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NASB | Matthew 19:9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 19:9 "I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." |
Bible Question:
I appreciate your explanation but please explain something to me. What's confusing to me is the notion of forgiveness. Why would Jesus say that "he who marries her who is divorced commits adultery"? (Mat 19:9). He even told the adulterous wife to "go and sin no more". I don't believe Jesus was inconsistent during his ministry. What he said early on was not contradicted by what he said later. My observation has been that from a practical perspective, many Christians find themselves caught in what I refer to as the "cycle of sin". This cycle consists of committing a sin, praying for forgiveness, living ok for a while then sinning again - repeating the cycle. An example of this is the "pedofile priest" situation in the Catholic Church. A priest commits a sin; is admonished; he prays for forgiveness; resumes his Church duties and ultimately sins again - thus repeating the cycle. Under the notion of forgiveness, it is said that you "become a new creature". But unfortunately in my opinion, some have taken this "too literally" and that's why the "pedofile priests" have been able to continue the "cycle of sin". So I'm confused. Why did Jesus state these rules for living if he knew you would not be held accountable? Is there a limit to the "cycle of sin"? How many times can one "knowingly" sin, seek forgiveness, et al and get a way with it? In the senario presented, my interpretation would have been that the "illegally" divorced wife would be required to follow 1 Cor 7:10-11. Mat 19:9 clearly states that "anyone who marries her who is divorced commits adultery". So in the situation in which one commits the sin anyway, what should one do? Go and sin no more! My understanding(?) is that receiving salvation wipes away the sin - puts you in a restored state prior to the sin. So in this case,"go and sin no more" would mean remain single or reconcile to your husband. If you become a widow in the mean time, you will be free to remarry. I would also hope that your husband would be willing to reconcile with you and end the state of adultery he is in. Some will say that this is harsh. However, my response would be to say "Just because your husband sinned doesn't mean that you have to sin also and risk your salvation". Or as others have put it, "Two wrongs don't make a right". If Jesus sacrificed his life for you, the least you can do is make the necessary sacrifices to remain righteous. |
Bible Answer: Hi JuanMas, Matthew 19:9 says "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." This is sometimes called the exception clause, giving a person Biblical grounds for divorce. The 1 Cor 7:10-15 passage is very good because it is addressed specifically to the church, but it doesn't contradict what Jesus said above. However if there is NO adultery and they get divorced and then get remarried they commit adultery along with whomever marries them. Divorce, however, is not the unforgivable sin. Christians sometimes sin and have to ask for forgiveness, but we generally can and do live apart from immorality, greed and a few other sins that would require sanction by the church body. And God will also chastise us for sin, Heb 12. But, the Bible also teaches that a person who does not demonstrate a walk of godliness probably has what James refers to in Chapter 2 as a "dead faith" or they claim to be a Christian but they really are not. Such a person has never really believed in Jesus Christ to the saving of their soul. As Jesus told them in John 8:44, "You are of your father the devil". I hope this answers your question. tortoise |