One In Jesus

That “divorce” in the Bible refers to breaking the marriage, rather than going to court, is easily confirmed by looking at the words the writers use to described what some versions translate as “divorce”:

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As confused as our understanding of marriage has been, divorce is even more confusing. For example, today, when we say “divorce” we conjure up an image of filing papers in a local court asking a judge to declare a state-granted marriage terminated. But the interesting question is whether this is what the authors of the Bible thought. Clearly, it is not.[1]

In the Old Testament, while marriage goes back to Adam and Eve, no reference to divorce is found until the Law of Moses. Continue reading →

Now, having an understanding of the essence of marriage in the minds of Biblical writers, let’s look at how people got married in Biblical times.

When we read the Genesis accounts of how Isaac and Jacob were married, we see no ceremony at all. Rather, the man and woman simply chose to be married, with the consent of the bride’s father, as required by ancient custom, and they began to live together as husband and wife. Continue reading →

As we study divorce and remarriage today, our understanding is colored not only by the scriptures that address the issues, but also our own culture and history-religious and civil. It will help if we go back to the beginning.[1]

(Gen. 1:27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

When God created the heavens and earth, he created man as both male and female, and specifically intended that they “be fruitful,” that is, have children. The sexual joining of husband and wife was part of God’s plan in Eden — before sin entered the world. Continue reading →