Can we date divorcees?

[Dave L]

So what are you saying?

This missionary gained much after her husband divorced her that she probably would not have had he not.

 

[Francis Drake]

This missionary gained much after her husband divorced her that she probably would not have had he not.

So my ex wife can go be a missionary now. Happy?

Meantime, my new wife and I are in the midst of serving God where he has led us. Despite all your threats of God's chastisements, our lives are filled with joy in the Holy Ghost.
God obviously either rejects, or hasn't read, your legalistic rules.

 

[Acts2:38]

(assuming that your stance is correct)

To clear any misunderstanding, my stance is divorce is only allowed in the situation one commits fornication. That's it.

Key word is the "separate; divorce" words used in the Greek compared to the key words of "not under bondage; not a slave of" as the article was stating. In 1 Cor. 7, divorce is not a word that was used.

So in conclusion, divorce is only obtainable if one or the other commits fornication. That was my stance.

 

[Acts2:38]

I totally agree with that. Notice the word "IF" in both verses. This is contingent on the unbelieving spouse wanting to stay in the marriage.

However, you left off this:

"15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, ...."​

That changes the situation. That is abandonment. Verses 12 and 13 are NOT abandonment.

You must have missed this section. The word divorce is not used. Bondage was. So the context/meaning is other than divorce.

As the article states:
"Paul Versus Jesus?
Was Paul issuing a teaching different than what Christ taught? No.

Paul makes it clear that the general theme under consideration in this context had not been comprehensively dealt with by the Lord. The Lord had taught concerning some matters — “not I, but the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:10), but not with reference to other matters — “say I, not the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:12).

However, regarding divorce, Christ had spoken comprehensively (note the “whosoever” and “every one” (Mt. 5:31-32; 19:9). Thus, the subject being reviewed in First Corinthians 7:10-15 was not that of divorce.

Does “Not Under Bondage” Mean Divorce Is Permitted?
The word rendered “bondage” (1 Cor. 7:15) is the Greek term douloo, which means “to make a slave of.” Observe how the word is translated in Titus 2:3 — “enslaved to much wine.”

Biblically speaking, marriage is never viewed as slavery! The “bondage,” i.e., enslavement, does not refer to the marriage union. If the unbeliever departs, that is not the Christian’s responsibility. The brother or sister is not enslaved to maintain a togetherness (note the allusion of 1 Cor. 7:5) at the expense of fidelity to the Lord.

Interestingly, douloo (under bondage) in verse 15 is, in the Greek Testament, a perfect tense form, dedoulotai. The perfect tense denotes a present state resulting from past action. Its force here is this: “was not bound [past action] and is not bound [present state].” The sense of the verse thus is:

[Yet if (assuming such should occur) the unbeliever separates himself, let him separate himself: the brother or sister was not [before the departure] and is not [now that the departure has occurred] enslaved ....]

Whatever the “bondage” is, therefore, the Christian was not in it even before the disgruntled spouse left. But the saint was married (and is) to him, hence, the bondage is not the marriage!

Let the reader substitute the word “marriage” for “bondage,” giving the full force to the perfect tense (i.e., “has not been married, and is not married”) and the fallacy of viewing the bondage as the marriage itself will be apparent.

First Corinthians 7:15 does not expand upon the Savior’s teaching with reference to divorce and remarriage, as much as some wish that it were so."

The article also provided other references:
"Additional Testimony Regarding 1 Corinthians 7:15
Here are some additional information for you to consider.

“We are not, however, to suppose ... that the marriage was, in such a case, ipso facto dissolved, so that the believing party might contract a fresh one. This is alike at variance with the letter and spirit of our Lord’s decision (Matt. 5:32); and, indeed, with the Apostle’s own words in this Chapter ... the conjugal union is not to be dissolved by reason of difference in religion; yet if the unbelieving party be disposed to separate, the believing party may blamelessly submit to such separation” Bloomfield 1837, 119).

“If the heathen husband or wife is resolved upon separation, they must be allowed to separate. The Christian is not a slave in such matters, although the Christian’s duty is to labor for peace and agreement. The separation here spoken of is not a separation allowing the Christian man or woman to marry again during the lifetime of the heathen spouse. It is separation, not divorce” (Woodford 1881).

“In such circumstances, where the unbeliever was unwilling for cohabitation, the believing partner did not need to feel bound to persist in seeking reconciliation since God’s calling was to peace, not discord ...” (Harris 1971, 535).

“Many have supposed that this means that they would be at liberty to marry again when the unbelieving wife or husband had gone away; ... But this is contrary to the strain of the argument of the apostle” (Barnes 1956, 119).

“We cannot safely argue with Luther that ou dedoulotai implies that the Christian partner, when divorced by a heathen partner, may marry again ... All that ou dedoulotai clearly means is that he or she is not so bound by Christ’s prohibition of divorce as to be afraid to depart when the heathen partner insists on separation” (Robertson and Plummer 1958, 143).

“Paul has not said in that verse (7:15) or anywhere else that a Christian partner deserted by a heathen may be married to someone else. All he said is: ‘If the unbeliever departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage (dedoulotai) in such cases: but God hath called us in peace.’ To say that a deserted person ‘hath not been enslaved’ is not to say that he or she may be remarried. What is meant is easily inferred from the spirit that dominates the whole chapter, and that is that everyone shall accept the situation in which God has called him just as he is ... If an unbelieving partner deserts, let him or her desert. So remain” (Caverno 1939, 866).

“What does ‘not in bondage’ mean? The fathers, at least to some extent, the Catholic and older Protestant interpreters, understood it to mean not in bondage to keep up the marriage connection, and hence, at liberty to contract a new one. The interpretation has had wide effects. In the canonical law a believing partner was allowed, if thrust away by an infidel one, to marry again; and as the early Protestant theologians extended the rule, by analogy, to malicious desertion in Christian lands, an entrance-wedge was here driven into the older ecclesiastical laws, and much of the shocking facility of divorce in some Protestant countries has flowed from this source. But we reject the interpretation. We hold ... that the apostle means ‘not under bondage’ to keep company with the unbeliever at all events, without having the thought of remarriage in mind. This must be regarded, we think, as settled by the soundest modern exegesis” (McClintock and Strong 1968, 841)."

Simply put, the word divorce is never used here. It is separation, not a dissolved union between the two.

 

[Rebecca4Christ]

Bound = 37.24 δουλόομαι: (a figurative extension of meaning of δουλόωa ‘to enslave,’ 87.82) to be firmly bound by an obligation or a relationship—‘to be bound, to be under obligation.’ οὐ δεδούλωται ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἡ ἀδελφὴ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ‘under such circumstances the believer, whether man or woman, is not bound’ or ‘… is not under obligation’ or ‘…


is free to act’ 1 Cor 7:15.

Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 474). New York: United Bible Societies.

What does free to act mean exactly then?

 

[Dave L]

What does free to act mean exactly then?

Not bound to submit, free from marital responsibilities. It does not mean not married. Why? Because God does not provide for divorce in the New Covenant.

 

[Dave-W]

You must have missed this section. The word divorce is not used. Bondage was.

Yes. “Bondage” as in this:

1 Corinthians 7:39
A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord

And later in Romans Paul explains that a bit further:


Romans 7:2
For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband

 

[Macchiato]

no. I couldn't. If the spouse is still leaving and they didn't separate due to infidelity or other biblical reasons for divorce it's sin.

 

[Anguspure]

What does free to act mean exactly then?

Free to act means exactly what it appears to mean.

IMO The truth of this whole argument is that we are not bound by any written law in the new covenant. That is why so many things are not written in concrete. It is good do discuss things, even vigorously but it is the Spirit that we follow and the Spirit to whom we are accountable.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love......

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever c you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

 

[Francis Drake]

Not bound to submit, free from marital responsibilities. It does not mean not married. Why? Because God does not provide for divorce in the New Covenant.

Here we go again, everything is forgivable to God, except divorce, the unforgivable sin.

 

[Aldebaran]

Here we go again, everything is forgivable to God, except divorce, the unforgivable sin.

We're talking about what is sin and what isn't. We're not talking about which ones are "unforgivable".

 

[Francis Drake]

We're talking about what is sin and what isn't. We're not talking about which ones are "unforgivable".

My apologies, I should have been clearer.
I wasn't talking about God's forgiveness, I was talking about pious sin conscious Christians.
They will forgive all Christians whatever their sins, except the sin of divorce.
That's why they make sure everyone knows how perpetually sinful divorce is, and how perpetually sinful are those who undergo it.

 

[Aldebaran]

My apologies, I should have been clearer.
I wasn't talking about God's forgiveness, I was talking about pious sin conscious Christians.
They will forgive all Christians whatever their sins, except the sin of divorce.
That's why they make sure everyone knows how perpetually sinful divorce is, and how perpetually sinful are those who undergo it.

Others claim that homosexuality is the sin that we don't forgive each other of. But I think it's the ones that people seem to take lightly, or even brag proudly about that become a problem for most.

 

[Francis Drake]

Others claim that homosexuality is the sin that we don't forgive each other of. But I think it's the ones that people seem to take lightly, or even brag proudly about that become a problem for most.

The thread is about divorce, that's all I was addressing.

 

[Aldebaran]

The thread is about divorce, that's all I was addressing.

Ok.

 

[Dave L]

Here we go again, everything is forgivable to God, except divorce, the unforgivable sin.

But we must repent.

 

[Anguspure]

But we must repent.

Repent of abandonment? Interesting concept that, the sin of abandonment, must look it up. I did try it, (repenting of being abandoned) for the best of a year. Only drove her further from me.

 

[Francis Drake]

But we must repent.

Certainly we must repent of real sins, not the fake ones you invent.

 

[Dave L]

Certainly we must repent of real sins, not the fake ones you invent.

The NT doesn't allow for divorce.

 

[Dave L]

Repent of abandonment? Interesting concept that, the sin of abandonment, must look it up. I did try it, (repenting of being abandoned) for the best of a year. Only drove her further from me.

People separate for bad reasons every day. Why not for good reasons?