Remarriage is OK in Bible,
Refusing to Sign Divorce Papers is Not.
by Jacob Gustafson
2017-06-25
Christians refusing to sign divorce papers are disobeying the Bible, though I'm sure unknowingly--their Christian leaders that led them astray will be held to account by Yahweh. This verse puts refusing to sign divorce papers in a whole new light (my translation based on WEB): "'One who hates and [dismisses one's spouse without giving a divorce],' says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'covers his garment with violence!' says Yahweh of Armies. 'Therefore pay attention to your spirit, that you don't be unfaithful.'" (or "'do not deal treacherously'" -NASB)
This is almost the opposite of what mainstream churches teach on divorce.
This (above) uses the literal meaning of the word, which refers to a barbaric practice that put a woman and her family out of money, and possibly her out of a home and unable to legally remarry since her old marriage is still binding, both in the days before Christ and during his life. This practice is cited (a different Hebrew/Greek word than divorce) in Malachi 2:16 (Hebrew), Matthew 5:32 (Greek), and anywhere else you ever heard divorce or remarriage to be against the Bible. All along, God (including through Jesus in person) is actually saying that he hates this practice of "putting away" your spouse, not divorce.
Here is another verse for you:
"Whoever dismisses his wife and [dismisses her refusing to give a divorce], except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her [when she is dismissed without being given a divorce] commits adultery."
Also the part about "except for the cause of sexual immorality" has a different meaning than in the incorrectly-translated context--it is not saying it is ever ok to dismiss your wife and refuse to sign divorce papers (some people interpret the verse to mean that adultery is the only allowable reason for divorce). However that phrase is just noting that she would already have been an adulteress before that if she was fornicating before she was dismissed. Let me re-emphasize, the phrase is not justifying that which comes before--it is still never ok to dismiss your spouse and refuse to give a divorce. God mentions his hate for that practice in both the Tanakh and New Testament.
These verses are accurate translations, by me of Malachi 2:16 and Matthew 5:32, based on the World English Bible, a free translation, and the KJV with Strongs numbers to make sure the correct Greek words are used as a basis for translation. My specific wording clarifies the cultural meaning of "put away." If you have a KJV with Strongs numbers, you'll notice that the same number is beside "put away" and "divorced" in that verse--the word divorce was inserted by the KJV and Catholic Bible authors since this refusal to accept Yahweh's word on the issue is so ingrained in both types of mainstream churches.
I studied this quite a while ago, but was reminded of the urgent need of this truth, after someone quoted Andy Stanley, leading me to look up and remind myself of all the reasons I disagree with the Stanleys and the Southern Baptist Convention. I found an old CNN article that used the ESV translation of Luke 16:18, another of many intentional mistranslations by mainstream churches. If what I'm saying makes you angry, it probably should--but act justly and direct your complaints to the sources of the problem.
Below is one of many good articles explaining the Hebrew and Greek words and the practice of "putting away" (dismissing your spouse and refusing to give a divorce):
http://www.divorcehope.com/godhatesdivorce.htm
Matthew 19 does discuss how divorce is not what God originally intended, but that it is for hard-hearted people. Most people usually indict the other of being hard-hearted, and perhaps in most or all cases one or both are making accurate indictments at least of that. Divorce is a necessary system in an imperfect world, and was provided by God (Deuteronomy 24).
This is one of several teachings that are part of the unhealthy mainstream Christian system of "precedent," making mainstream pastors forced to teach certain historical viewpoints (especially teachings of the reformers) or be outcasts. This mechanism where accountability is reserved to an academic elite is one of many reasons that having a big church or conglomerate (denominational or not) where one person is doing "the service," even for one day, except in the case of church planting like Paul, Timothy, and Titus, and other church planters did temporarily, is unhealthy for a church.
Christians refusing to sign divorce papers are disobeying the Bible, though I'm sure unknowingly--their Christian leaders that led them astray will be held to account by Yahweh. This verse puts refusing to sign divorce papers in a whole new light (my translation based on WEB): "'One who hates and [dismisses one's spouse without giving a divorce],' says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'covers his garment with violence!' says Yahweh of Armies. 'Therefore pay attention to your spirit, that you don't be unfaithful.'" (or "'do not deal treacherously'" -NASB)
This is almost the opposite of what mainstream churches teach on divorce.
This (above) uses the literal meaning of the word, which refers to a barbaric practice that put a woman and her family out of money, and possibly her out of a home and unable to legally remarry since her old marriage is still binding, both in the days before Christ and during his life. This practice is cited (a different Hebrew/Greek word than divorce) in Malachi 2:16 (Hebrew), Matthew 5:32 (Greek), and anywhere else you ever heard divorce or remarriage to be against the Bible. All along, God (including through Jesus in person) is actually saying that he hates this practice of "putting away" your spouse, not divorce.
Here is another verse for you:
"Whoever dismisses his wife and [dismisses her refusing to give a divorce], except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her [when she is dismissed without being given a divorce] commits adultery."
Also the part about "except for the cause of sexual immorality" has a different meaning than in the incorrectly-translated context--it is not saying it is ever ok to dismiss your wife and refuse to sign divorce papers (some people interpret the verse to mean that adultery is the only allowable reason for divorce). However that phrase is just noting that she would already have been an adulteress before that if she was fornicating before she was dismissed. Let me re-emphasize, the phrase is not justifying that which comes before--it is still never ok to dismiss your spouse and refuse to give a divorce. God mentions his hate for that practice in both the Tanakh and New Testament.
These verses are accurate translations, by me of Malachi 2:16 and Matthew 5:32, based on the World English Bible, a free translation, and the KJV with Strongs numbers to make sure the correct Greek words are used as a basis for translation. My specific wording clarifies the cultural meaning of "put away." If you have a KJV with Strongs numbers, you'll notice that the same number is beside "put away" and "divorced" in that verse--the word divorce was inserted by the KJV and Catholic Bible authors since this refusal to accept Yahweh's word on the issue is so ingrained in both types of mainstream churches.
I studied this quite a while ago, but was reminded of the urgent need of this truth, after someone quoted Andy Stanley, leading me to look up and remind myself of all the reasons I disagree with the Stanleys and the Southern Baptist Convention. I found an old CNN article that used the ESV translation of Luke 16:18, another of many intentional mistranslations by mainstream churches. If what I'm saying makes you angry, it probably should--but act justly and direct your complaints to the sources of the problem.
Below is one of many good articles explaining the Hebrew and Greek words and the practice of "putting away" (dismissing your spouse and refusing to give a divorce):
http://www.divorcehope.com/godhatesdivorce.htm
Matthew 19 does discuss how divorce is not what God originally intended, but that it is for hard-hearted people. Most people usually indict the other of being hard-hearted, and perhaps in most or all cases one or both are making accurate indictments at least of that. Divorce is a necessary system in an imperfect world, and was provided by God (Deuteronomy 24).
This is one of several teachings that are part of the unhealthy mainstream Christian system of "precedent," making mainstream pastors forced to teach certain historical viewpoints (especially teachings of the reformers) or be outcasts. This mechanism where accountability is reserved to an academic elite is one of many reasons that having a big church or conglomerate (denominational or not) where one person is doing "the service," even for one day, except in the case of church planting like Paul, Timothy, and Titus, and other church planters did temporarily, is unhealthy for a church.
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