🛑"Does the Bible Condone Separation, Divorce And Remarriage?"

By Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, BA, MA, DD

(unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations are from the New International Version)[1]

GREETING

Psalm 134:1-2.¹ Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.² Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1.                 Life Center Service Tonight. 7 pm.

2.                 Please register for the International AIM Convention under “COGIC Department of Evangelism.” July 1-5, Tampa, FL.

3.                 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Join me this Thursday and Friday.

4.                 COGIC Department of Evangelism April Showers. Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 7PM at Citadel of Deliverance, 7749 E Shelby Dr., Memphis, TN, Bishop L. E. Dillard Pastor.

5.                 COGIC Department of Evangelism April Meeting. Monday, April 8, 2019 at Mason Temple, 938 Mason St, Memphis, TN. 12-2.

LESSON NOTES

I.                  WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS LESSON? The debate on separation, divorce and remarriage has been going on since the time of Jesus Christ. To be technical, it was an issue even in Moses‘ day. So, a 3,500 year debate is NOT going to be solved in one night by a LIVE program on Social Media. However, it is the hope and prayer that this lesson will cause people to refer to God’s Word and begin to study regarding the subject vs just stating their opinion. I would also like to see marriages strengthened and broken marriages reconciled. Furthermore, we would like to see people set free from abusive situations AND abusive non Scriptural teachings. We would like to see more consistency in the Church in how we deal with people’s lives and see less of a double standard. 

II.               DEFINITIONS.[2]

A.               Marriage. The legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship (historically and in some jurisdictions specifically a union between a man and a woman).

B.               Divorce. The legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.

C.               Separation. The state in which a couple remains married but lives apart.

D.               Remarriage defined. A second or subsequent marriage.

II.               HOW HAS MARRIAGE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

A.               Marriage was different in ancient Israel from today.

Generally speaking, wives were selected for sons by the heads of the tribes or families (see Genesis 25:20 and 28:29).[3] Thus, the modern idea of “compatibility,” “who God has for me” and “getting to know each other” (things that a lot of people divorce over now) was foreign to ancient Israel.

Marriage has always been designed to be between one man and one woman (as was with Adam and Eve in Genesis chapters 1-3). However, in ancient Israel the wife was really the personal property of the husband. He was her lord and master (1 Peter 3:5-7), thus divorce was a very common occurrence.

Exodus 21:7-11 ⁷"If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. ⁸If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. ⁹If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. ¹⁰If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. ¹¹If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Ephesians 5:22-33.

²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[a] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the LORD.

1 Peter 3:5-7 ⁵For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her LORD. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. ⁷Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

A woman could be divorced for the most frivolous case. Moses tolerated divorces, but sought to bring some kind of sense and clarity to the practice as we see in the next section.[4]

B.               Scriptures regarding marriage.

Matthew 19:5-6 King James Version (KJV)

⁵ And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

⁶ Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

III.           WHAT DID THE LAW SAY ABOUT DIVORCE?

Deuteronomy 22:13-21New International Version (NIV)

¹³ If a man takes a wife and, after sleeping with her, dislikes her ¹⁴ and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,” ¹⁵ then the young woman’s father and mother shall bring to the town elders at the gate proof that she was a virgin. ¹⁶ Her father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. ¹⁷ Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, ¹⁸ and the elders shall take the man and punish him. ¹⁹ They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.

²⁰ If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, ²¹ she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.

A.               TWO DIFFERENT STAGES OF MARRIAGE AMONG THE ANCIENT ISRAELITES. [5]

1.                 Protecting an innocent wife. In Deuteronomy 22:13-21 the subject is a husband who hates his new bride, because he is accusing her of adultery. His desire is to void the entire marriage contract. 

2.                 At first glance these verses may appear to be punishment to women. However, they were actually created to protect an innocent wife.[6] If the man had scandalized the name of his wife wrongfully, he was to be punished, fined and the right of divorce was to be denied.  All of the time, cost and effort that would go into a divorce was to discourage a man from frivolously divorcing his wife.[7]

3.                 Jewish marriage had two stages: Kiddushin and Nesuin. The official marriage contract is called kesubah.

a.                 Kiddushin. The groom gives his bride a ring or something of value; thus they are legally betrothed to each other. Thus there is a far stronger obligation than our modern day “engagement” period. The couple is basically married and the bride is liable for the death penalty if she commits adultery.

b.                Nesuin. The marriage is in full effect and the couple may now start to have sexual relations with each other. 

If the husband finds that his new wife was not actually a virgin; then she was subject to the death penalty. If adultery could not be proven, even if it was true that she was not a virgin, then she was not liable for punishment. However, she could not collect a divorce settlement. 

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 King James Version (KJV)

¹When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

² And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.

³ And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;

⁴ Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

B.               THE LAW DID NOT ALLOW YOU TO DIVORCE AT WILL; THERE HAD TO BE JUSTIFIABLE CAUSE.[8] 

1.                 Only the husband could initiate a divorce. If a husband knows that his wife was guilty of immoral conduct; even though he did not have witnesses to prove it satisfactorily in court, he could yet end the marriage and obtain a divorce. In that era divorce could only be effected through a document written by the husband or his agent.

2.                 Doomed marriages. Furthermore, if it was true that the woman was immoral, as accused. And, her second husband, despite knowing this about her, marries her anyway; the marriage was bound to not survive.

3.                 The point of no return. The Law is saying that once the woman was married to another man, she was considered impure as far as her first husband was concerned. The first husband would not be permitted to marry her again. 

4.                 What does Deuteronomy 24:1-4 mean? The “spirit” and true meaning of these verses is that the Law forbade people to divorce one another at will, to “sample” other mates and then get together again. That type of practice would bring sin upon the land and was not to be tolerated among “holy” people.

C.               THE PRIESTHOOD AND DIVORCE LAWS.

1.                 Priests were forbidden from marrying divorced women.

Leviticus 21:14 He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people,

2.                 If a priest’s daughter got divorced, she could return to her father’s house.

Leviticus 22:13 But if a priest's daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father's household as in her youth, she may eat her father's food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat it.

3.                 Are divorcees or those married to divorcees from ministry now? The early church did not allow it. But, that must be taken in context. Many in the early church were heading toward celibacy of ministers anyways (you can see that in the writings of Paul). We must also remember that all of humanity is fallen (Romans 3:23); but God does forgive because of what Jesus did on the Cross (Romans 6:23). Regardless of what has happened in a person’s past, the stain of sin can be washed away through Christ’s blood.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

John 8:10-11 ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" ¹¹"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

D.               The United States and laws regarding adultery.[9] 

1.                 Origin of U.S. laws. The United States of America inherited its laws from the British monarch, and these were enforced to protect marriage. Although the American Law Institute removed adultery from its Model Penal Code, many states still prohibit adultery, but the laws are rarely enforced.

2.                 The military. The Uniform Code of Military Justice still considers adultery to be illegal. The US Army bars servicemen from having extramarital affairs, but doesn't prosecute those involved unless it harms order and discipline. But a complaint may result in the court martial of the officer involved, and subsequent removal if convicted.

3.                 Adultery Laws in the United States.

a.                 Adultery laws were made to prevent the birth of illegitimate children, prevent the transfer of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), as well as protect marriages. The laws enforced in the US states have been outlined here.

b.                New York: It defines an adulterer as someone who engages in sexual intercourse with someone other than his legal spouse, and is considered a class B misdemeanor.

c.                  North Carolina: It defines adultery between two people who lasciviously and lewdly associate, bed, and cohabit together. Those pursuing a lawsuit must file it within 3 years from the last act of adultery, which constitutes a ground for divorce.

d.                Minnesota: If a married woman has sexual relations with someone other than her husband, then both are guilty of adultery, which is a misdemeanor. They may be sentenced to a year of imprisonment, or fined $3,000.

e.                  Michigan: Adultery is illegal, but can only be punished upon a complaint by the affected husband or wife. When a married man sleeps with an unmarried woman, only he's guilty. On the other hand, if a married woman sleeps with an unmarried man, they both are guilty. It is considered a felony, and punishable with up to 4 years of imprisonment, or a $5,000 fine, or both.

f.                  Arizona: Adultery is defined as a married person who has sexual intercourse with someone other than his or her spouse, and an unmarried person who has sexual intercourse with a married person who is not his or her spouse. It is a class 3 misdemeanor. Out of the two guilty parties, even if only one of them is married, both are still punished. No prosecution is commenced unless a formal complaint has been registered by the husband or wife.

g.                 South Carolina: The fine for adultery is up to $500, or imprisonment for a year. Furthermore, divorce laws deny alimony to the adulterous spouse.

h.                Miscellaneous states: Adultery is illegal in the states of North Carolina, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, Utah, Missouri, Mississippi, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, Idaho, Kansas, Wisconsin, New York, and South Carolina. It's still considered a misdemeanor in these states.

i.                   Other States.

▶ In recent years, the states of New Hampshire, Colorado, and West Virginia repealed their adultery laws, and made it legal.

▶ The states of Texas, Connecticut, Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont, and California are no-fault states, where the courts do not consider adultery as illegal before granting a divorce.

▶ The states of Delaware, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming allow fault-based divorces based on adultery. Maine is the only state that offers a compromise between fault- and no-fault-based divorces.

▶ The states of Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah allow the possibility of alienation of affection as damage caused by a third party to be responsible for the failure of a marriage.

III.           WHAT DID THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS SAY ABOUT DIVORCE?

A.               God said that He would not divorce His people. The people had sinned. God would send His people (i.e. His “wife) off to be captives in Babylon. However, for there to be a divorce a “bill of divorce” was to be composed by the husband. God had a right to divorce because of the unfaithfulness of His spouse. But, he did not exercise that right.[10]

Isaiah 50:1 This is what the LORD says: "Where is your mother's certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.

B.               If you divorced your spouse, you could not later return and be married to them again. This was the law in the Old Testament. However, God admonished His people (i.e. His unfaithful “wife”) to return to Him.[11]

Jeremiah 3:1 "If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers- would you now return to me?" declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 3:8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.

C.               God hates divorce. In this passage He does not receive the worship of the men because they have been cruel to their wives and have not been faithful to their marriage vows.[12]

Malachi 2:14-16 New Living Translation (NLT).[13]

¹⁴ You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.

¹⁵ Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. ¹⁶ “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”

IV.           WHAT DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT SAY ABOUT DIVORCE?

The Law was yet in full affect. A person could obtain a divorce according to Deuteronomy 24:1-4; as we have already studied in this lesson 

Matthew 1:19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

V.               WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT DIVORCE?

A.               Divorce was sanctioned if the cause was fornication. The marriage contract was null and void as if the individuals had never been married (again the reference is Deuteronomy 24:1-4). [14]

Matthew 5:31-32 ³¹It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: ³²But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

1.                 Fornication defined.

a.                 From the Greek work Porneia. [15] [16] [17] [18] Sexual immorality, fornication, marital unfaithfulness, prostitution, adultery, illicit sexual intercourse, premarital unchastity, harlotry, incest, to indulge in unlawful lust, a generic term for sexual sin of any kind. 

b.                From the dictionary.[19] Sexual intercourse between people not married to each other.

B.               Frivolous divorces were not allowed. Moses placed regulation on divorce because if he did not, the marriages in (and stability of) his nation would have been in chaos. Jesus also places a regulation by saying that fornication would be the only cause for divorce. His statement that “if you marry a divorced woman you commit adultery” must be taken in context.

Jesus was not condemning people to Hell (read John 3:17). He was giving a harsh answer to the Pharisees who were testing Him with a question by asking could a person divorce someone for “any and every cause.” (They were doing this in light of the fact that John the Baptist was very strict on the subject. They wanted to see Jesus’ perspective).[20] Jesus was not instituting new legislation. On the contrary he was decrying the cruelty of men in divorcing their wives. The purpose of God was that a man and woman would be one.[21]

To the Jews it was understood that a right to divorce was also a right to remarry.[22]

Matthew 19:3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

Matthew 19:7-9 ⁷They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? ⁸He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹And 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.

Mark 10:2-12 King James Version (KJV)

² And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

³ And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

⁴ And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

⁵ And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

⁶ But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

⁷ For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

⁸ And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

⁹ What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

¹⁰ And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

¹¹ And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

¹² And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Luke 16:18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

VI.           WHAT DID PAUL SAY ABOUT DIVORCE?

A.               Death breaks the marriage bond. Even though Paul is using the analogy of marriage to describe our relationship with the Law; he nevertheless mentions the principle that marriage is to be for life, and the bond is only broken when the death of the spouse occurs.

Romans 7:2-3 ²For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. ³So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

B.               Marriage laws were very strict in Bible days.

There were only certain things which could justify a divorce (i.e. fornication). The person was free to remarry in such cases (but only to another believer). However, if separation or divorce occurred on unjustifiable grounds, the person was to remain single or remarry their former companion. [23]

Paul did not give a lot of advice about marriage here, other than that it should continue. And that (in the case of being married to an unbeliever) the Christian should not be one to initiate the divorce. Paul did not call for Christians to divorce their unbelieving spouses. But, if an unbeliever wanted to divorce a believer; he allowed it.[24] 

1 Corinthians 7:10-17 ¹⁰And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the LORD, Let not the wife depart from her husband: ¹¹But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. ¹²But to the rest speak I, not the LORD: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. ¹³And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. ¹⁵But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. ¹⁶For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? ¹⁷But as God hath distributed to every man, as the LORD hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

1 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.

E.               In these passages Paul also addressed the issue of separation. Let us read these from a different translation; thus providing even more clarity.

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 English Standard Version.[25]

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. 

1 Corinthians 7:15 English Standard Version.[26]

But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

VII.        THE BIBLE GIVES REQUIREMENTS ON HOW SPOUSES ARE TO TREAT EACH OTHER.

Historically Christianity has been quite harsh on the subject of separation, divorce and remarriage. However, little has been said on the requirements and parameters that are to be established in a marriage. For example:

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

VIII.    WHAT MAKES A PERSON AN UNBELIEVER?

Paul said the following, that if the “unbelieving” spouse departs, the believer is not bound to the marriage in that case:

1 Corinthians 7:15 English Standard Version.[27]

But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. 

However, just because a person professes to be a “believer” does not make them such. Actions cannot save us. We are justified by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. However, actions can disqualify us from the status of being a “believer.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

⁹ Don’t you know that evil people won’t have a share in the blessings of God’s kingdom? Don’t fool yourselves! No one who is immoral or worships idols or is unfaithful in marriage or is a pervert or behaves like a homosexual ¹⁰ will share in God’s kingdom. Neither will any thief or greedy person or drunkard or anyone who curses and cheats others.

Galatians 5:19-21 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

¹⁹ People’s desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. ²⁰ They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are ²¹ envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God’s kingdom.

1 John 3:14-15 ¹⁴We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. ¹⁵Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

IX.           WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURES SAY REGARDING ABUSE?

Throughout Scripture the Bible refers to the saints suffering and enduring persecution. However, this is because of the faith of the saints; and NOT because the person is being abused in their marriage. The Bible is pretty clear that God does not condone abuse:

Psalm 11:5 The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.

Malachi 2:13-16 ¹³Another thing you do: You flood the LORD's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. ¹⁴You ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. ¹⁵Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. ¹⁶"The man who hates and divorces his wife," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "does violence to the one he should protect," says the LORD Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.

Psalm 140:1 King James Version 

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

1 Corinthians 14:33 King James Version 

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

X.               IS SEPARATION, DIVORCE OR REMARRIAGE THE UNPARDONABLE SIN?

Not according to the Word of God. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the unpardonable sin. 

Matthew 12:31-32 ³¹And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³²Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

XI.           RECONCILIATION IS ALWAYS GOD’S FIRST CHOICE; AS LONG AS IT IS NOT AN ABUSIVE OR DANGEROUS SITUATION.

Matthew 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

---

[1] Holy Bible, New International Version. 1973, by Biblica, Inc.

[2] https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/. (Accessed, April 1, 2019).

[3] Miller, Madeleine S. Harper’s Bible Dictionary. Harper, New York, 1952.

[4] Dake, Finnis Jennings. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville: Dake, 2001.

[5] Scherman, Rabbi Nosson. The Chumash. Mesorah: Brooklyn, 2003.

[6] Dake, Finnis Jennings. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville: Dake, 2001.

[7] Buttrick, Arthur George. The Interpreter’s Bible Vol. II. New York: Abingdon, 1955.

[8] Scherman, Rabbi Nosson. The Chumash. Mesorah: Brooklyn, 2003.

[9] https://opinionfront.com/adultery-laws-in-united-states. (Accessed, April 1, 2019).

[10] Buttrick, Arthur George. The Interpreter’s Bible Vol. IV. New York: Abingdon, 1955.

[11] Dake, Finnis Jennings. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville: Dake, 2001.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Holy Bible. New Living Translation. Tyndale: Carol Stream, 2004.

[14] Dake, Finnis Jennings. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville: Dake, 2001.

[15] Strong, James. The Strongest Strong’s. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2001.

[16] Vine, W. E. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nelson: Nashville, 1996.

[17] Buttrick, Arthur George. The Interpreter’s Bible Vol. VII. New York: Abingdon, 1955.

[18] Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study New Testament. AMG: Chattanooga, 1991.

[19] https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/. (Accessed, April 1, 2019).

[20] Clarke, W. K. Concise Bible Commentary. MacMillan: New York, 1953.

[21] Buttrick, Arthur George. The Interpreter’s Bible Vol. VII. New York: Abingdon, 1955.

[22] Dake, Finnis Jennings. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville: Dake, 2001.

[23] Dake, Finnis Jennings. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville: Dake, 2001.

[24] Buttrick, Arthur George. The Interpreter’s Bible Vol. X. New York: Abingdon, 1955.

[25] https://www.esv.org/. (Accessed, April 1, 2019).

[26] Ibid.

[27] https://www.esv.org/. (Accessed, April 1, 2019).