Divorce & The Christian ~ What the Bible Teaches
Synopsis Chapter by chapter
CHAPTER 1
Pieces of a Puzzle
Marriage is an inscrutable mystery. Divorce even more so. We do not always understand why love in one marriage seems different from love in another marriage. It is indeed part of the puzzle. How we interpret Scripture is the essential part of understanding the total picture of the puzzle.
CHAPTER 2
Jesus Christ Changes the Ground
Rules on Divorce
God ordained marriage (between a man and a woman) before the fall of mankind. The consequences of the fall (sin and hardened hearts) are yet unavoidably linked to the substantive spiritual problem that surrounds nearly every divorce. It is Jesus Christ (the expression of God's love for us) who re-instituted marriage for all New Testament believers by reframing it in his love. To aid the reader, a comparison is made between Old and New Testament teachings on divorce.
CHAPTER 3
Israel and God--Bride and Groom
Do you feel your marriage is bad? God's "bride" was a habitually unfaithful adulteress. God, the "Groom," assures us that He totally understands love given, but not returned. He has tasted it all, and he offers us his divine Solution.
CHAPTER 4
God Says
People have exhaustively prayed to God about wanting a divorce in their special case. It is usually a one-sided conversation. They are not looking for God's answer; rather, they mistakenly conclude God understands their extraordinary circumstance(s). The truth is, God understands divorce, and he hates it when we rationalize His Truth into fiction. Four biblical categories are considered: 1)-divorce between two Christians. 2)-divorce of a nonbeliever by a Christian. 3)-divorce of a Christian by a nonbeliever. 4)-divorce between two nonbelievers.
CHAPTER 5
A Practical Case
This chapter deals with physical abuse, and other weighty matters.
CHAPTER 6
The Exceptive Clause
What is the one thing God might recognize as an acceptable reason for a divorce? Most people say adultery (moicheia). The correct answer is porneia (translated in the New International version as 'marital unfaithfulness,' or the older King James Version as 'fornication'). Neither term is the same as adultery. Fornication is the exception, and adultery is a form of fornication; albeit not the whole of it. Why did Christ only give one possible ground for divorce?
CHAPTER 7
Excuses and God's Replies
A series of ten of the most common excuses used to disobey God by divorcing -- with God's answers taken directly from his Word; leading to an amazing discovery about God's grace.
CHAPTER 8
Divorce and the Role of the Church
When church-connected Christians attempt to divorce without biblical authority, the inescapable disciplinary role of the church must come into play. That role is clearly laid out in Scripture. Sincere repentance is biblically defined as the basic guideline.
CHAPTER 9
The Divorced, Remarried, Christian
This represents the hardest part of understanding a seemingly hopeless situation into which some have entered. Divorce for reasons other than the exceptive clause, followed by a remarriage, extremely complicates any solution, but does not preclude forgiveness. Divorce is not the unforgivable sin. Using two biblical examples, (in cases where there is sincere repentance) God allows the church to forgive, as He forgives, and to restore the sincerely repentant back into full communion. However, there is no carte blanche associated with his divine solution.
CHAPTER 10
A Perspective
The focus of the Holy Spirit. What is the importance of making Jesus the Lord of one's life? Families are important to God! He considers us a part of his family. He as our Father, Jesus as our bridegroom, and we (the Universal Church) the bride of Christ, all welded together in a permanent bond of marriage through the power of his Holy Spirit for eternity. God hates divorce and has promised he will never divorce us; rather, he will forgive us, accept us without any merit of our own, and grant us eternal reconciliation with him. Find out how.
