christians today view divorce much like non-Christians. If Christians are to truly set an example in both word and deed, then they must view divorce as Jesus taught and God intended for us. According to the American Psychological Association, 90% of people marry by age 50 but 40-50%
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In Matthew 5 verses 31 through 32, he states that divorcing a woman is not the right thing to do except for unchastity, meaning adultery. Along with this he says that if someone divorces his wife for any other reason, he causes her to become an adulteress. The last thing he says about divorce here is that if a man marries a divorced woman, he commits adultery as well. John Driver in his book describes what Jesus’ intentions most likely are. Because of the rabbis that were stricter, Jesus’ teachings were not all that different. The difference is the emphasis that he placed on the “indissolubility” of marriage (Driver). Many Bible commentaries comment on the fact that only Matthew’s version of this teaching includes an exception. However, the Believers Church Bible Commentary gives an interesting possibility for this. Others might say that it’s because the audience was most likely Jewish and this would sit better with them (Driver) or that it means that only monogamous relationships are okay (Hare). This commentary says that Matthew is advising Christians that it might be wise to separate in cases of adultery and incestuous marriages
In Matthew 5 verses 31 through 32, he states that divorcing a woman is not the right thing to do except for unchastity, meaning adultery. Along with this he says that if someone divorces his wife for any other reason, he causes her to become an adulteress. The last thing he says about divorce here is that if a man marries a divorced woman, he commits adultery as well. John Driver in his book describes what Jesus’ intentions most likely are. Because of the rabbis that were stricter, Jesus’ teachings were not all that different. The difference is the emphasis that he placed on the “indissolubility” of marriage (Driver). Many Bible commentaries comment on the fact that only Matthew’s version of this teaching includes an exception. However, the Believers Church Bible Commentary gives an interesting possibility for this. Others might say that it’s because the audience was most likely Jewish and this would sit better with them (Driver) or that it means that only monogamous relationships are okay (Hare). This commentary says that Matthew is advising Christians that it might be wise to separate in cases of adultery and incestuous marriages