March 1999 Issue

Editorial...

By Mark J. Ward

This month's issue is on a very good subject: Marriage & Divorce & Re-marriage (MDR). Many thanks to the authors who have taken the time to write good study material for us read on this matter. God's Word must be followed with regard to what we believe, teach, and practice on this subject! Our attitude should be "What is GOD'S WILL on the subject? I want to follow that!"

There are many diverse views on the subject of marriage and divorce. You can imagine that many who preach and teach come up with differing interpretations of what God's Will is for us today on MDR. Please don't risk your soul by simply looking until you find a "preacher" who condones your present marriage situation! BEWARE! You probably can find a preacher (if you search a little) who will condone just about any marriage situation we could think of! There are many teachers who teach contrary to God's Word on this Bible subject. Please remember that teachers today are not inspired men and women. They may be right, or they may be wrong. It is to God's Word, properly understood, that we must make our appeal. Our souls are too precious to simply take the attitude, "Well, I hope my preacher is right, 'cause he said my marriage is ok. I sure don't wanna be wrong!"

Investigate God's Word and form your own convictions; we will be judged individually and must give account to God for our words and actions (See James 2:12)! Man may differ, but God is "right". Truth is NOT ambiguous! Let us always study with an open mind and receive God's Word on every Bible subject.

There are admittedly difficult passages of scripture to deal with in this good Bible study. Also, there are several hypothetical and real situations that people can get themselves into that can really tug at our heartstrings. Our emotions, however, are simply not to be the basis from which our convictions are formed. What I feel or what I would like to be the answer in a particular situation is not the determining factor of God's truth in the matter.

It may be that you have been married before and are not in your first marriage now. It may be that you have divorced and married someone other than your original spouse. Please examine God's Word and the truths presented therein. Study this subject with an honest heart and don't let your present situation deter you from understanding God's Truth on this subject. IF you are in an unscriptural marriage, repent and get out of that arrangement while you have the time and opportunity. Examine passages like Ezra 10 and see that others have had to leave marriages in order to be pleasing in God's sight! This is a "hard saying", but true.

Please read and study all the passages on the subject in God's Word. Please note the following passages of Scripture: Genesis 1:21-25; Ezra 10; Matthew 5:31,32; Matthew 19:3-11; Mark 6:17-27; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:14-18; Romans 7:1-8; I Cor. 5: ; ; I Cor 7:1-12; Hebrews 13:4. There are many other great passages of scripture (such as Ephesians 5) which we recommend heartily in your study of marriage. Enjoy your study in God's Word on this and all Bible subjects!

Genesis 1:21-25, "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

Ezra 10:10 "And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. 11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives. 12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do."

Matthew 5:31,32, "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."

Matthew 19:3-11, "The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made [them] at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. 10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with [his] wife, it is not good to marry. 11 But he said unto them, All [men] cannot receive this saying, save [they] to whom it is given."

Mark 6:17-27, "For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. 18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. 19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: {a quarrel: or, an inward grudge} 20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. {observed him: or, kept him, or, saved him} 21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief [estates] of Galilee; 22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give [it] thee. 23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give [it] thee, unto the half of my kingdom. 24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. 25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. 26 And the king was exceeding sorry; [yet] for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,"

Mark 10:2-12, "And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away [his] wife? tempting him. 3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put [her] away. 5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same [matter]. 11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery."

Luke 16:14-18, "And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets [were] until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from [her] husband committeth adultery."

Romans 7:1-4, "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 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 dead, she is loosed from the law of [her] husband. 3 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. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

I Corinthians 6:9-11, "Know ye not tat the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

I Corinthians 7:1-12 (read the entire chapter please), "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, [to avoid] fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5 Defraud ye not one the other, except [it be] with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. 6 But I speak this by permission, [and] not of commandment. 7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. 8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. 9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. 10 And unto the married I command, [yet] not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from [her] husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to [her] husband: and let not the husband put away [his] wife. 12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away."

Hebrews 13:4, "Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."

Please read and consider all the articles in this month's issue. If you disagree with something you read, write us with love and express your views. Let's strive toward the proper understanding and agreement on God's Word on every Bible subject. Thanks for reading! --mjw

Email the Editor at markjward@yahoo.com