FAM:Divorce and Remarriage (allows both)  by John MacArthur

   PREFACE

   Recognizing that the Bible is the very Word of the Living God to
man, and understanding the priority of knowing and obeying its truths,
the elders at Grace Community Church are deeply committed to study and
teach with diligence and authority.

   Thus, the central ministry of Grace Church is the continuous
imparting of the Scripture to the people of God that they may know God
and serve Him in worship and ministry.

   Through their years of study, training and teaching, the elders have
come to convictions regarding the major theological truths of the
Bible. this little booklet presents one of these truths which reflect
the heart of the teaching here at Grace.

   John MacArthur, Jr.

   1. God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). Divorce in the Scripture is
permitted as an accommodation to man's sin for the protection of the
innocent party. Since divorce is only a concession to man's sin and is
not a part of God's original plan for marriage, all believers
considering divorce should have the same attitude toward divorce as
does God.

   Notice that in Matthew 19:5-9, Christ teaches that divorce is an
accommodation to man's sin and is in violation of God's purpose for the
intimate unity of the marriage bond (cf. Gen. 2:24).

   It was a concession for the "innocent party" due to the
insensitivity of the other partner to God. This is defined biblically
as the "hardness of heart" (Matt. 19:8). Dissolution meant that the
innocent party no longer had to remain in a hopeless and intolerable
situation (Matt. 5:32, 19:9; I Cor. 7:12-15). It is to be expected that
a believer will have the same attitude toward divorce as does God and
will see it as a violation of God's expressed purpose for marriage.

   2. The only biblical grounds for divorce are (1) fornication (any
sinful sexual activity, including adultery--unfaithfulness of a
marriage partner), or (2) a nonbelieving partner who initiates the
divorce due to incompatibility with a Christian.

   The first is fornication, which seems to cover a wide area of sexual
activity such as adultery, homosexuality, bestiality and incest (Matt.
5:32; Mk. 19:9; I Cor. 5:1). Adultery will take place even after the
"official" dissolution of the marriage if the divorce is on nonbiblical
grounds (Matt. 5:32; Mk. 10:11, 12).

   The second reason for permitting a divorce is in cases where a
nonbelieving mate refuses to live with his or her believing spouse,
especially because of his or her Christian testimony (1 Cor. 7:12-15).

   It is essential to keep in mind that the Bible merely permits
divorce in these limited circumstances but never commands divorce.
(This is clearly indicated in Hosea 1-3, where the adulterous wife is
forgiven and restored.)

   3. Remarriage is permitted for the innocent party when the divorce
was on biblical grounds. In cases where a divorce was obtained between
believers on nonbiblical grounds, the person who remarries first
commits "adultery" (Matt. 19:9) and the person who marries a person who
was divorced on nonbiblical grounds also commits adultery (Lk. 16:18).

   According to the Old Testament pattern, remarriage was allowed after
the divorce (the exception is found in Deut. 24:1-4). The New Testament
allows for remarriage when the divorce was based upon biblical grounds
(I Cor. 7:15). In cases where the divorce was not for the two reasons
stated above, the believer is exhorted to (1) seek for reconciliation,
or else (2) remain unmarried (I Cor. 7:10-11).

   When one party remarries after a divorce which was on nonbiblical
grounds, that person has committed adultery because God did not
recognize the validity of the divorce (Matt. 5:32; Mk. 10:11). Since
the remarried partner has "committed adultery, " the marriage bond is
now broken and the remaining partner is free to remarry.

   The Bible gives a word of caution to anyone who is considering
marriage to a divorcee. If the divorce was not on biblical grounds, the
person who marries the divorcee is considered an adulterer (Mark 10:12).

   4. Believers who pursue divorce on nonbiblical grounds are subject
to church discipline because they openly reject the Word of God. The
one who obtains a divorce on nonbiblical grounds and remarries is
living in a state of "adultery" since God did not recognize the
validity of the original divorce (Matt. 5:32, Mk. 10:11-12). That
person is subject to the steps of church discipline as outlined in
Matt. 18:15-17 and as illustrated in I Cor. 5:1-13.

   5. Salvation means that a person begins a new life. The believer is
responsible to live up to what God has revealed about marriage and
divorce from the point of his or her salvation.

   According to 2 Cor. 5:17, the believer has become a "new creature"
when he or she accepts Christ as personal Savior. This does not mean
that Christ immediately erases painful memories, bad habits or the
underlying causes for past marital problems, but that He begins a
process of transformation through the Holy Spirit and the Word. A sign
of saving faith will be a receptivity and a willingness to obey what
Christ has revealed about marriage and divorce through the Word.

   The apostle Paul's counsel in I Cor. 7:20, 27 is that a believer is
to see every circumstance that they are in when they became a believer
as from God. If they were called while married, they are not to seek a
divorce (except on the grounds given in Matt. 5:32, 19:9; I Cor. 7:12-
16). If they were called while divorced, they are free to be remarried
to another believer (2 Cor. 6:14).

   6. In cases where divorce took place on nonbiblical grounds and
where the guilty party repents, the grace of God is operative at the
point of repentance. It is assumed that the repentant party will
endeavor to restore the marriage whenever possible as a sign of true
repentance.

   In other words, where two believers were divorce on nonbiblical
grounds, the grace of God becomes operative at the point of repentance
and confession, and they can once again experience the joy of their
relationship with Christ and their mate.

   A true sign of repentance will be a desire to implement I Cor. 7:11.
This involves a willingness to remain unmarried or else to be
reconciled to their mate.

   In cases where a believer obtained a divorce on nonbiblical grounds
and remarried, the second marriage union is recognized as living in
"adultery" (Mk. 10:11-12). If repentance takes place, it is recognized
that to obtain a second divorce would disobey Scripture (Deut. 24:1-4).
hence, they are to remain in the second marriage.

   7. The church has a responsibility to uphold the biblical ideal of
marriage, especially as exemplified by its leadership. In cases where
there has been a divorce in a person's past, the church has an
obligation to restrict, for a period of time, the person's involvement
in leadership until it can be proven that the present marriage
exemplifies Christ's relationship to His church. I Timothy 3:2, 12 sets
the marital qualification for leadership within the church. The phrase
"the husband of one wife" does not mean that a person cannot have had a
divorce in his past since none of the other qualifications listed refer
to specific acts in the past (prior to salvation or subsequent to
salvation) but rather to qualities which currently characterize a man's
life.

   It is especially important, in cases where there has been a divorce
in a man's past, that there be a period of careful observation to see
that his present marriage is characterized by devotion and sacrificial
love.

   8. If the innocent party in a divorce is seeking remarriage, it is
preferable that he/she wait until the spouse has remarried in order to
not preclude any possibility of reconciliation. However, the situation
will depend upon a number of factors, i.e., purity of life, time, etc.

   Note: This file was written by John MacArthur Jr., of Grace
Community Church, Sun Valley, California. It originally was presented
as non- copyrighted material in a booklet titled, "The Biblical
Position on Divorce and Remarriage." Bible Bulletin Board is deeply
grateful for the ministry of Grace Community Church and the truth which
it has presented over the years. My own Christian walk has been greatly
helped by John MacArthur and the Word of Grace Ministry. For
information about the radio and tape ministries of Grace Community
Church and John MacArthur, write:

   WORD OF GRACE COMMUNICATIONS P.O. Box 4000 Panorama City, CA 91412
Voice 1-800-55-GRACE

   Bible Bulletin Board
