marriage, divorce, and remarriage

[steve]

i think its that you CAN in fact send away a whoring wife, refusing to formally divorce her. THAT is the "exception clause" jesus was giving.

I think that we are saying the same thing, just a bit differently.

 

[Daniel DeLuca]

contrast works fine with your set of suppositions, which include that jesus taught against "merely" keeping "the letter" of the law, yet neglecting the "spirit." fair?

contradiction is not, unless you think that jesus advised against following god's law, before he even died. if the law says you are allowed to divorce if you follow this procedure, then to say someone is not allowed, is a contradiction.


right, that was always the law. surely you dont think god's law allows for harming one's neighbor.

what actually is your position on this, by the way, daniel? no cause, one cause?

the position i am attempting to represent and articulate is that there are many legitimate reasons for divorce. https://calvinismmyway.blogspot.com/2017/10/divorce-and-remarriage-what-are.html

my pastor's father and I (in addition to my fraternity of reformed friends) are examining John C Carroll's book on divorce and remarriage.


im not sure "refinment" really works either. the law of god is perfect; how do you improve perfect?

"reminder" might be better.


i think its that you CAN in fact send away a whoring wife, refusing to formally divorce her. THAT is the "exception clause" jesus was giving.

I draw the line at #1. #2 is not actually divorce on the part of the believer. #3 is not a matter of the husband divorcing, so that doesn't apply either. Jesus wasn't saying anything to the wife about causing him to commit adultery, and he was never forbidden to remarry in the first place. #4 and #5, would also only apply to the wife who can leave. In the case of #4, the man can get another wife to provide sexual intimacy, and #5, I find a lot of men who speak of being abused by their wives, when it turns out what they really mean, is that she raises her voice at him all the time. With the church and society telling the man he should just cower in the corner when this happens, instead of telling her to calm down, it is no wonder that many men in these situations feel like they are abused. In the case of the wife who leaves on account of #3 or #5, Paul says that she shouldn't, but if she does, she should either remain single or else be reconciled to him.

 

[Maddog]

I find the "clarification" argument opens the door for the "doing away" of the OT teachings. Those that espouse papal dogma go that direction.