Marriage is a wonderful and awesome and serious responsibility. “What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” It is very important that you pick right the first time, for you may not get a second chance to pick with God’s approval.
If you marry and your mate dies, you may marry again (cf. Romans
7:1f.) If you marry and your mate commits fornication, you may marry
again but he/she may not (Matthew 19:1-9). Simple enough.
Tim Smith 1272 Enon Road Webb, AL 36376
Who May Not Marry?
“And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it
be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso
marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery” (Matthew 19:9).
Having briefly considered the issue of who may marry a second time recently, it behooves us to ask the same question only in the negative. Some folks get confused and crossed up on this issue, so here we go:
If you were guilty of committing adultery (fornication) while married, and if your spouse put you away for that fornication, you may never marry again. If you were married and couldn’t get along with your spouse and the marriage ended in a divorce, the divorce not being for the reason stated by Jesus, neither you nor your spouse (now former) may marry again.
It is possible for a marriage to end with one person retaining the privilege to marry again. It is possible for a marriage to end with neither person retaining the privilege to marry again. But it is never possible for a marriage to end with both parties retaining the privilege of remarriage.
Tim Smith 1272 Enon Road Webb, AL 36376
I Corinthians 7:39
The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
What does the phrase only in the Lord mean or have reference to? The direct cross reference to this passage is found in Ephesians 6:1, Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. In both passages, the phrase in the Lord has reference to obeying the Lord’s commands in these matters.
Thus, children must obey their parents as the Lord commands and people must marry in accordance with what the Lord commands.
In the New Testament we find several places where the Lord taught
on marriage, divorce and remarriage:
Matthew 5:32-33
Matthew 19:3-12
Thus, Paul brings into his letter, the direct and clear teachings of Christ and applied them to Christians living in Corinth. Hence, Paul makes relevant the teachings of Christ on this very sensitive matter in the New Testament age. Preachers and teachers today can follow Paul’s example, as we have read in his own epistle and make application of Matthew 19:3-12 and 5:32-33 to all people living today. Remember, And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God (I Corinthians 6:11).
There is a thought, that in the Lord in I Corinthians 7:39 means to marry only Christians. But, that idea would have children only obey their parents when they became Christians. In addition, the Christian wives in I Peter 3:1, would be sinning until their husbands became Christians or as the text says won. Thus, that idea does not harmonize with New Testament scriptures. Which brings us back to the text; in the Lord has reference to men and women marrying according to the teachings or authority of Christ.
In addition, there was only one law regarding marriage, divorce and remarriage. The church must enforce the Lord’s law in the church and God will enforce the same law amongst the non-Christians (I Corinthians 5 and Hebrews 13:4). God’s marriage laws are binding upon the non-Christian and the Christian alike.
Homosexuality, adultery and fornication are all sins that both Christians and non-Christians alike have been involved with and practiced. The cure is still the same, repentance. Once the sin has stopped, the next step is forgiveness. The non-Christian can be forgiven once they have stopped the sin and cease from practicing the sin, they become qualified to be baptized. The Christian can be forgiven once they have stopped the sin and cease from the sin upon confession of that sin. It does no good to confess the wrong that you plan on continuing to do, for you have not repented of that sin, but only reported that sin. Likewise for the non-Christian, it does no good to say you have repented of a wrong, when you plan on continuing in that wrong. Remember, baptism will wash away all sin, if one repents of that sin (Acts 2:38).
(Don Underwood, the Evangelist for the Lemon Grove church which meets
in Lemon Grove, California)