What Did the Early Church Leaders Teach
About
Divorce and Remarriage?
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.
Divorce is at an all time high in our American culture
today, and in fact, divorce is even a fraction of a percentage higher
within marriages where the two people claim to be Christians. What’s going
on? I believe at the root of this problem is the theological double-talk
that flows from the mouths of preachers in our land on the issue of
divorce and remarriage. The "relaxed church" has an aversion to the
preaching of absolutes of the Bible on many sin issues and especially on
the sin of divorce and remarriage. In fact, Christians within those
"relaxed churches," it is just as Paul wrote to Timothy, "will not endure
sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (1 Timothy 4:3-4) I want
to dispel a fable about what the Early Church believed about divorce and
remarriage.
For the first five centuries the Church of Jesus Christ
virtually spoke with a unified voice on the issue of divorce and
remarriage. Marriage was a permanent bond broken only by death (Mark
10:6-12, Romans 7:2). However, there are those today who are skeptical and
say surely the early Church leaders must have allowed for exceptions,
citing Matthew 5:32 and
Matthew 19:9. I do have an answer for the skeptics. George
Wenham wrote in his scholarly article, The Biblical Way of Marriage and
Divorce, #3, "Careful research through the hundreds of manuscripts by
church leaders of the first five centuries has revealed that with only one
exception (Ambrosiaster, a fourth-century Latin writer), the Church
Fathers were unanimous in their understanding that Christ and Paul taught
that if one were to suffer the misfortune of divorce, remarriage was not
permitted, regardless of the cause." (Third Way (London), November 17,
1977).
The early Church pastors said that it was clear from
the words of Christ that even if divorce occurred, there was clearly no
room for remarriage for Matthew 19:9 says,
"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."
It should be noted that this is the only reasonable
view in light of the disciples response in verse 10 – "His disciples say
unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not
good to marry."
The position of the early Fathers is clear: God
intended marriage to be a permanent bond. If divorce does occur, the
Lord forbade remarriage even when immorality was involved!
There are only two biblical alternatives for one who is divorced. First,
either remain unmarried or, second be reconciled to your spouse.
This is supported by 1 Corinthians 7:11 "But
and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled
to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife."
Historically, there is no doubt that this was the
standard view of the Christian Church until the 16th century. I
believe it is time forsake the theological double talk and compromise of
the "relaxed church" and get back to teaching what the Early Church taught
about divorce and remarriage, for, I believe that is what Christ and Paul
taught. There can be no doubt that God hates divorce for we read that
clearly in Malachi 2:13-16 "And this have ye
done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and
with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or
receiveth it with good will at your hand. 14 Yet ye say,
Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife
of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is
she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15 And did not
he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That
he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let
none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 16 For the
LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away
[divorce]: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the
LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not
treacherously."
If divorce occurs, do not add sin to sin by remarrying,
but rather remain unmarried or else be reconciled to your spouse.
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