Description
This course deals with the termination of marriage and the related issues that raise questions; like, the death of a spouse; whether Jesus said that divorce was ever an option; and abandonment. It also covers whether a broken marriage can be scripturally reunited: in the case of a separation; in the case of a remarriage since a divorce; in the case of a person that still has a former living mate, and in the case of one of the mates not being saved.
Bible Study Course
Marriage Part 5
Welcome to Marriage, Part 5, in the Marriage & Family Series of the Liberty Bible Course. We trust that Part 4 was a blessing and a help to you. This study is written to be used with the KING JAMES BIBLE, otherwise your answers are going to be wrong. Please get your Bible, and begin another exciting study in God’s Word, that just might change your life!
Chapter 1
V. The Termination Of Marriage.
A. The case of the death of a spouse.
1. Romans 7:2 says, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be ________, she is ____________ from the law of her husband.”
2. Romans 7:3 says, “So then if, while her husband ____________, she be married to another man, she shall be called an ____________________: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”
3. I Corinthians 7:39 tells us, “The wife is __________ by the law as long as her husband ____________; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.”
The Bible is very clear that a husband and wife
are bound together in marriage by the law,
until one of them dies.
Note: If a person’s mate dies, then that person is free to remarry, but only to another Christian (see I Corinthians 7:39 above).
If a person remarries while a former mate is still alive, then that person is committing adultery.
Note: People use all sorts of excuses to justify their sin. When confronted with the above Scriptures, some people say, “Well, I died emotionally when I was married to that man!” And the man says, “I was as good as dead when I was married to her!” So they go out and remarry while their former mates are still alive, thinking that they have somehow declared one or the other emotionally dead.
4. James 1:22 says, “But be ye __________ of the word, and not hearers only, __________________ your own selves.”
Note: If you are not willing to obey the Bible, then you will eventually try to justify your sin. Many Christians have deceived themselves into thinking that it was okay for them to remarry, even though their former mates were still alive.
The sad thing is that there are so many books out there by foolish counselors and psychologists who try and help people justify their sin in that very manner. None of them are really interested in obeying God, but in being popular, and in selling a lot of books.
5. Luke 6:26 says, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak ________ of you! for so did their fathers to the __________ prophets.”
It is the false prophet that tells you
what you want to hear. It is the faithful man of God
who tells you what God wants you to hear.
6. Ezekiel 2:3-5 shows us what God told Ezekiel, “And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And they, whether they will ________, or whether they will ______________, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.”
Note: Jeremiah lived in Israel while Ezekiel was one of the captives taken to Babylon. It was a day when God’s people would not listen to the Word of God, but God tells His prophets that He expects them to give His Word to the people anyway.
7. Jeremiah 1:6-8 says, “Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I ______________ thee thou shalt __________. Be not afraid of their __________: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.”
Note: We are living in a day of so many divorces and remarriages (while former mates are still living), that pastors are afraid to preach the truth, lest people get mad and leave their churches.
What if you did remarry while your former mate
was still alive? What should you do?
Admit that it was sin, and confess it to the Lord.
Then, encourage your pastor to preach the truth
for the sake of your children and the others
in the congregation. If someone does not start
preaching the truth, then the sin is only going to
continue and increase.
8. Psalm 38:18 says, “For I will ______________ mine iniquity; I will be __________ for my sin.”
9. Psalm 130:3,4 says, “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is ______________________ with thee, that thou mayest be feared.”
Note: If we are not willing to declare our sin, and to be sorry for it, then who will fear God and obey His Word?
The Termination Of Marriage
A. The case of the death of a spouse.
B. The case of the “exception” clause.
1. Matthew 5:31,32 says, “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the __________ of ______________________, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”
2. Matthew 19:9 tells us, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, ____________ it be for ______________________, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”
Note: This exception clause only appears in the Book of Matthew.
3. Please read Mark 10:2-12, and fill in the following blanks.
a. Verses 2-5 say, “And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the ________________ of your heart he wrote you this precept.”
b. Verses 6-9 say, “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore ______ hath joined together, let not ______ put asunder.”
c. Verses 10-12 say, “And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and __________ another, committeth ________________ against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.”
There is no exception clause
seen in the Book of Mark.
4. Luke 16:18 says, “Whosoever putteth ________ his wife, and marrieth another, committeth ________________: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.”
There is no exception clause
seen in the Book of Luke.
There is no exception clause
seen in the Book of John.
5. Remember what Romans 7:2,3 said? “For the woman which hath an husband is __________ by the law to her husband so long as he ____________; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”
6. Remember what I Corinthians 7:39 says? “The wife is __________ by the law as long as her husband ____________; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.”
There is no exception clause seen
in the Books of the Bible written as letters
to the churches, even when the matter
of marriage and divorce is talked about in detail.
Note: The only place in the New Testament where the exception clause appears is in the Book of Matthew. That is very strange that such an important matter would not be discussed with the churches, when Books of the Bible were written to them talking about the matter of divorce and remarriage. How would they know that such an exception was even allowed by God?
The matter may seem strange at first, but as we shall see, no exception clause was mentioned to the churches, because there was no need of it. Why? Read on to see.
Note: The Book of Matthew is written for the benefit of all who will read it with an open heart — just like every Book of the Bible.
7. II Timothy 3:16,17 says, “______ scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is ____________________ for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
8. II Timothy 2:15 says, “__________ to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, ______________ dividing the word of truth.”
Note: And what do we discover when we rightly divide the Book of Matthew? We find that it was written for the benefit of all who will read it with an open heart, and especially to the Jew, to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
This is important to understanding why the exception clause is only given in Matthew. We find the reason why, when we discover the Jewish manner of betrothal (engagement) and marriage, which is clearly seen in the Book of Matthew.
Please carefully read Matthew 1:18-25, and then answer the following questions.
9. According to verse 18, “Mary was ________________ to Joseph” (they were not married yet, only engaged or betrothed).
Note: “Espoused” means “betrothed” (Merriam Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary).
“Betrothal” means “a mutual promise or contract for a future marriage” (Merriam Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary).
It is important to notice that Joseph and Mary
were only engaged — NOT married, when the angel
appeared and announced the birth of the Savior.
10. Notice what Joseph was going to do (verse 19), when he found out that Mary was expecting a baby. “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to ______ ______ ________ privily.”
Note: What does the phrase “put her away” mean? We can find that out by looking at the passages which discuss divorce.
11. Jeremiah 3:8 says, “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had ______ ______ ________, and given her a bill of ______________; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.”
12. Matthew 19:7 says, “They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of ______________________, and to ______ ______ ________?”
Joseph and Mary were only engaged,
but he was thinking about divorcing her, because
he thought that she had been unfaithful to him.
Note: Why would they need to get a divorce, when they were only engaged?
13. Notice verses 19 and 20 (we are still in Matthew chapter 1). “Then Joseph her ______________, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy ________: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”
Note: Notice that the Bible calls Joseph and Mary “husband” and “wife,” even though they are only engaged. Remember our previous study of this matter in the section dealing with betrothal? The Jewish engagement or betrothal could only be broken by a divorce. Why?
First, in such engagements, there was often a large gift given to the father of the bride for his daughter’s hand in marriage. If the engagement could be lightly broken, then the groom could be out of a great deal of money, and end up with the wedding canceled. It could take him years to save up enough money again to betroth a young lady to himself.
14. Remember how long Jacob agreed to work, to pay for the betrothal of Rachel? Genesis 29:16-19 says, “And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee __________ years for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.”
Note: Jacob ended up being deceived by his father-in-law, and given the wrong daughter on the marriage night. Notice how long he has to serve to get the right one.
15. Genesis 29:25-27 says, “What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet __________ other __________.”
As you can readily see, a young man needed some
protection, lest he work away his whole life
for betrothals, and end up with no wife.
Note: In the Jewish system, there had to be an official writing of divorcement to break off an engagement. This allowed for there to be an official settlement of the money that had been given in promise of the young lady.
Also, as we talked about earlier in the section on betrothal, it is important not to lightly break off an engagement. Why? Because the engagement period is where the two are supposed to fall in love with each other (and that is okay, because they are actually called “husband” and “wife” during that period). If you make provision to lightly break off engagements, then you simply end up with a system of dating, and a string of broken hearts.
Also remember how we studied that it is sin to fall in love with someone that is going to be another person’s husband or wife.
16. Remember one of the Ten Commandments? Exodus 20:17 says, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not __________ thy neighbour’s ________…”
Note: It is wrong to covet a young lady or a young man to be your wife or husband, unless you are promised to that one in engagement. Why? Because that one may end up being another person’s mate, but your feelings may remain strong for that one — that is sin.
So only in the Book of Matthew is the exception
clause given. There is a good reason for it, because it
was the Jewish practice that an engagement could only
be broken by a divorce. So the Jews would clearly
understand the meaning of the exception — that only
during the engagement period divorces were allowed.
Note: This interpretation of the exception clause fits in perfectly with the passages dealing with it.
Please read Matthew 19:3-12, and fill in the following blanks.
17. Matthew 19:3 says, “The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it ____________ for a man to put away his wife for __________ cause?”
18. In verses 4-6, Jesus goes back to creation for His answer, and He says, “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore ______ hath joined together, let not ______ put asunder.”
Note: Jesus’ answer to their question was much different than they expected. His answer was, “A man is NOT to put away his wife for ANY cause.”
They are startled at His answer, so now they ask more questions.
19. Verses 7 and 8 say, “They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the ________________ of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the __________________ it was ______ so.”
Note: Once again, Jesus’ answer, based upon the example of creation, was “Divorce is NOT God’s will. It was only because of the hardness of the people’s hearts in Moses’ day that he suffered them to put away their wives.”
Now — only after saying it plainly two times that divorce is not right, does Jesus give any exception.
20. Verse 9 says, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, ____________ it be for ______________________, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”
Note: Did the disciples understand that Jesus was saying that couples could get a divorce if one of them was found to have been unfaithful? No, the disciples took it to be much more strict than that.
21. Verse 10 says, “His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is ______ ________ to __________.”
The disciples understood Jesus’ statement
to be so strict, that they immediately said then
that it would be better not to get married,
because there would be NO WAY OUT OF IT.
Note: What is Jesus’ reaction to the disciples’ interpretation of what He just said? Did Jesus say, “Wait a minute, boys! You misunderstood me. I did not mean it that way…”? Is that what Jesus said? No, He did not correct them at all, but reinforced their interpretation.
22. Verses 11 and 12 say, “But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s ________: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of ______: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the ______________ of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it”.
Note: Jesus did not correct the disciples’ strict interpretation of what He had said. In fact, He agreed with them, for certain cases. Such as men that were born eunuchs (men unable to have children because of some physical problem with which they were born); men that were made eunuchs by man (usually this would be a case of a servant being made such by his master); and men that made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake (men that chose not to have a family so that they could serve the Lord wholly).
Jesus did not disagree with the disciples’ strict interpretation of what He had said, but agreed with them, that in certain instances, they would be right, and men should not get married.
This is in no way saying that it is more spiritual to remain unmarried.
23. Proverbs 18:22 says, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a ________ thing, and obtaineth ____________ of the LORD.”
24. I Timothy 4:1-3 says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of ____________; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; ____________________ to __________, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
It is clear that God’s blessing is upon marriage
and the family. In the latter times, it will be
the doctrines of devils that say that people
should not get married.
Note: A person can readily see from some of the cults that have arisen, why they do not like marriage amongst their followers. Why? Because a husband and wife are one. They talk in private. They share their innermost feelings with each other, and they trust each other. That is a threat to the cult leader, because he wants the total loyalty of his followers.
It will be the same in the latter days, when the antichrist rules; in fact, he himself will not have any desire for women. He is consumed with himself, and wants others to be in total devotion to him, too.
25. Daniel 11:36,37 says, “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt ______________, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the ____________ of __________, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.”
Note: Back to the matter at hand, the disciples were used to religious leaders that argued about a multitude of reasons for a legitimate divorce.
When Jesus gave His Word on the subject,
the disciples were shocked that there was no legitimate
reason for a divorce, except in the case of fornication.
They clearly understood that word as being
immorality before marriage. That meant that divorce
was only allowed during the engagement period.
Note: This is one of the key issues in understanding the disciples’ reaction to what Jesus said; that is, His use of the word fornication.
If a word is used in different ways in the Scripture, then you must determine the meaning of the word by the context in which it is found. An example of this is the word wine. Jesus turned the water into wine (John 2:1-11), but the Bible also says that “Wine is a mocker…” (Proverbs 20:1). The context must be studied to determine the exact meaning of the word. (For a study of the word wine, please see the Bible Course on “Drinking Alcoholic Beverages.” BC-E-109)
Note: The word fornication appears 36 times in 32 verses of the Bible; and in the plural form, fornications, 3 times in 3 verses. In each case, we can safely call it an immoral sin (sometimes also in a spiritual sense).
Sometimes, it just cannot be determined by the context whether the word is being used of a specific immoral sin, or just of immorality in general. But in Matthew 5:32, Matthew 19:9, (the passages of the exception clause) the word fornication is clearly contrasted with the word adultery.
The dictionary defines fornication as “immorality other than between a man and his wife; immorality between a spouse and an unmarried person; immorality between unmarried people — used in some translations, as the AV (standing for the “Authorized Version,” the King James Version) of the Bible”. (Merriam Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary).
Interestingly, the compilers of the above dictionary,
whose job it is to find the exact meaning of words,
used the very verses of the exception clause
as an illustration that fornication means
“immorality between UNMARRIED people.”
Note: The importance of that is that it agrees perfectly with the exception being during the engagement period, and not once the marriage has taken place. That is, if one of the engaged persons commits fornication (immorality between unmarried people), then a divorce (a breaking off the the engagement) is allowed.
26. Notice Matthew 5:31,32, “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of ______________________, causeth her to commit ________________: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”
27. Also notice the other “exception” clause passage, Matthew 19:9, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for ______________________, and shall marry another, committeth ________________: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”
Note: Notice in the above two passages how the words fornication and adultery are used in contrast in the same verse. If you are single (engaged, but not officially married), and you commit immorality, then you are committing fornication. But if you commit immorality within the marriage bonds, then you are now talking about adultery.
The very two passages in which the exception clauses are found, just happen to be some of the verses which make a distinction between fornication and adultery. Why is this so important? Because the common explanation of Matthew chapters 5 and 19 is, “If your husband or wife is unfaithful to you, then you can divorce him/her and remarry someone else.” But if the word fornication is referring to immorality BEFORE MARRIAGE, then this passage is no longer a valid “exception to the rule” as it is so used today.
Jesus clearly answered, “No divorce,” when asked
if it was okay. When pressed further, He said
that the only exception was during the engagement
period. If one of the engaged persons commits
fornication, then that is grounds for a divorce —
for a breaking off of the engagement.
Note: What about the person who is married, and his/her spouse commits adultery? Does this mean that they cannot divorce their mates?
28. Ecclesiastes 5:4,5 says, “When thou vowest a vow unto ______, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not ______, than that thou shouldest vow and not ______.”
Note: When a couple stands before the pastor, they vow, before God, to stay together “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer…” etc.
God says that it would be better not to vow, than to vow and not keep it.
29. Mark 10:7-9 says, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his ________; And they twain shall be ______ flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore ______ hath joined together, let not ______ put asunder.”
Note: When a spouse is unfaithful, is there never a fault with the other mate? Sadly, many times there is a problem WITH BOTH OF THEM.
When a husband/wife falls into the arms of adultery, oftentimes it is because the first love has left their own marriage.
Please read I Corinthians 7:1-5, and fill in the following blanks.
30. Verses 1 and 2 say, “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to __________ ______________________, let every man have his own ________, and let every woman have her own ______________.”
31. Verse 3 says, “Let the husband render unto the wife due ______________________: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.”
Note: The word benevolence means, “an act of kindness, a generous gift” (Merriam Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary).
The husband and the wife are to be benevolent toward each other.
32. Verse 4 says, “The ________ hath not __________ of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the ______________ hath not __________ of his own body, but the wife.”
33. Verse 5 says, “______________ ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and ________ ________________ again, that __________ tempt you not for your incontinency.”
Many husbands/wives have opened the door
for Satan to enter into their marriages with temptation,
because they have denied their spouses
love and affection when they came to them.
Note: When adultery strikes a marriage, it usually shows the sad truth that a husband or wife has not been meeting the needs of his/her spouse.
That is not the time to throw blame, run away, and end the marriage. It is a time to humble yourself before Almighty God, confess your own personal sin, and start doing right.
The fact of the matter is that many people run away from their first marriage never admitting or confessing their own sin. And what that means is that the same problem is going to come up in the second, third, fourth, etc. marriages beyond.
34. Ephesians 4:31,32 says, “Let all ____________________, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye ________ one to another, ____________________________, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven ______.”
Chapter 2
V. The Termination Of Marriage
A. The case of the death of a spouse.
B. The case of the “exception” clause.
C. The case of abandonment.
— Please read I Corinthians 7:10-16, and fill in the following blanks.
1. Verse 10 says, “Let not the ________ ____________ from her husband.”
2. Verse 11 says, “But and if she depart, let her ____________ __________________, or be ____________________ to her husband…”
3. The last half of verse 11 says, “and let not the ______________ put away his wife.”
The Bible is clear that a wife is not to leave
her husband, and a husband is not to leave his wife.
If they leave anyway, then the Bible says that they are to remain
single, or to be reconciled back together.
Note: What about the case of when one mate is not saved? Should the saved person remain with an unsaved person?
4. Verse 12 says, “If any ______________ hath a wife that believeth ______, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him ______ put her away.”
5. Verse 13 says, “And the __________ which hath an husband that believeth ______, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her ______ leave him.”
6. Verse 14 says, “For the ______________________ husband is sanctified by the wife, and the ______________________ wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they ________.”
Note: The Bible is very clear that even if a Christian woman finds herself married to an unsaved man, she is not to leave him; and the same with a saved man who finds himself married to an unsaved woman — he is not to leave her.
The reason that the Christian is not to leave
the unsaved mate, is that the goal is to see the
unsaved person saved. As long as the Christian
spouse is still in the home, there is a witness
there to the husband/wife and to the children.
7. Verse 15 says, “But if the ______________________ depart, ______ him depart. A brother or a sister is not under ______________ in such cases: but God hath called us to __________.”
Note: What does that verse mean? It means that if the unsaved mate wants to leave, then there is no way that you can stop him/her. As much as it hurts, you are to let that one depart. God has called us to a life of peace, and if you try and stop someone from leaving, there will more than likely be quite a scene of fighting — either physically, and/or verbally.
Illustration: Imagine a Christian husband trying to stop his unsaved wife from leaving. What is he going to do? Block the door? Physically restrain her from leaving? None of these things will win her back, but will only make her more determined to leave, and more afraid of what her husband might do to her in the future.
Imagine a Christian wife trying to stop her unsaved husband from leaving. What is she going to do? Try to block the door with her body so he cannot leave? She may very well get hurt in the process, if he decides to barrel on through the door in a rough manner. If she clings to him and will not let go, she may also get hurt if he gets rough and shoves her away. None of these things will win him back, but will only make him more determined to go his own way.
Scenes such as the above do not serve to make the home one of peace, but of fighting. Separations and divorces often get real nasty. During such times of trial, the Christian must flee to the Scriptures and embrace the promises of God.
8. Psalm 61:2 says, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is ______________________: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
9. I Peter 5:6,7 says, “____________ yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your ________ upon him; for he ____________ for you.”
Note: What does I Corinthians 7:15 mean when it says, “But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under BONDAGE in such cases…”? What does the word bondage mean here?
First, the verse is NOT teaching that the Christian is then free to go and remarry someone else. That would be contradicting the other Scriptures at which we have just looked.
What it DOES MEAN is that if the wife leaves of her
own free will, then the husband is not under bondage to protect her,
to provide for her, and to cherish her.
Note: The only way that he could protect her, would be to follow her everywhere that she goes. If she goes back to her parent’s house to live, then he would have to go and live there also. The only problem is that he probably is not going to be welcome there! Should he camp out in their yard, or on the sidewalk? That probably will not go over very well, either.
The fact of the matter is that if the wife leaves of her own free will, then SHE IS PLACING HERSELF OUT OF THE PROTECTION AND PROVISION OF HER HUSBAND. The husband is not under bondage to try and protect and cherish a wife that leaves the home. There is no way that he can, when she is not there.
The matter of supporting a wife that leaves the home will probably be determined in a court of law, and the husband must obey the court’s decision.
10. Romans 13:1-3 says, “Let every soul be ______________ unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the __________________ of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is ________, and thou shalt have praise of the same.”
Note: Our government leaders will be held accountable for making divorce so easy to obtain.
11. Mark 10:9 says, “What therefore ______ hath joined together, let not ______ put asunder.”
12. Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 says, “When thou vowest a ______ unto God, defer not to ______ it; for he hath no pleasure in __________: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an __________: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?”
Note: Saying before God that, “The marriage was a mistake in the first place!” is not going to do. When we vow to God to stay together “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, till death do us part,” then He will hold us to that vow.
To encourage people to stick to their vows, the court system should not allow the person who leaves the marriage to take anything from the marriage with him/her.
— What does I Corinthians 7:15 mean when it says, “But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under BONDAGE in such cases…”?
What it DOES MEAN is that if the husband
leaves of his own free will, then the wife is not
under bondage to submit to him.
Note: If he leaves the home of his own free will, then she is not under his authority any longer (unless he makes things right and comes back and takes his rightful place in the home). She does not have to submit to him in any decisions that are made in the running of the home, and she does not have to submit to his pleas for affection, should he come around demanding such.
If the husband leaves the home, then there is no way that the wife can be his helpmeet any longer. A wife is not under bondage to run around following her husband that has left the home. She does not have to track him down and do his dirty laundry, or prepare his lunch and take it to him, etc.
A Christian husband or wife does not have to fulfill
the duties of marriage that the Bible commands,
if his/her mate leaves the home and forsakes
the family. Does that mean giving up hope of
reconciliation? No. It means continuing to pray
for it; but in the mean time, running the home
in a godly manner in the absence of a husband/wife,
and not allowing sin to rule and reign.
REVIEW:
1. Romans 7:2 says, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be ________, she is ____________ from the law of her husband.”
2. Romans 7:3 says, “So then if, while her husband ____________, she be married to another man, she shall be called an ____________________: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”
3. I Corinthians 7:39 tells us, “The wife is __________ by the law as long as her husband ____________; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.”
4. The Bible is very clear that a husband and wife are bound together in marriage by the law, until one of them ________.
5. What if you did remarry while your former mate was still alive? What should you do? Admit that it was ______, and confess it to the Lord.
6. This exception clause only appears in the Book of ____________.
7. “Espoused” means “__________________” (engaged).
8. “Betrothal” means “a mutual promise or contract for a future ________________.”
9. In the Jewish system, there had to be an official writing of divorcement to break off an engagement. This allowed for there to be an official settlement of the __________ that had been given in promise of the young lady.
10. The engagement period is where the two are supposed to fall in love with each other (and that is okay, because they are actually called “______________” and “________” during that period). If you make provision to lightly break off engagements, then you simply end up with a system of dating, and a string of broken hearts.
11. So only in the Book of Matthew is the “exception” clause given. There is a good reason for it, because it was the Jewish practice that an engagement could only be broken by a ______________.
12. Interestingly, the compilers of the above dictionary, whose job it is to find the exact meaning of words, used the very verses of the “exception” clause as an illustration that fornication means “immorality between __________________ people.”
13. Many husbands/wives have opened the door for __________ to enter into their marriages with temptation, because they have denied their spouses love and affection when they came to them.
14. The Bible is clear that a wife is not to leave her husband, and a husband is not to leave his wife. If they leave anyway, then the Bible says that they are to remain ____________, or to be ____________________ back together.
15. The fact of the matter is that if the wife leaves of her own free will, then SHE IS PLACING HERSELF OUT OF THE __________________ AND __________________ OF HER HUSBAND. The husband is not under bondage to try and protect and cherish a wife that leaves the home. There is no way that he can, when she is not there.
16. If the husband leaves of his own free will, then the wife is not under bondage to ____________ to him. If he leaves the home of his own free will, then she is not under his authority any longer (unless he makes things right and comes back and takes his rightful place in the home). She does not have to submit to him in any decisions that are made in the running of the home, and she does not have to submit to his pleas for affection, should he come around demanding such.
Chapter 3
VI. The Reuniting Of A Marriage
A. The case of a husband and wife that are separated.
1. I Corinthians 7:10,11 says, “And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain __________________, or be ____________________ to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.”
Note: God’s will is that a husband and wife NOT separate. But if one of them does it anyway, then they cannot remarry someone else. It is God’s will that they be reconciled.
In the case of a husband and wife being separated,
they can, and should, be reunited back together.
B. The case of a husband and wife that have been divorced, and one (or both) has remarried during that time.
1. Deuteronomy 24:3,4 says, “And if the ____________ husband hate her, and write her a bill of ______________________, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband ______, which took her to be his wife; Her ____________ husband, which sent her away, may ______ take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”
Note: The above situation covers the matter of what to do if a couple gets a divorce, and then one (or both) remarries another person. If that latter marriage fails, the Bible forbids the former couple to get remarried. God says that that is an abomination.
The above passage also addresses the question of what to do in that situation if the latter mate dies. Once again, the Bible forbids remarrying a former mate, even if the latter mate dies.
In the case of a husband and wife being divorced,
and then remarried to someone else; if the second
marriage also ends in divorce, then the former couple
may NOT be remarried. Even if a latter mate dies,
a person still may NOT remarry
a previous husband or wife.
C. The case of a husband and wife that are divorced, and one (or both) has a living former mate.
Note: This situation is slightly different than the former situation discussed. In this case, we are looking at a latter marriage. This latter marriage ends in divorce, and after some time, the couple decides that they want to remarry. Neither one remarried since the divorce, but one (or both) have a living mate from a previous marriage. The question is whether they can now remarry the last husband/wife from whom they are now divorced.
1. Romans 7:2,3 says, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he ____________; but if the husband be ________, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an ____________________: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”
The couple cannot get remarried, because one
(or both) has a former mate that is still living.
Note: Just like it was wrong for them to marry the second time while a former mate was still alive, even so it would now be wrong to marry a third time, as long as a former mate was still alive.
Note: There is one situation where a remarriage could take place. The situation would be this: a person was married and then divorced; then remarried a second time, which marriage also ended in divorce. Meanwhile, the former (or first) husband/wife of that person died, and the latter husband/wife wanted to be reconciled and remarried to that person. Providing that there were no other marriages in the mean while, then that couple could get remarried. Why? Because they have no living former mates, and because there have been no marriages with others since their marriage together.
Please do not confuse this with point B. In that situation, it was remarrying someone after another marriage had taken place since that previous marriage.
In this case here, it is simply remarrying your last husband/wife, and having no other living former husbands/wives.
D. The case if a husband and wife are divorced, and one of them is not saved.
Note: This situation is one in which a saved person is married to an unsaved person, and the marriage ends in divorce. Or, a situation where both mates are unsaved and get a divorce, but one gets saved after the divorce. Suppose that the two then want to get remarried. What does the Bible say about that?
1. I Corinthians 7:39 says, “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; ________ in the ________.”
2. II Corinthians 6:14,15 says, “Be ye not unequally __________ together with ______________________: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an ______________l?”
The couple cannot get remarried, because the Bible
forbids a Christian to marry an unsaved person.
Note: This would be a very tough situation, because the Christian would want to do any deed of kindness possible, that may lead to the unbelieving former mate getting saved, and to the reuniting of the marriage. But to remarry a person while that one is still unsaved, would be to disobey God’s clear command. The best chance for you to see that former mate saved, and the marriage restored, is to obey God on your part.
3. Psalm 37:3-5 says, “Trust in the LORD, and do ________; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. ______________ thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the ______________ of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; __________ also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
REVIEW:
1. I Corinthians 7:10,11 says, “And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain __________________, or be ____________________ to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.”
2. In the case of a husband and wife being separated, they can, and should, be ________________ back together.
3. Deuteronomy 24:3,4 says, “And if the ____________ husband hate her, and write her a bill of ______________________, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband ______, which took her to be his wife; Her ____________ husband, which sent her away, may ______ take her again to be his wife.
4. In the case of a husband and wife being divorced, and then remarried to someone else; if the second marriage also ends in divorce, then the ____________ couple may NOT be remarried. Even if a latter mate ________, then a person still may NOT remarry a previous husband or wife.
5. Romans 7:2,3 says, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he ____________; but if the husband be ________, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an ____________________: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”
6. If a couple gets a divorce, then they cannot remarry if they have former mates that are still ____________.
7. I Corinthians 7:39 says, “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; ________ in the ________.”
8. To remarry a person while that one is still unsaved, would be to ______________ God’s clear command.
Final Test
Marriage Part 5
When you are finished with this test, please return the entire booklet back to us for grading. When it is graded, the booklet will be returned to you, along with the next booklet on marriage. May God richly guide you and give you wisdom from your study of this subject!
1. Romans 7:2 says, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be ________, she is ____________ from the law of her husband.”
2. Romans 7:3 says, “So then if, while her husband ____________, she be married to another man, she shall be called an ____________________: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”
3. The Bible is very clear that a husband and wife are bound together in marriage by the law, until one of them ________.
4. What if you did remarry while your former mate was still alive? What should you do? Admit that it was ______, and confess it to the Lord.
5. This exception clause only appears in the Book of ____________.
6. “Espoused” means “__________________” (engaged).
7. “Betrothal” means “a mutual promise or contract for a future ________________.”
8. In the Jewish system, there had to be an official writing of divorcement to break off an engagement. This allowed for there to be an official settlement of the __________ that had been given in promise of the young lady.
9. The engagement period is where the two are supposed to fall in love with each other (and that is okay, because they are actually called “______________” and “________” during that period). If you make provision to lightly break off engagements, then you simply end up with a system of dating, and a string of broken hearts.
10. Interestingly, the compilers of the quoted dictionary, whose job it is to find the exact meaning of words, used the very verses of the exception clause as an illustration that fornication means “immorality between __________________ people.”
11. In the case of a husband and wife being separated, they can, and should, be ________________ back together.
12. In the case of a husband and wife being divorced, and then remarried to someone else; if the second marriage also ends in divorce, then the ____________ couple may NOT be remarried. Even if a latter mate ________, then a person still may NOT remarry a previous husband or wife.
13. If a couple gets a divorce, then they cannot remarry if they have former mates that are still ____________.
14. To remarry a person while that one is still unsaved, would be to ____________ God’s clear command.
How The Bible Says You Can Be Saved
1. Do you realize that you have sinned? (Rom. 3:23) (I John 1:8)
2. Do you realize the penalty for your sin? (Rom. 6:23)
3. Do you realize that if you die in your sin, you will go to hell? (Psa. 9:17) (Prov. 15:24) (Luke 12:4,5)
4. Do you realize that the Lord Jesus Christ paid that death penalty for you? (Rom. 5:8) (I Pet. 3:18) (I Pet. 2:24)
5. Do you realize that it is only through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that you can be saved, and not through any good works of your own? (I John 1:7) (I Pet. 1:18,19) (Eph. 2:8,9) (Titus 3:5-7)
6. Do you realize that after Jesus died for your sins, He arose victorious from the grave the third day, proving that His sacrifice was sufficient to pay for all of the sins of the whole world? (I Cor. 15:1-4)
7. Do you realize that to be saved you must repent (you must have the desire to turn from your sin and false beliefs, and for the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse you from all your sin)? (Luke 13:3) (Acts 3:19) (Acts 26:20)
8. Do you realize that after you get saved, God’s first command for you is for you to get baptized and then to live for Him? (Acts 2:41) (II Cor. 5:17)
9. Are you ready to now pray and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of all your sins, and to save you? (John 1:12) (Rom. 10:13) (I John 5:13)
* If you are, then bow your head right now and confess to God that you are a sinner deserving judgment. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of all your sins, and to save you. Ask Him to cleanse your life, and to give you the power to live for Him. Ask Him to lead you to a good, Bible-preaching church, where you can follow the first command after salvation — that of getting baptized and publicly confessing your faith in Him. Ask Him to help you find some good Christian friends to encourage you in the faith and to help you grow.
q — I have just asked the Lord Jesus Christ to save me.
________________________________________________
(sign name here)
________________________________________________
(date)
* If you have just received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please write to us at the address below,
or copy this page and send it to us via email, so that we may rejoice with you.
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