There are a wide variety of issues in the church that people disagree with including styles of worship, those who are allowed to serve in church, and rules for those belonging to the church. Amongst all of these I believe divorce has been the most highly debated topic amongst believers in the church. The questions “is divorce right?” and “can a pastor be divorced?” have flooded the church and began arguments among believers that have strained and even ended friendships. I have studied on this topic of divorce and have come to the conclusion that the Bible is the final authority on all areas and what the Bible says about divorce is what I believe. The clearest Scripture I have found dealing with the topic of divorce is taken from Matthew 19:3-9, which says:
“Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?’ ‘Haven't you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.’ ‘Why then,’ they asked, ‘did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?’ Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery’. “
This verse along with several others clearly states that divorce except in the issue of marital unfaithfulness is wrong and against God and His plan. If someone divorces his husband for any other reason and gets re-married, he is committing adultery according to the Word of God. Marriage is something to be taken extremely seriously. Marriage is a covenant before our Creator to be with that person through the good and the bad. Marriage is something that is not done on a whim but considered highly through prayer and the wisdom of those you respect. I know that for me, marriage is a big deal and a commitment I will make to keep for the rest of my life.
In the end, we as Christians have to live by God’s standard, the Bible. Although some of the issues debated in the church are grey and not clearly right or wrong it is our job to decide if they are right or wrong for us personally. The Word of God is the final authority. I encourage you to seek it out for yourself and see what God says about the issues you may be struggling with! J
