
                            DIVORCE and REMARRIAGE
                                      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
Box 115
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March 1, 1987