What does the Bible say about divorce
Genesis 2:24 describes marriage as two people joining together and becoming “one flesh.” Jesus himself pointed back to this passage when teaching about marriage in Matthew 19:6 (KJV), “they are no more twain, but one ...
1. God’s original design is permanence
Genesis 2:24 describes marriage as two people joining together and becoming “one flesh.” Jesus himself pointed back to this passage when teaching about marriage in Matthew 19:6 (KJV), “they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
2. The Bible acknowledges that it sometimes happens
When Jesus was asked why Moses had allowed divorce, he answered in Matthew 19:8 (KJV), “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.” The Bible does not deny that divorce exists or that it sometimes happens in the middle of a broken reality.
3. Christian traditions differ on some of the details
Jesus mentions an exception related to unfaithfulness (Matthew 19:9), and Paul adds another situation in 1 Corinthians 7:15, when an unbelieving spouse chooses to leave. Different Christian traditions, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant, interpret these passages somewhat differently regarding when remarriage is permitted, so it is worth discussing your specific situation with a pastor from your own church.
4. God does not abandon someone going through divorce
Malachi 2:16 (KJV) says that God “hateth putting away,” which shows that He cares about the pain behind a broken marriage, not that He condemns the person living through it. The grace described throughout the Bible still reaches someone in this situation.
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