God's instructions concerning divorce are not complicated. What is complicated is all the twists and distorting of the Scriptures men do in there attempts to avoid the truth revealed by God.

      Many Churches will teach loud and long concerning the sin of homosexuality, yet hypocritically embrace adultery in the lives of many of there members. It is true homosexuality is a grievous sin before God, but the Bible describes adultery between men and women in just as serious terms!

Ask yourself these simple questions :
1) Who gave the precept to divorce ones wife?
2) To what race of people was it given?
3) Was or was not the Laws of Moses nailed to the cross with Christ?

      There is not a lot of passages in the Bible that teach on divorce. What is found are some fairly simple and straightforward statements we can either choose to obey or ignore to our own destruction.

      Matthew gives us two passages. In the Sermon on the Mound, Jesus said, "...Whosoever shall put away (divorce) his wife, saving for the cause of fornication,(sexual immorality) causes her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marries her that is divorced commits adultery" (Matthew 5:32). Later while He was being questioned by some Pharisees concerning this subject, Jesus said, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication,(sexual immorality) and shall marry another, commits adultery: and whoso marries her which is put away both commit adultery" (Matthew 19:9). In Mark 10:11-12, Jesus said, "whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." Luke records the only other passage in the gospels that deal with this subject. In Luke 16:18, Jesus taught, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."

      While the apostle Paul was teaching the church in Rome concerning the Christian's relationship to the Law of Moses, he used God's Marriage laws as an illustration, to turn the Gentile world away from the Law of Moses. In Romans 7:2-3 he wrote, For the woman who has a husband is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she married another man." Deuteronomy 22:13-22 is the only example of fornication (sexual immorality) given.

      While Paul was writing to the Corinthians concerning this subject of marriage, he wrote, "Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord; A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife..." (1 Corinthians 7:10-13) It should be noted that even if the split up is due to "Adultery" the law of God applies (no exceptions)

      This is the grand total of the teaching of the New Testament concerning divorce and remarriage. These passages plainly teach that marriages is to be "until death do you part." If anyone divorces there spouse and marries another person they are living in sin! The laws of man may accept that marriage, but God calls that new union ADULTERY!! God joined them to there first spouse, and "what God hath joined, let not man put asunder" (Matthew 19-6). The only reason one can remarry is through the death of the spouse. (Matthew 5-32, 19-9). Then, and only then can there be an acceptable marriage in the eyes of God. To add to the word of God or twist and destort other scriptures to justify adultery is to call both Christ and the Apostles a lier.

      Before any of this can be understood you have to understand that during the ministry of Christ both he and the entire Jewish community were under the law of Moses. The precept he gave abolished the death penalty that God demanded and gave one the right to give a certificate of Divorce. The Pharisees understood this and was trying to trick him into rebuking the Law so they could arrest him. Now understand that we are under the Law of Grace. We are directed to repent and reconcile. No where in the New Testament is divorce taught by any Apostle. Divorce is a Man made doctrine.

      Some claim this is too strict. Even the disciples were surprised at this. After Jesus taught on divorce in Matthew 19, the disciples said, "If the case of a man be so with his wife, is it not good to marry." They understood clearly the strictness of the Words of Jesus. They understood so well, that there first reaction was to say that it is better to not get married to begin with!!

      Marriage is a blessing from god, but it is very serious and must be treated with the proper respect. God said "Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whosoever and adulterers God will judge" (Hebrews 14-4). God also told us he hates divorce and that to divorce is to act treacherously (Malachi 2:14-16). If we are to be true children of God, not only must we love what God loves, we must also hate what he hates. Ephesians 5:1 tells us to "be imitators of God as dear children". Does our attitude toward divorce show that we are truly dear children of god, or just another compromiser who loves the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:42-43)