Bible Question:
thank you for your answer. i still have questions though, i am trying to get the heart of God (through His word) on this situation. is the offended spouse obligated to receive the returning spouse? or would it be OK for the offended spouse to just find another.does the divorce itself negate the marriage?? |
Bible Answer: ewokmomma: I am not aware of any Scripture that *commands* a formerly married couple to be reconciled once they have already divorced. On the other hand, I know of only one case in which Scripture *prohibits* the reconciling of two people AFTER the divorce. See Deut. 24:1-4, quoted below. Whether this law has been fulfilled or abolished (i.e., whether this law is binding upon NT Christians) is highly controversial. I won't argue it one way or the other. I merely point out what the Law says. -------------------------- Deut. 24:1-4 (ESV) "[1] When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, [2] and if she goes and becomes another man's wife, [3] and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, [4] then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. -------------------------- Thus we are commanded by the same body of Law that also prohibits adultery, incest, and bestiality. (The last time I checked, adultery, incest, and bestiality were still sins.) (My answer is not intended to be THE DEFINITIVE answer to your question. I merely answer to the best of my ability, based upon my own current knowledge of the Scriptures.) In conclusion, I know of no Scripture that *commands* reconciliation AFTER divorce. And with the exception noted above (Deut. 24:1-4), I am unaware of any Scripture that *prohibits* the reconciling of a couple AFTER they have been divorced. Grace to you, kalos |