Matthew 19:9

I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

From Background Notes [BN] for October 5^th & 6^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Divorce for the cause of adultery, Jesus argued, was a legitimate cause. Divorce for any cause was not legitimate and that is why he goes on to explain that a person divorced for any cause grounds commits adultery if he remarries.

 

Understood within the context of Jewish legal practice, all of this makes good sense. It also does not limit the reasons for divorce to a single one, but it certainly rejects the notion that just any reason is acceptable. Jesus rejects a wrong-headed explanation of the Old Testament, especially Deuteronomy 24:1, as offered by Hillel. At the same time, he does not deny other bases for divorce accepted in the Old Testament and among his Jewish contemporaries. For example, consider the following Scripture:

If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money. (Exodus 21:10-11) [BN,6]

Join us this week in Study, Worship, Praise and Celebration at Chicago First Church of the Nazarene:

* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 8:30am & 11:00am, 5:30pm