"Look at the legalized adultery we call divorce.
Men marry one wife after another and are still admitted into good
society; and women do likewise. There are thousands of supposedly
respectable men in America living with other men's wives, and thousands
of supposedly respectable women living with other women's husbands."
- R. A. Torrey From R.A. Torrey's book How to Pray, pages 94-95
R.A. Torrey (1856-1928) was a very well-known Christian writer,
evangelist, pastor, graduate of Yale University, and was also the
superintendent of Moody Bible Institute for 19 years.
TRINITY BARS THE
DIVORCED.; No Remarriage in the Church or Any of the Chapels.
The clergy of Trinity Church announced yesterday that under no
circumstances will divorced persons be married by any of the clergy of
that Episcopal parish, nor will such marriages be permitted either in
the church at Wall Street and Broadway or in any one of the parish's
eight chapels. The announcement was as follows:
View full article New York Times
December 7, 1904, Wednesday
1 Cor. 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
Comment/question
For unmarried to be seen as still married but released from fulfilling
the marriage vows, seems to be quite impossible to me. I just believe
it's dangerous to redefine the word unmarried in the same way the other
terms have been redefined to "fit" this belief.
Response
It's not "fitting" a belief, it is reading the Lord's commands as
written. One does not have to be a theologian to understand that
remarriage is not given as an option when a wife becomes "unmarried". It
is plainly written that way. To say otherwise is to insert one's own
opinions/desires/bent to allow for something the Lord plainly forbid.
Comment/question
I believe it's the same thing with divorce when the other spouse
remarries. Once the other spouse remarries that should be the point
where the woman or man accepts within themselves that this is the point
of no return and they should really move on instead of waiting around
hoping for yet another divorce to take place so they can marry their
former spouse.
Response
Ah, Jesus even gave that scenerio in Mt. 19:9.........the husband DID
remarry, and Jesus says the man who marries the "innocent" wife commits
adultery. She is NOT free to marry. She still belongs to her husband who
is now not remarried lawfully----he is committing adultery and will
continue to be an adulterer until he forsakes that relationship.
Comment/question
Personally, I think we have to deal with reality and biblically speaking
everyone knew that a divorced severed a marital relationship and both
parties were free to remarry. That was reality and I think we should
keep to that even now. Yes, let's deal with the motives and reasons
believers are divorcing because I think that's where the problem lies
but when a couple is divorce, both are "unmarried".
Response
Again, you ignore what Jesus plainly teaches. He teaches that divorce
does NOT dissolve what He joins together and that any "marriage" that
occurs after a divorce is adultery. It matters not to me what is "man's
reality" when that reality conflicts with what God has said. Man is not
the eternal judge, the Lord is..........
Comment/question
Very interesting. I got the chance to review an actual recent divorce
decree and the following is stated:
"Based on these facts, the Court hereby dissolves the marriage of the
parties and declares each party to be single and unmarried."
I print this because it just goes to show that most folks, including the
courts, understand that "unmarried" means exactly what it says.
Response
It doesn't matter that man sees divorce as something that dissolves the
One Flesh joined by God. Jesus says: "whosoever divorces and marries
another commits adultery" and "whosoever marries one that is divorced
commits adultery". The clear meaning of HIS word is this: divorce does
NOT dissolve what He joined together.
Yet, we do have a very understandable words in the scriptures that DO
show how a marriage joined by God is dissolved: through death (
Comment/question
Scripture does not support a separated but married lifestyle and let's
face it, there are some marriages that will never be reconciled as a
result of what has occurred
Response
Scripture DOES support a separated but BOUND lifestyle. (I Cor.
7:10-12). Whether a husband/wife get reconciled does not change what the
Lord has commanded if one/both depart from each other. If they choose
not to work towards reconciliation, they get to remain alone without a
spouse. Those are their only two choices.
Comment/question
It's interesting that now the church is in the business of sanctioning
legal separations. Scripturally there was no such animal. You were
either married or divorced. To say a man or woman can live still married
to their spouse and not fulfill any of the obligations of marriage is
terribly wrong.
Response
It doesn't matter what the "church" does or does not do if it doesn't
align with the Word of God.........just as it doesn't matter that the
"world" sees divorce as dissolving what God joined together. Jesus said
it did not dissolve what He joined together----hence His label of
adultery of marriages which take place AFTER a divorce. You can believe
this is "terribly wrong", but your issue is more against what God says
than it is against what any of us say...........most of us only are
sharing what God says in His Word. All of us have the choice whether to
accept it, or reject it and act accordingly and reap
accordingly..........
Comment/question
1 Corinthians 7: 10 To the married I give this command not I, but the
Lord: A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she
must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a
husband must not divorce his wife.
Yes again here the married couple should not separate and if she does
she should remain as unmarried {not having sexual relations with other
men} while she is still married.
Response
There is dispute about what "remain unmarried" means, but I think the
clear meaning here is that such a woman is NOT free to be with any man
other than her husband. If she disregards this---and marries another
man, she will be as the woman spoken of in Rom. 7:2-3, an adulteress.
How does an adulteress repent? She forsakes the relationship that is
adultery. In
Comment/question
Note - Because Scripture tells us a divorced woman is "unmarried", I
don't believe the unmarried (divorced) with former spouses who had gone
on and remarried or simply abandoned them not to return, are forbidden
to marry again as well. I believe 1 Cor 7:8-9, would also apply to them
in consideration of their situation.
Response
That is merely opinion and can easily be refuted with the Word of God.
It is very clear in I Corinthians that Paul is addressing different
groups of people. First, he is addressing SINGLE people. Then he goes on
to address MARRIED people. In that group, he classifies a woman who has
departed her household as "unmarried". What exactly that means ie;
whether she obtained a civil divorce/merely separated, etc is not
clearly discernable, nor does it have to be. The Lord, through Paul,
tells the disposition of this woman's marriage----it is Binding. Because
it is binding, she is not free to marry another man. She is commanded 1
of 2 things---remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband.
Comment/question
We have to note that Paul does not give any instructions as to what the
person is to do when reconciliation is not possible after attempts have
been made. We are left to pray and discern in this matter.
Response
Paul never gives instructions because Paul teaches that ALL things are
possible for those who love God. Man has a timetable for reconciliation
to occur and man gets weary when things do not go as desired......man
gives up and moves on instead of remainig faithful to the vows one
promised before spouse AND God. Paul did not give instructions for such
cases because for many of us Christians, it is clear that we are called
to walk as God walks----in faith, in trust, and in Agape love.
Comment/question
This may require more counsel, more time, more investigation, etc. but
to teach that they are still married and remarriage is adultery no
matter what is error.
Response
If it takes you more counsel, more time, more investigation, then
you are not grounded in what you believe. If that be the case, how can
you then definitively say that remarriage=adultery is error?
A Preacher's Repentance From Adulterous Remarriage.
The Testimony of J.M Humphrey
Judy's Repentance From Remarriage Adultery
Tony Sexton's Repentance From Remarriage Adultery
Dave's Repentance From Remarriage Adultery
More Testimonies of Repentance From Adulterous Remarriage & Messages of Encouragement
Frequently Asked Questions, Comment, Arguments About Marriage Divorce & Remarriage
Sermons & Radio Broadcasts on marriage, divorce, remarriage & more.
Orville Swindoll
A
Fellowship, Support & Discussion Forum
Theological Foundations
has an online fellowship and discussion forum for those who
are standing for their covenant marriages and for those who
have repented of adulterous remarriages.
The Hosea Project is an international, nondenominational
effort by volunteers to contact each Pastor and leader of
the Christian Church worldwide with this message of
repentance and restoration.
Listen to the Hosea Project message
Looking for a church that teaches the permanency of marriage?
I do NOT in any way endorse the entirety of a number of these sites below, nonetheless, they may contain useful information and/or resources.
Critique of David Instone-Brewer on Divorce
By Dr. Leslie McFall
Former lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament. Now a full-time researcher in
Biblical Studies.
Former Research Fellow at Tyndale House Library (Cambridge, England).
**More MDR links at