Bible Verses of the Week

Marriage, Faithfulness and Divorce

³ Some Pharisees came to [Jesus] to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” ⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ 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’? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” ⁷ “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” ⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. ⁹ I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (NIV, Matthew 19:3–9)

⁴ Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. (NRSV, Hebrews 13:4)

⁴ Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷ It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (NRSV, 1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

The Bible teaches that marriage should be a lifelong, exclusive relationship that fulfills its essential family functions and provides a loving environment for children to grow into responsible adults. Adultery, divorce and remarriage after divorce are hurtful to the injured spouse and children and are prohibited. Unselfish love is the "glue" that holds marriages together. In marriage, we must subdue our own impulses, egos and pride for the sake of the family. There is more information in this article on our website: What Does the Bible Say About Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage?