Relevant Scriptures continued:
9. 1
Corinthians 7:10-16. Paul
responds to a letter the Corinthians had written, asking for his advice on various
matters including marriage (v. 1). He states in v. 2 that marriage is to be
monogamous, between a man and a woman; sexual relations are confined to the
marriage relationship, and sexual activity in any other context constitutes
immorality. He further affirms that the marriage bond is for life (v. 39). “Now
to the married…” (vv. 10-11) is in contrast to the unmarried (v. 8), applicable
to the general state of marriage.1 Paul can give an apostolic
directive (paraggéllō) because the
Lord himself gave general marriage instruction during his earthly ministry (see Part 2). A wife is not to chōrízō = “depart
from” (NKJ), “separate from” (RSV) or “leave” (NAS) her husband (v. 10b). This could
be synonymous with divorce,2 as the separated state is described as
“unmarried” (v. 11). The parallel admonition to the husband is to not “send
away” or “divorce” (aphíēmi) his wife
(v. 11), while “abandon” is also a possible nuance (cf. Mark 14:50). “But even
if she does depart” (i.e. ignore the injunction) or ‘if she is separated’ (i.e.
already in this state), there are only two scriptural options: (a) remain
unmarried, or (b) be reconciled to her husband (v. 11, cf. v. 39). The husband
likewise is not to “send away” or “divorce” or “abandon” his wife (v. 11c).
Concluding Statement:
If for
sexual infidelity, divorce is a divinely-granted dissolution
of marital obligations for the one who has been cheated on, thus freeing him/her to marry another eligible person. On the other hand, divorce is a human innovation if for any reason
other than sexual unfaithfulness; it is void of divine
sanction and therefore terminates none of the marital responsibilities of either husband or
wife.4 The sexual sin of adultery is therefore committed when one so divorced enters into a marital union with someone else.
--Kevin L. Moore
Endnotes:
1
Because of what follows, many
commentators try to limit this instruction to a marriage in which both partners are
Christians. However, to reach that conclusion one must read further down in the
text, draw this conclusion, then go back to vv. 10-11 and make that
application (no doubt very confusing to those who first heard this passage publicly read!). Since it would be more natural for a writer to specify a
particular type of marriage if that were his point (as in vv. 12 ff.), the
general phrase “to the married” is most obviously inclusive of all marriages.
2 In Mark’s account of the
Lord’s teaching, the woman as well as the man may initiate the divorce
(10:11-12), which is consistent with Roman law. At Corinth some may have been
considering divorcing their spouses in order to live a celibate life.
3
Or “bound” (NIV, N/RSV, REB), “under
no compulsion” (NEB) or “obligation” (McCord).
4 Edwin S. Jones, “The Biblical
Definition of Divorce,” in Marriage,
Divorce, and Remarriage, ed. Jim Laws (Memphis, TN: Getwell Church of
Christ, 1992): 254-67.
Related
Posts: Divorce & Remarriage Part 1, Part 2, Preventing Divorce, Premarital Decisions About Non-optional Matters
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