The Only Biblical Grounds for Divorce

There are four main positions on what Scripture has to say about divorce and remarriage. On one end, some believe that divorce is never an option, and by proxy remarriage is never permissible. With this viewpoint there are no exceptions made, even in cases of the death of a spouse. On the other side of the spectrum, there are those who believe that although Scripture speaks negatively of divorce and, that it is not preferred, it is up to the discerning liberty of the individuals involved. Sometimes people hold to a position in between of believing that the Bible permits one but not the other. For example, one might say that Scripture does not allow for divorce but allows for remarriage in the case of the death of a spouse. Or perhaps the reverse may be posited, that there are biblical grounds for divorce, and yet never for remarriage. My position however, which is shared by most Wesleyans, is that Scripture permits divorce only in cases of adultery (and all the sexual aberrations this is an umbrella term for), desertion of an unbelieving spouse, or physical abuse. If someone is divorced for reasons other than these biblical criteria and they remarry, they are committing adultery. However, if they are divorced for one of these biblical reasons, or in the case of the death of a spouse, they may biblically remarry (1 Cor. 7:39).

Foremost, it is necessary to begin with a biblically defined notion of the marriage covenant. Gentry and Wellum describe the essence of this relationship as a “loyalty agreement formally solemnized by a vow before God”.[1] They further delineate the nature of this relationship as distinct from the notion of a contract, which it appears North American culture particularly is attempting to replace it with.[2] These numerous differences fall under categories of literary structure, occasion, who initiates it, orientation, obligation, and termination. Elmer A. Martens expounds, “The contract is characteristically thing oriented. The covenant is person oriented and theologically speaking, arises not with benefits as the chief barter item, but out of a desire for a measure of intimacy”.[3] Martens also points out the key difference that a covenant is initiated by God and characterized as a gift rather than the way a contract is characterized by a negotiation. Also, a covenant is most often meant forever, whereas a contract would usually be for a specified term.[4] This is all important to note because it shows that there are other ways to violate this covenant aside from adultery due to the faithful fulfillment of its obligations extending beyond loyalty alone. As Gentry and Wellum clarify, “At the heart of covenant, then, is a relationship between parties characterized by faithfulness and loyalty in love”.[5] Where faithfulness, loyalty, and love are violated to the degree God deems it so, divorce is permissible. At such a point, divorce does not itself break the marriage covenant but acknowledges that it has already been broken.

In Matthew 19:9, Christ communicates sexual immorality as grounds for divorce and explains that remarriage is allowed for this reason. Apart from the exception this text offers, the clear teaching, according to Witherington, is that “if one divorces his wife and marries another, he commits adultery against his first wife, because in Gods eyes the original one flesh union is still in place no matter what new legal arrangements he has made”.[6]

In 1 Corinthians 7:15, Paul plainly states that if an unbelieving spouse leaves, one is no longer bound to the marital bond. John Chrysostom comments on this idea of separation and its scope, suggesting that it may be broader than a literal and physical desertion given Paul’s direction in the latter end of the verse saying that the brother or sister is not enslaved, and that God has called them to peace. Chrysostom remarks, “How does he separate himself? … what if he tries to force you to sacrifice to idols or to join him in some immoral act, on the grounds of marriage, and when you refuse, he leaves you? Well, let him go; it is better to break up the marriage for righteousness’ sake…If he beats you every day…it is better to separate. [7] In this sense, abusiveness is just as much, if not more so, a form of abandonment or separation because it removes the faithfulness, love, safety, trust, and peace that biblically characterize the marriage covenant (1 Pet. 3:7, Ephesians 5).

CITATIONS

[1]  Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum, Gods Kingdom Through Gods Covenants: A Concise Biblical Theology (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), 48.

[2]  Gentry and Wellum, 52.

[3]  Elmer Martens, Gods Design: A Focus on Old Testament Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1981), 73.

[4]  Ibid.

[5]  Gentry and Wellum, 54.

[6] Ben Witherington III, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary: Matthew (Macon, GA: Smith & Helwys, 2006), 362.

[7]  John Chrysostom, On Marriage and Family Life: Homily 19 (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1986), 33.