Tag Archives: adultery

Exception Clause or Deception Clause?

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Almost any time a discussion of divorce & remarriage arises among Christians who have some familiarity of the New Testament, the words of Jesus in Matthew 19:9 are quickly brought into the conversation. It is probably the passage most often used to “prove” that there is at least one exception to the New Testament teaching that the sin of adultery is committed when a person who has been validly or lawfully married in the sight of God subsequently divorces and then gets remarried to another person while the original/lawful spouse is still physically alive.

However, once a person is aware of some important details, it becomes evident that Matthew 19:9 is an ambiguous verse that is most safely understood in light of the clear verses on this same topic. Therefore, it would not be wise for anyone to base a life decision upon an interpretation of that one verse which could affect their eternal destiny (see 1 Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21; Heb 13:4; Rev 21:8; 22:15)! Please consider the following reasons why Matthew 19:9 should NOT be trusted as “proof” that there is some exception which would allow a person who has been lawfully/validly married in the sight of God to subsequently divorce and get remarried to a different person even though their prior spouse is still physically alive.

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Article on Divorce from the Encyclopedia of Early Christianity

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Divorce: Dissolution of Marriage

(A short, but accurate 800-word article found in the Encyclopedia of Early Christianity[1]; all bolding is mine.)

The attitude of ecclesiastical authors of the first Christian centuries toward divorce is of great importance, for they were the closest heirs of the thought of the apostles and they lived in a period like our own, when the civil law accepted divorce and divorce was commonplace among the upper classes. Tertullian, at the end of the second century, contrasts the first 600 years of Roman history, when there was not a single divorce, with the morals of his own time, when women “long for divorce as though it were the natural consequence of marriage” (Apol. 6).

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The Biblical & the Early Christian Position on Divorce & Remarriage

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By examining the Biblical & the early Christian historical evidence that is provided in the body of this article (and in the many endnotes), the reader will quickly discern that most professing churches in existence today are no longer teaching these precepts, if they ever did to begin with. If a person would seek to deny that the church has drifted away (Heb 2:1) from the truth on this issue, although they might choose to interpret the relevant Scripture passages a bit differently than how they are interpreted in this article, it is very difficult to ignore or deny what the historical evidence demonstrates.

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Interview with Dr. Leslie McFall on Matthew 19:9

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This is a discussion of Divorce & Remarriage, focusing on the so-called “exception clause” of Matthew 19:9. It was originally recorded on 20 March 2010 with TalkShoe and was entitled “Covenant Warriors—MARRIAGE IS FOR LIFE.” Made available by Timothy Sparks @ Dr. McFall: Audio of Matthew 19:9 | Learning from God’s Word (timothysparks.com)

The Clear New Testament Passages On Divorce & Remarriage

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Everywhere we turn it seems that marriages are falling apart. There was a time when those in the church were the least likely to divorce but today, with the law allowing one spouse to divorce the other for no reason at all, both Christian and non-Christian alike have become susceptible to the heartbreak of divorce. With the increase in the American divorce rate has also come an increase in the remarriage rate. Does it matter if one remarries after a divorce? Most will tell you that it doesn’t and even encourage people who have experienced a failed marriage to seek another one in order to fill the void that came with the first break-up. With so many people choosing to remarry and so many encouraging remarriage it could not hurt at all to see what the New Testament says about this subject. Continue reading The Clear New Testament Passages On Divorce & Remarriage →

The Seriousness of Sexual Sin

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The Seriousness of Sexual Sin

It is not the purpose of this article to list and address every mention of sexual sin in the Bible, but merely to show that sexual sins are indeed portrayed as being serious and defiling in the New Testament in a similar way as they were in the Old Testament. In ushering in the New Covenant, Jesus & His Apostles and the writers of the New Testament did not suddenly begin winking at such sins. They taught that sexual sin, unless repented of and forsaken, would disqualify people from finally entering the eternal kingdom of God. There are various sorts of sexual sin. Sometimes sexual sin is spoken against in a general manner in the New Testament, and sometimes we find such sins being spoken against very specifically. However, it is very clear that whatever type of sexual sin is being practiced, it is all defiling (i.e. it all causes spiritual uncleanness). For example: Continue reading The Seriousness of Sexual Sin →