p. 2 | 2124.-Marriage and Divorce by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jun 19, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 25.

2124.—Marriage and Divorce.

By Editor

In question No. 2074, regarding divorce and marriage, you state that the innocent party has the Scriptural right to marry again. If the Saviour permitted the innocent party to marry again according to Matt. 5:32, how is it that no such permission is granted in Mark 10:11, 12, Luke 16:18; 1 Cor. 7:10, 11, 39? ANXIOUS ONE.

The Lord does not generally give all of His conditions in any one place. For instance, He tells us in Matt. 7:7 to "ask and it shall be given." He lays down there no other condition whatever. Elsewhere we are told, "If ye shall ask anything in My name, it shall be given you." No other conditions are stated there. Elsewhere we are told, "If ye ask according to His will," and elsewhere still there are other conditions. The mere fact that the condition is not mentioned in some of these Scriptures does not preclude the condition at all. There are several statements in the New Testament regarding divorce. Matt. 5:32, it seems to us, covers the ground fully, "Every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress; and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery." It seems to us that it is implied that if there be no fornication, there is no right to put away or divorce; if there is fornication, there certainly is the permission to divorce. The innocent party does then have the right to marry, but not the guilty one. Matt. 19:9 states the same principles. Mark 10:11, 12 does not note the exceptions, but does condemn the matter of putting away for trivial causes, as was common with the Jews at that time, and is common in this country at the present time. This is also true of Luke 16:18. Rom. 7:2, 3 is simply a possible side of the marriage relation used to illustrate the soul's relation to God. 1 Cor. 7:10, 11 is instruction to the Christian wife of the unbelieving husband, and so also verse 39. We see no reason to answer otherwise than what has already been said in this department, that there is but one Scriptural cause for divorce and that is fornication; and when divorce is obtained for that reason, it seems to us to give the innocent party the right to marry again.