I am glad you do consider reconciliation and restoration to be of primary importance. I also agree there are situations where divorce is not only justified, but necessary, when unrepentant or patterned sexual immorality is involved. Where we disagree on is when remarriage is permitted.
Historically, a woman who was divorced for adultery would be labeled as an adulteress. There is a high cost when she destroys her marriage covenant with her unfaithfulness.
Jesus basically forbids a man who divorces his wife for any reason other than sexual immorality from ever marrying again! Though I don’t even see an explicit prohibition on polygamy in the NT, but I do see that when a man shows himself to be a bad husband in the manner of divorce that Jesus completely strips him of the right to ever marry another woman again. What a high cost of sin. God hates divorce.
But you say the adulteress who destroyed her marriage covenant through unfaithfulness can marry another man?! Under New Testament instructions, as a saint!? This is literally the position you have been bearing out in all of your discourse with me, not even Tony B would take up your position, he only fights for the wronged. I think the New Testament scriptures say no. I also think the New Testament scriptures say the man who marries her commits adultery.
At some point, the church is going to have to start taking this matter seriously again, else we don’t judge ourselves and wait for Jesus’ return and hear his take on it.
You have to bring all the passages together. Unfortunately you tend to proof-text here and proof-text there and have no wholistic understanding of what is being taught.
When you put it all together, it works.
Marriage was the first covenant that God established, it preceded the law. God's intention, as seen with Adam and Eve was for one man and one woman to come together and become one flesh. This covenant was designed to last for their entire lives, and was meant to be permanent.
A healthy marriage is the most intimate, deep, meaningful, expressive, and vulnerable relationship that two people can have this side of heaven. The physical, spiritual, and emotional bonding that comes with a healthy marriage is unrivaled.
Enter sin.
The most damaging thing that a marriage can experience is adultery. Adultery often destroys marriages. Even when forgiveness is achieved, restoration and reconciliation may not be.
Enter the exception clause.
Marriage between two believers is bound together through a covenant held in place by God. Jesus makes it clear that the only thing that can happen to sever the one flesh covenant between two Believers is adultery. If adultery occurs, and restoration is not possible, then the one flesh covenant is severed and the two may get a divorce. If this happens, they are no longer married on paper, and they are no longer married in the eyes of the Lord.
A person who is not married, can get married. Thus, through the exception clause, divorce with remarriage is possible under one specific instance.
Enter unequally yoked marriages.
Paul further expounds on the nature of the one flesh covenant by asserting that in the specific case of an unequally yoked marriage, that the Believing spouse should keep their commitment. God will honor their marriage, and they should not divorce. But sinners do what sinners do. And so if the unbelieving spouse seeks a divorce, then Paul declares the Believing spouse as no longer bound. Their covenant was not actually made before God, and bound by God. So in this case, if the non-Believer seeks a divorce, then in the eyes of the Lord, after the divorce, they are no longer married.
A person who is not married, can get married. So the Believing spouse is free to marry another Christian if they want.
