And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
Whoever puts away a spouse and marries another commits adultery against the former spouse, and the same rule binds a wife who leaves her husband and marries another. It restores marriage to its original joining as one flesh that no one may break, which Moses' permission for divorce because of hardness of heart did not change. Its unqualified form is to be read with Matthew's naming of fornication as the sole Scriptural ground for divorce, since fornication itself breaks the bond, so only the innocent party is free to marry again while the guilty party is not. It therefore condemns putting away for trivial causes or mere pleasure and forbids treating marriage as a temporary contract to be ended at will. Husband and wife stand equal under it, and anyone who remarries while a spouse lives in adultery is warned against destruction and called to gospel order, including refusal of ministers to solemnize such unions.
Words and Original Union
Whoever dismisses a living husband or wife and enters another marriage commits adultery against the former spouse, and the rule is stated for the husband in the verse itself and for the wife who leaves her husband and marries another in the verse that follows. The warning bears directly on anyone contemplating remarriage while a spouse still lives, that such a union is adultery and tends toward destruction, and it was pressed as a gospel requirement for church membership. A minister who solemnizes such a union calls true marriage what is in fact adultery. Divorce over ordinary disagreements is no proper ground for ending a Christian marriage, and where spouses separated for such reasons have married no one else they may be reconciled and marry each other again.
The adultery lies not merely in the dismissal but in the marrying of another, so that even keeping the first wife and adding a second would still be adultery. By that principle the verse condemns polygamy.
Marriage is thereby restored to its original foundation as a one-flesh union joined by God and never to be separated, which no one has authority to break. Moses permitted dismissal because of hardness of heart, not because dismissal belonged to the original design. The saying gives Christ's law to the individual soul rather than altering any Jewish civil statute, and it expounds the seventh commandment rather than instituting a new law. Heeding it violates no civil law, since civil law cannot convert or save. In God's sight in the light of primal law, no one is to put away a spouse except for fornication, and to put away and marry another is adultery against the former spouse.
Husband and wife stand equal under the rule, with the same standard and responsibility applying on either side under the seventh commandment. The marriage relation is inviolably sacred, and the histories of Abraham, Jacob, David and Solomon stand as types and living chart lessons of admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come. Any union not joined by God in true unselfish love is profane spiritual adultery whether another union exists or not, while putting away, plural marriage and diverted love bring bitter sorrow, humiliation, jealousy cruel as the grave, enmity, strife and ruin of manhood and home, and one whole true loyal love sealed upon heart and arm is worth more than a kingdom.
Exception and Faithful Practice
The unqualified wording states the general rule and is to be read alongside the more specific statements in Matthew, which name fornication as the sole Scriptural ground for divorce, and its silence does not cancel that exception. Its omission of an exception does not rule out the exception stated elsewhere. The sweeping condemnation must be read with the exception in Matthew, so divorce for fornication is the one just cause.
The exception is taken for granted because fornication itself dissolves the marriage bond. The general form also reflects that adultery was already subject to punishment under the law.
Those who held the stricter reading taught that there is no exception at all to this law, that no one has authority to break the bond God joins. On that reading another person's attempt to take a spouse's place cannot make the act acceptable, and happiness cannot rest on conduct contrary to God's law.
Divorce does not end the marriage bond in a way that permits remarriage, except when the divorce is for fornication. For just cause one party may divorce and marry again, while the guilty party may not, and anyone who marries a person wrongfully put away may not do so. Remarriage is allowed only on Scriptural grounds and only for the innocent party. Where the husband has lost his moral right by fornication and the innocent wife is freed in the eyes of the law, she may marry again without committing adultery, and the otherwise free man who marries her does not commit adultery.
What is condemned is loose divorce at the mere pleasure of the party for trivial or unjustified reasons, as was common among the Jews and remains common. Divorce over ordinary disagreements is not a proper ground for ending a Christian marriage. Marriage is not a temporary contract to be ended at whim or desire or at either spouse's whim or desire.
The teaching agrees with the related statements in Mark and Luke, and Paul's teaching on marriage in Romans and 1 Corinthians confirms that Matthew's wording should be understood the same way.
Anyone considering remarriage while a spouse is still living is warned that such a marriage is adultery and may lead to destruction. The verse was urged as a gospel requirement relevant to church membership, with members expected to comply with it. It applies to cases in which people separate and then live with someone else, for such unions are not in harmony with God's law, and bringing these cases into harmony with the Bible can be difficult. A minister who solemnizes such a union calls a true marriage what Christ calls adultery, and Christian ministers should not officiate at remarriages that violate that strict New Testament standard. When spouses separated without scriptural ground have not married anyone else, they may reconcile and marry each other again.
The passage in Mark 10:2-12 lays down the New Testament law on divorce, forbidding divorcing a wife and marrying another as adultery against her, and that law sets an exalted ethical standard. Roman Catholic doctrine and practice on divorce holds that standard with courage and consistency against compromise, standing much closer to it than the doctrine and practice of the Protestant churches has stood, to the shame of the Protestant churches. Protestant churches are now making earnest effort to bring their practice nearer to that standard, and the effort should bring it nearer to the New Testament standard itself. The failure to return to the New Testament standard shows the tendency of the age to belittle the authority of Scripture and to correct the church by human ideas and human standards.
Whoever puts away a spouse and marries another commits adultery against the former spouse, and the same rule binds a wife who leaves her husband and marries another. It restores marriage to its original joining as one flesh that no one may break, which Moses' permission for divorce because of hardness of heart did not change. Its unqualified form is to be read with Matthew's naming of fornication as the sole Scriptural ground for divorce, since fornication itself breaks the bond, so only the innocent party is free to marry again while the guilty party is not. It therefore condemns putting away for trivial causes or mere pleasure and forbids treating marriage as a temporary contract to be ended at will. Husband and wife stand equal under it, and anyone who remarries while a spouse lives in adultery is warned against destruction and called to gospel order, including refusal of ministers to solemnize such unions.
Words and Original Union
Whoever dismisses a living husband or wife and enters another marriage commits adultery against the former spouse, and the rule is stated for the husband in the verse itself and for the wife who leaves her husband and marries another in the verse that follows. The warning bears directly on anyone contemplating remarriage while a spouse still lives, that such a union is adultery and tends toward destruction, and it was pressed as a gospel requirement for church membership. A minister who solemnizes such a union calls true marriage what is in fact adultery. Divorce over ordinary disagreements is no proper ground for ending a Christian marriage, and where spouses separated for such reasons have married no one else they may be reconciled and marry each other again.
The adultery lies not merely in the dismissal but in the marrying of another, so that even keeping the first wife and adding a second would still be adultery. By that principle the verse condemns polygamy.
Marriage is thereby restored to its original foundation as a one-flesh union joined by God and never to be separated, which no one has authority to break. Moses permitted dismissal because of hardness of heart, not because dismissal belonged to the original design. The saying gives Christ's law to the individual soul rather than altering any Jewish civil statute, and it expounds the seventh commandment rather than instituting a new law. Heeding it violates no civil law, since civil law cannot convert or save. In God's sight in the light of primal law, no one is to put away a spouse except for fornication, and to put away and marry another is adultery against the former spouse.
Husband and wife stand equal under the rule, with the same standard and responsibility applying on either side under the seventh commandment. The marriage relation is inviolably sacred, and the histories of Abraham, Jacob, David and Solomon stand as types and living chart lessons of admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come. Any union not joined by God in true unselfish love is profane spiritual adultery whether another union exists or not, while putting away, plural marriage and diverted love bring bitter sorrow, humiliation, jealousy cruel as the grave, enmity, strife and ruin of manhood and home, and one whole true loyal love sealed upon heart and arm is worth more than a kingdom.
Exception and Faithful Practice
The unqualified wording states the general rule and is to be read alongside the more specific statements in Matthew, which name fornication as the sole Scriptural ground for divorce, and its silence does not cancel that exception. Its omission of an exception does not rule out the exception stated elsewhere. The sweeping condemnation must be read with the exception in Matthew, so divorce for fornication is the one just cause.
The exception is taken for granted because fornication itself dissolves the marriage bond. The general form also reflects that adultery was already subject to punishment under the law.
Those who held the stricter reading taught that there is no exception at all to this law, that no one has authority to break the bond God joins. On that reading another person's attempt to take a spouse's place cannot make the act acceptable, and happiness cannot rest on conduct contrary to God's law.
Divorce does not end the marriage bond in a way that permits remarriage, except when the divorce is for fornication. For just cause one party may divorce and marry again, while the guilty party may not, and anyone who marries a person wrongfully put away may not do so. Remarriage is allowed only on Scriptural grounds and only for the innocent party. Where the husband has lost his moral right by fornication and the innocent wife is freed in the eyes of the law, she may marry again without committing adultery, and the otherwise free man who marries her does not commit adultery.
What is condemned is loose divorce at the mere pleasure of the party for trivial or unjustified reasons, as was common among the Jews and remains common. Divorce over ordinary disagreements is not a proper ground for ending a Christian marriage. Marriage is not a temporary contract to be ended at whim or desire or at either spouse's whim or desire.
The teaching agrees with the related statements in Mark and Luke, and Paul's teaching on marriage in Romans and 1 Corinthians confirms that Matthew's wording should be understood the same way.
Anyone considering remarriage while a spouse is still living is warned that such a marriage is adultery and may lead to destruction. The verse was urged as a gospel requirement relevant to church membership, with members expected to comply with it. It applies to cases in which people separate and then live with someone else, for such unions are not in harmony with God's law, and bringing these cases into harmony with the Bible can be difficult. A minister who solemnizes such a union calls a true marriage what Christ calls adultery, and Christian ministers should not officiate at remarriages that violate that strict New Testament standard. When spouses separated without scriptural ground have not married anyone else, they may reconcile and marry each other again.
The passage in Mark 10:2-12 lays down the New Testament law on divorce, forbidding divorcing a wife and marrying another as adultery against her, and that law sets an exalted ethical standard. Roman Catholic doctrine and practice on divorce holds that standard with courage and consistency against compromise, standing much closer to it than the doctrine and practice of the Protestant churches has stood, to the shame of the Protestant churches. Protestant churches are now making earnest effort to bring their practice nearer to that standard, and the effort should bring it nearer to the New Testament standard itself. The failure to return to the New Testament standard shows the tendency of the age to belittle the authority of Scripture and to correct the church by human ideas and human standards.