A Nation of Adulterers
Research by George Barna indicates that approximately 1 in every 3 married couples gets divorced. This statistic is the same for both Christians and non-Christians. Barna’s statistics further reveal that among married “born-again” Christians, 24% have gotten divorced 2 or more times.
In How Long Does Marriage Last?, the first post in this series on marriage, we laid the foundation for the Biblical teaching that marriage is a life-long covenant between a man and a woman that is instituted by God. This truth will be reinforced as we understand what God’s Word teaches about adultery.
In the Gospels of both Mark and Luke (we’ll discuss the Matthew passages in the next post), Jesus unequivocally states that anyone who puts away (divorces) his wife and marries another commits adultery. The same is true for a woman.
“And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.”
Mark 10:11-12
Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
Luke 16:18
Adultery takes place when a married man or woman engages in a sexual relationship with someone who is not their spouse. Thus, for Jesus to say in these passages that marriage to another constituted committing adultery, He was making it clear that the first marriage was still binding. Anyone who does divorce his or her spouse, according to Scripture, is still married to that spouse and is not free to marry anyone else. To do so is to commit adultery.
Paul presents this same truth and teaches that only death releases one from the law and grants them freedom to be married to another person.
“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”
Romans 7:2-3
In I Corinthians 7, Paul pens this commandment from the Lord:
“And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.”
I Corinthians 7:10-11
It is important to note that Paul is not saying that the woman who has departed from her husband reverts back to the status of an unmarried woman. Rather, he is commanding that she remain unmarried to another person. We can ascertain this from his very next words which give her the alternative of being “reconciled to her husband.” If she was no longer married, then this man would no longer be called her husband.
Later, in this same discourse on marriage, Paul again emphasizes that marriage ends only at the death of one of the spouses:
“The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.”
I Corinthians 7:39
We see in Scripture that one is classified as either “married” or “unmarried” and a divorced person falls into the “married” category. Therefore, they are not at liberty to marry another person, and to do so is to commit adultery.
Sadly, God’s people have equally contributed to our nation of adulterers. Let us heed the counsel God gave Solomon:
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
II Chronicles 7:14
There is hope for our nation! But it must begin with us – God’s people. We must turn from our adulterous ways and walk before the Lord according to all that He has commanded us.
6 Comments:
Natalie, we are not allowed to pick and choose which portions of Scripture we want to follow, and which ones we aren't. The Reformed doctrine is sola et tota Scriptura. In terms of what Jesus said, you have certainly rightly picked out certain portions of Scripture. However, you did not address Matt. 5:32, and Matt. 19:9; I understand you'll be talking about them later. In terms of what Paul said, you did not address 1 Cor. 7:12-16. I think that your statements are a bit strong in light of those other verses.
I think it's very dangerous to assume that Webster's dictionary definition of adultery is precisely the same definition Jesus is using here. Just being the Advil's devocate: the seventh commandment prohibits lots of things besides strict Websterian adultery. Here is the WLC, that treasure trove on the Ten Commandments:
[begin]
Question 137: Which is the seventh commandment?
Answer: The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Question 138: What are the duties required in the seventh commandment?
Answer: The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body, mind, affections, words, and behavior; and the preservation of it in ourselves and others; watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses; temperance, keeping of chaste company, modesty in apparel; marriage by those that have not the gift of continency, conjugal love, and cohabitation; diligent labor in our callings; shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.
Question 139: What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment?
Answer: The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, adultery, fornication, rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural lusts; all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections; all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto; wanton looks, impudent or light behavior, immodest apparel; prohibiting of lawful, and dispensing with unlawful marriages; allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them; entangling vows of single life, undue delay of marriage; having more wives or husbands than one at the same time; unjust divorce, or desertion; idleness, gluttony, drunkenness, unchaste company; lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancings, stage plays; and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others.
[end]
Notice it prohibits "unjust divorce." That does not necessarily imply that the WLC is recommending just divorce (I use the terms precisely as does the WLC, whatever that is), but it does leave room for it.
A good deal of effort, in regards to this matter, should, I feel, be directed at the words in 1 Cor. 7:15, where Paul says, "But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved." (ESV) That word "enslaved" is debated by scholars. If we take into context also Paul's injunctions about church discipline, we see that if someone is living in open, unrepentant sin, we are to treat that person as an unbeliever. So in certain circumstances there are grounds for acting like your spouse is an unbeliever. If that is so, this passage comes into effect. Paul says that if the unbeliever wants to stay, then let it be so. If the unbeliever wants to leave, let that be so: the believer is not enslaved (some translations say "bound"; your beloved KJV uses "bondage.") Not enslaved by what? Not bound by what? Not in bondage to what? That is the point of the debate, its crux. If you say not bound to the marriage covenant, then right here are just grounds for divorce. If you say not bound to stay with the unbeliever (perhaps because the believer thinks it a duty to try to convert the unbeliever), then the grounds for divorce are more shaky.
In either case, Reformed scholars of unquestioned orthodoxy have debated this issue; I am quite certain the whole issue is not quite as cut-and-dried as you make out. There seems to me to be enough uncertainty in the issue to warrant being more careful.
In the end, though, I cannot but applaud your desire to take the Scriptures seriously on the highly important topic of marriage. Certain it is that in the vast majority of cases, divorce is simply not an option, though unfortunately many think it is. Your comments are valuable precisely because these situations we're debating aren't nearly as common as the grounds, "I don't love her anymore (to take the man's side)." Well, I'm sorry, guy, but you're stuck. You are living an illusion if you think romantic love is the basis for marriage.
When you say that "it must being with us - God's people," you mean that after God has given us strength to do the right thing, then we do the right thing. Right? ;-)
In Christ.
Oops. That should be "begin" near the end, not "being."
In Christ.
Actually, I’m not picking and choosing which portions of Scripture I want to follow. In fact, I’m attempting to do the exact opposite – to view this issue of marriage in light of the whole counsel of Scripture. So often, when a situation involving divorce or remarriage comes up, the tendency is to go directly to the passages you cite rather than studying out what the whole teaching of Scripture is in this area.
And I really am planning, Lord willing, to write a post specifically addressing the Matthew and I Corinthians passages. I wanted to lay a foundation, though, before delving into the exceptions contained in each of them. This necessarily created some gaps in these first couple of posts, but I trust that those gaps will eventually be filled with a more complete understanding of this area of marriage.
You said:
"I think it's very dangerous to assume that Webster's dictionary definition of adultery is precisely the same definition Jesus is using here."
Okay, so let's knock out all outside definitions and let Scripture interpret itself. I cannot find where the use of "adultery" - translated as such in both the Old and New Testaments - is interpreted as anything other than a violation of the marriage covenant (either in the physical sense of a human marriage or in the spiritual sense of God's covenant with His people). Can you provide such an instance?
You said:
"If we take into context also Paul's injunctions about church discipline, we see that if someone is living in open, unrepentant sin, we are to treat that person as an unbeliever."
Are you referring to the passage in I Corinthians 5? I'll get back to that in my post on I Corinthians 7. (Sorry to keep doing that!)
You said:
"When you say that 'it must begin with us - God's people,' you mean that after God has given us strength to do the right thing, then we do the right thing. Right? ;-)"
Right. :-) Apart from the grace and strength of God, we are all hopelessly incapable of keeping His commandments. Even as Christians, we are incapable of living up to these standards. Praise be that God has delivered us from this body of death by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to perfectly fulfill the requirements of the law on our behalf! Now, it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us.
Thanks again for your comments, Adrian!
Reply to Natalie.
Aha. The whole counsel of Scripture. Just what the doctor ordered. Look forward to it. I wasn't really accusing you of not doing it; well, maybe I was. I don't know. The particular order in which you've presented certain passages and not others might lead some to conclude you're not giving certain passages enough emphasis. I can certainly understand your reluctance to emphasize passages others have over-emphasized. Well, we still don't have a choice as to what we ignore and what we examine closely. I realize your time is probably not in a big enough block to blog all the best passages at once. ;-) I guess all I'm saying is two things: I'm certainly willing to grant that you want to take all of Scripture into account. I also think it wise to leave enough intellectual room for your interpretation of the "exception" passages. Maybe you're doing that, maybe not. You would know better than me.
Ok, the interpretation of the word "adultery." According to the WLC, the Seventh Commandment prohibits lots of things besides adultery, even though the word used is "adultery." Jesus Himself said that if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. That particular text makes no mention of whether the man lusting or the woman he's lusting after is married or not. You might argue that the context implies that it's necessarily a married man; I would disagree. Other passages in Paul's letters use the Greek word "porneia," from which we get the word pornography (porneia - grapho, literally uncleanness - writing). The way Paul uses the word "porneia" indicates that it is prohibited in the same way Jesus is prohibiting this lust. Does that qualify as an instance?
Yes, Paul mentions the sexually immoral church member, and tells the Corinthian church to "Let him who has done this be removed from among you." Jesus also says in Matthew 18 that, after having done the proper procedure, if the sinner will not listen to you, treat him as a Gentile and tax collector, which in that culture would have meant treating him as an unbeliever. This is excommunication.
You said, "...Now, it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us." AMEN!!!
You're very welcome for my comments, such as they are. I hope you know I enjoy yours.
In Christ.
Hi,
Just found your site. I hope to be able to read all of it soon.
Indeed remarital adultery is big problem for the church.
I repented of an adulterous remarriage. My testimony is at http://www.mm9.biz/mdr.html
God Bless
Cheryl
Thanks for your comment and the link to your site, Cheryl. I read your testimony and found it very thought-provoking. I appreciate your desire to know and apply God's Word in your life. I find myself more and more saddened by the lack of true biblical teaching on marriage. If only such teaching was taking place throughout the church, so many people would be spared the entrapment that comes from unbiblical remarriage. I cannot say that I am to the same place in my understanding of what should be done in light of remarriage as you advocate. I look around and see intact families with children whose parents have been previously divorced and cannot imagine what sort of devastation it would bring to the family for the parents to separate... It seems a very hard situation with no easy answer.
May God grant wisdom and discernment to those in such situations who desire to live holy lives that are pleasing to Him.
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