The Aaron Papers  www.the-aaron-papers.net 

PART TWO  ADDENDUM "D"

WHAT ABOUT DIVORCE?

-THE LAW-   The law does not excuse sin, the law exposes sin.

-WRITTEN TO THE MASSES-

  Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason? Jesus answered and said unto them: Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said: For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.  They said to Him: Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?  Jesus said to them: Moses, BECAUSE OF THE HARDNESS OF YOUR HEARTS, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.  And I say to you: Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery. (Mat.19:3b-9)  

  The Pharisees came (to Jesus) and asked Him: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?  Testing Him.  And Jesus answered and said to them: What did Moses command you?  They said: Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.  And Jesus answered and said to them: Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But form the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.  For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. (Mk.10:2-9; Gen.2:24)  

(Note-1 : This scenario always leaves the woman in sin, no matter what!)  

  Furthermore it has been said: Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. (Mat.5:31 and 32)  

(Note-2 : I believe the preceding Scriptures that discuss the law of divorce, also gives us the clear reason for the institution of this law.  Moses wrote this precept because of Israel's back-slidden condition; because of the hardness of their hearts.  The apostle Paul gives us some insight concerning hardness of heart: This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to licentiousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus. [Eph.4:17-21, Ref.Rom.2:5+]  

Are we, as believers--who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ- who have had our hearts Circumcised with the Circumcision of Christ, able to use this commandment?  The Lord, within these Scriptures, was not speaking to just the invisible elect priesthood but to all the visible elect corporate peoples as well.)

-WRITTEN TO THE CORPORATE ELECT-

  And in the house His disciples asked Him again about the same matter.  Jesus said unto them: Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. (Mk.10:10-12)  

(Therefore) Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery. (Lu.16:18)  

For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives.  But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband.  So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. (Rom.7:2 and 3)  

"Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.  But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband.  And a husband is not to divorce his wife". (1Cor.7:10 and 11)  

If a brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.  And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.  But if the unbeliever departs, let (him/or/her) depart; for a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.  For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband?  Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? (1Cor.7:12-16)  

(Note-3 : Can we receive these Scriptures at their face value? The command given in 1Cor.7:10 and 11 is a command from God: So much care should be taken when we decide to discount or ignore it. We clearly see in the Scriptures of 1Cor.7:, the absence of the divorce option for the corporate elect believer.  Only the unbeliever can initiate the divorce action [depart].)  

For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." (Eph.5:30 and 31 Ref. Gen.2:24)  

(Note-4 : This Scripture strongly suggests the continuation of God's original commandment on marriage for those of the corporate elect Church: It is just as Jesus reminded His disciples in Mat.19: and Mk.10: "For what God has joined together, let not man separate".)  

Yet you say: For what reason?  Because the Lord has been witness between you and the (mate) of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet (they are) your companion and your (mate) by covenant.  But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit?  And why one?  He seeks godly offspring.  Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the (mate) of (their) youth.  For the Lord God of Israel says that HE HATES DIVORCE; For it covers one's garment with violence, Says the Lord of Hosts.  Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously (with your mate). (Mal.2:14-16)  

The Lord instructs Israel in Deuteronomy concerning the faulted practice of the marriage of believers with unbelievers. "Nor shall you make marriages with them.  You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.  For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods." (Deut.7:3 and 4a)  

Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; For Judah has profaned the Lord's holy (institution) which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god. (Mal.2:11)  

You have wearied the Lord with your words; Yet you say, in what way have we wearied Him?  In that you say, Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them, Or, Where is the God of justice? (Mal.2:17)  

Woe unto those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isa.5:20)  

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just; Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. (Prov.17:15)  

(Note 5 : We all acknowledge that the Bible is without contradiction or error, and it is only when man introduces his own interpretation do we begin to see the Bible appear to be in contradiction.  This subject is very difficult because of the weakness of our flesh, and because so many within the Church have already practiced divorces and re-marriage. It may be nearly impossible, at this juncture, for us to accept the clear and simple truths that God has given us.  When we attempt to make every Scripture on marriage and divorce fit every situation, as was pointed out in note-1, we encounter an additional problem: The Scriptures (Mat.5:31 and 32, 19:9, and Lu.16:18) appears to always position the woman in sin no matter what, and anyone who would marry a divorced woman would be committing adultery.  To consider divorce and re-marriage acceptable within today’s Church, runs us head long into these Scriptures: forcing us to set them aside, or we must determine that that is not exactly what they really mean.

What is wrong with receiving and accepting these Scriptures in the light in which they were given?  As the corporate elect Church, we will not be able to divorce our mate.  Is that so bad?  

These points should be re-stated for our individual admonition:

(1) Under no circumstances can a person who is a believer divorce their mate, and then re-marry!  

(2) A divorce can be initiated only by an unbelieving mate.

(3) If a believer does depart from their believing mate, they are to remain unmarried or be reconciled to their mate.  

(4) If an unbelieving person divorces a believer, that believer is allowed to re-marry, but only in the Lord.  

If we accept the clear instructions of the Bible--that a Christian cannot divorce their mate, it would reduce the divorce rate all together within the Church: But even more important, we would be doing the will of God and setting an example for those who are outside of the Church.                                                      

                                                                 -Amen-