Introduction:
Broken marriages cause great suffering to many people, directly and indirectly. When it comes to how God’s law treats people who have found themselves in the painful position of having to suffer through the heartache and mental anguish of adultery and divorce, we must be absolutely certain that the theology we teach and espouse is that which the Bible teaches. It is imperative we do all we can, without sacrificing principle, to avoid laying extra burdens on already weary and laden shoulders – especially if that burden could lead to their destruction.
Let’s review the rules of Bible interpretation and keep them in mind as we study.
- The Bible is its own expositor. Lexicons, commentaries, historians, church fathers, while often useful, are not to hold the primary role in Bible interpretation – that is to say, we don’t develop our doctrine from them, we develop our doctrine from the Bible alone.
- The sole method of using the Bible to interpret the Bible is gathering all the scriptures on the subject under study and comparing them
- Do not leave out or set aside even one scripture that is related to the subject – especially if it is plainly written and/or contradicts your interpretation of other scriptures.
- Develop your doctrinal position from the Bible, and when you can go no further, test it by the Spirit of Prophecy. Allow it to guide you in your understanding of what the Bible says.
- Humility. This should be the first rule. Be prayerful, humble and open to changing your position. Go wherever the Bible leads, never force the Bible to follow your opinion.
By applying these rules of interpretation, we open ourselves up to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. God can and will reveal to us marvellous things out of His law, ensuring that the things we teach are for the uplifting and salvation of our fellow men, not for defending our own opinions and traditions that only burden and discourage the children of God.
Magnifying the Law of Divorce
The sermon on the mount is one of the most influential and studied sections of the Bible, with some studies ranking it as the most quoted portion of the Bible next to the ten commandments. This is due to its direct moral instruction, Jesus in it giving the spiritual principles that underlie the written law of God, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah in so doing.
“The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.”
Isaiah 42:21
Instead of murder, unlawful killing – violation of the sixth commandment – is extended to include anger without a cause (Matthew 5:21). Adultery, Jesus declared, not only includes the physical act, but merely looking at someone with lust is considered by God as a violation of the seventh commandment. When it comes to divorce, Jesus quotes the Old Testament law of divorce, and extends the violation of God’s moral law to all divorce except that which was enacted on the grounds of fornication.
“It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But 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.”
Matthew 5:31-32
Grounds For Divorce
There are some who maintain that the word “fornication” in the aforementioned verse pertains to unlawful sexual relations with a third party during the betrothal period. This is, at best, a very liberal interpretation of the verse.
- The subject under consideration is marital divorce, which is apparent in verse 31, “Let him give her a writing of divorcement.
- The verse explicitly uses the term “wife”. This reiterates that the subject of under consideration is divorce during the marital period.
- Even if we allowed the use of historical sources to determine that the couple were considered legally married at betrothal and required a divorce to separate, it would only give strength to the argument that the subject under consideration is divorce of those who are considered by law to be legally married. Therefore the word “fornication” does not preclude adultery by those considered to be legally married.
Any objection to interpreting fornication in this context to mean adultery can be easily overruled by pointing to passages of the Bible that use the terms fornication and adultery interchangeably.
“Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication 22Behold I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.”
Revelation 2:20,22
“Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger. 32As a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!”
Ezekiel 16:26,32
A legitimate question arises: If “fornication” includes adultery and is not limited to unmarried or betrothal periods, why does Jesus use “fornication” instead of “adultery”? The answer demonstrates the wisdom and foresight of Christ. Imagine for a minute, that Christ used the term “adultery”. What could be considered grounds for divorce? Inevitably someone would raise the point that “adultery”, just defined three verses earlier in verse 28, includes looking at someone with lust. By precisely limiting the only lawful cause for divorce to “fornication”, Jesus ensured there could be no misinterpretation of his meaning the physical act of sexual relations with a third party, and not mere thoughts or lustful looks.
Another piece of biblical evidence for the act of adultery being the only lawful grounds for divorce is the action of God Himself. The law of God is a transcript of His character. Therefore His character is also an exemplification of His law. How do God’s actions demonstrate His law regarding divorce?
“And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce.”
Jeremiah 3:8
God figuratively divorced Himself from Israel for the cause of her committal of adultery. God Himself revealed His law as it pertains to divorce by His interaction with Israel, His figurative bride, enunciating the legality of their separation by giving her a “bill of divorce.”
Divorce In the Spirit of Prophecy
Now that we have our biblical understanding of the law of divorce given by Christ – that divorce is legal in the sight of the divine law when the cause is the physical act of adultery – let’s compare our interpretation with relevant passages from the Spirit of Prophecy. By comparing our interpretation to the Spirit of Prophecy, the testimonies may cast light on the subject, or guide us into other Scripture, or make some point clearer. Let’s see how it holds up.
“In the sermon on the mount [Matt 5] Jesus declared plainly that there could be no dissolution of the marriage tie, except for unfaithfulness to the marriage vow.”
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pg. 63
“Christ would have the marriage relation hedged about with judicial restrictions, so that there could be no legal separation between husband and wife, save for the cause of adultery.”
The Spirit of Prophecy, Volume 2, pg. 221
“God gave only one cause why a wife should leave her husband or the husband leave his wife, which was adultery.”
Letter 8, 1888
“Nothing but the violation of the marriage bed can either break or annul the marriage vow.”
Letter 8, 1888
“There is only one sin, which is adultery, which can place the husband or wife in a position where they can be free from the marriage vow in the sight of God.”
Manuscript Releases, Volume 17, pg. 156
“The marriage vow is binding and could not release its claims upon any of the parties who entered into it, save from the cause of adultery, the violation of the marriage bed.”
Ms22, 1888
“There is only one thing for which a husband may lawfully separate from his wife or a wife from her husband, and that is adultery.”
Letter 168, 1901
“In the cases of the violation of the seventh commandment, where the guilty party does not manifest true repentance, if the injured party can obtain a divorce without making their own cases and that of their children, if they have them, worse by so doing, they should be free.”
Review and Herald, March 24, 1868
It should be obvious to all that the Spirit of Prophecy unequivocally grants that divorce is lawful in the sight of God – not just the government – when it is conducted on grounds of adultery.
Implications of Lawful Divorce
Jesus’ exposition on the spirituality of the moral law in the sermon on the mount took the written, moral aspect of divine law and explained the underlying spiritual principles. Anger was equated to murder. Lust was equated to adultery. Similarly remarriage following any divorce not based on adultery, was itself deemed adultery, regardless of the gender of the initiator.
“And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.”
Mark 10:11,12
Remarriage following unlawful divorce is declared to be adultery because the law of marriage considers the parties as still married.
“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth…So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress.”
Romans 7:2-3
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus held the one who initiated the unlawful divorce as accountable for the adultery that would follow when remarriage inevitably occurred.
“It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But 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.”
Matthew 5:31-32
The question to be asked is, what about remarriage following a lawful divorce? Is it sanctioned or prohibited? In the context of expounding and magnifying the principles of the moral law, Jesus directly referenced the law of divorce given by Moses when he recited the law saying, “Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement.”
“When 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.”
Deuteronomy 24:1
This same law still holds true today. If a married couple wish to separate, they need to procure a certificate of divorce for the divorce to be considered legal by the state. The certificate of divorce symbolizes a dissolving of the marriage contract, and in the laws of Moses, as with today, it allowed for remarriage.
“And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife.”
Deuteronomy 24:2
It is this law of divorce, that anciently and presently allowed for remarriage, that Jesus restricted to adultery. Some contend that divorce is lawful, but remarriage is not. This however, is not supported by scripture. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus did not condemn the remarriage of the innocent party, only the remarriage following an unlawful divorce. This is because it is the nature of the divorce that determines whether or not the remarriage is lawful. If the divorce is unlawful, the remarriage is unlawful. If the divorce is lawful, the remarriage is lawful. The Old Testament law that allows for remarriage following lawful divorce, is one of the laws that Jesus came to magnify.
Adulterous Remarriage
Jesus’ exposition of the moral law defined lust as adultery, and remarriage following unlawful divorce as adultery. The Bible repeats several times this principle of adulterous remarriages following unlawful divorce, emphasising the importance of the law and warning of the severity of its transgression.
“Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.”
Luke 16:18
“And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.”
Mark 10:11-12
“For 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. So 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.”
Romans 7:2-3
“And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.”
1Corinthians 7:10-11
“Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Matthew 19:6
These verses establish the principle that, generally, any remarriage following divorce is considered adultery by God. None are addressing remarriage following a lawful divorce. How do we know lawful divorce is an exception to the general rule? Because Jesus explicitly states it as such.
“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
Here Jesus plainly states that those who divorce for reasons other than adultery, and go on to remarry, become guilty of adultery by the remarriage. It follows then that those who divorce for the cause of adultery, and remarry, do not become guilty of adultery by the remarriage.
According to the principles of biblical hermeneutics, we cannot ignore the exception clauses in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9. Every word must be allowed to have its proper bearing on the subject under consideration. As we know the Bible does not contradict itself, we must conclude that while, generally speaking, remarriage following divorce is considered a violation of the seventh commandment, there is one exception to the rule: In cases of adultery, remarriage following divorce is not a violation of the seventh commandment and therefore permissible according to the divine law.
Lawful Remarriage
Why is it that the one who unlawfully divorces and remarries, is condemned as an adulterer by his remarriage, but the one who remarries after lawful divorce is not? This is the law of divorce that Jesus was magnifying on the sermon on the mount. A lawful divorce permits remarriage, whereas an unlawful divorce does not. Unlawful remarriage is equivalent to adultery, lawful remarriage is not.
“So 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.”
Romans 7:3
In the example of the death of the husband, the woman is freed from the claims of the law of marriage and is free to marry again. This is because she is no longer bound by the law to her husband. The marriage tie is annulled. The bond of the marriage vow has been dissolved. She is no longer under its claims.
The principle of being freed from the law of marriage is reiterated in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. A person who is married should not seek to be freed from the marriage tie, but if he does obtain that freedom, he does not sin if he remarries.
“Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned.”
1Corinthians 7:27-28
We have concluded thus far that freedom from the marriage tie through lawful divorce grants the innocent party freedom to remarry, because the marriage tie is annulled by the divorce. This is not possible where divorce is conducted on grounds other than adultery as Jesus definitively stated that the only lawful divorce is that for the cause of adultery. Let’s review the relevant Spirit of Prophecy passages to judge if our conclusion is biblical.
“In the sermon on the mount [Matt 5] Jesus declared plainly that there could be no dissolution of the marriage tie, except for unfaithfulness to the marriage vow.”
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pg. 63
“Nothing but the violation of the marriage bed can either break or annul the marriage vow.”
Letter 8, 1888
“There is only one sin, which is adultery, which can place the husband or wife in a position where they can be free from the marriage vow in the sight of God.”
Manuscript Releases, Volume 17, pg. 156
“The marriage vow is binding and could not release its claims upon any of the parties who entered into it, save from the cause of adultery, the violation of the marriage bed.”
Ms22 1888
The Spirit of Prophecy doesn’t stop there. In order to remove all possibility of confusion, Jesus unequivocally declares that if any woman (and therefore man) who obtains a divorce on the grounds of adultery, they should be free to marry again.
“…if she or any other woman should obtain a divorce legally on the ground that her husband was guilty of adultery, then she is free to be married to whom she chooses.”
Manuscript Releases, Volume 17, pg. 156
Conclusion
The marriage institution is as old as humanity. Its origins in Eden, where the creation was perfect and untainted by sin, speaks to us of its beautiful and sublime nature where two people can become so united in love for each other that they can be considered as one. Eden speaks to us of the permanence of marriage. It is not to be degraded to a trivial, meaningless, temporary contract that can be broken and rewritten at will. Even in a dreadful, fallen state, Adam and Eve remained together until death separated them. When Christ returns and raises them from the dead, that which death separated, life will eternally reunite.
While acknowledging the high regard and permanence which the institution of marriage demands, we are not to be so extreme as to pervert the plain words of God by ignoring provisions that God has provided for a world embattled with sin.
There are innocent parties who receive demonic treatment at the hands of the one who swore an oath before God to love and cherish them until death. They have been betrayed, humiliated and wounded with cuts so deep, they may not ever fully heal. We will be judged by how we treat these innocent and downcast souls. If we misinterpret the word of God and abandon them to a life of loneliness, if we place them in positions where they are led into sin and destruction, God will require it of us. We will not stand guiltless before a holy and righteous God.
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”
Matthew 23:2-4
The SDARM church’s stance on remarriage does just this. It imposes heavy, grievous burdens on the innocent, neglecting to offer them the smallest relief which the Bible plainly offers. Worse still, this is not an ignorant neglect. The fundamental beliefs of the SDARM church explicitly contradict the testimony of Jesus. Observe how the official publication, ‘Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement’ directly contradicts the Spirit of Prophecy:
The testimony of Jesus:
“In the sermon on the mount, Jesus declared plainly that there could be no dissolution of the marriage tie, except for unfaithfulness to the marriage vow.”
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pg. 63
The testimony of the SDARM:
“It has been God’s purpose from the very beginning that the marriage vow should bind both parties to each other by indissoluble ties for life. Divorce is not in harmony with the will of God. In case of separation, they are to remain single until the death of the other partner or until they are reconciled to each other.”
Fundamental Beliefs of the SDARM, Section 7.
The Bible and Spirit of Prophecy state that adultery is the only cause for dissolution of the marriage vow. The SDARM beliefs assert that the marriage vow is indissoluble for life – a direct contradiction to the inspired writings.
Looking at the history of the SDA church, such an extreme position was never taken by God’s people. What are the origins for this belief? Where did this doctrine find its footing? This position is not unique to the SDARM church. It is also the position of the Catholic church, the antichrist.
“The Catholic Church also teaches that every valid, sacramental marriage that has been consummated is indissoluble. This is in accord with the Gospels, with the writings of St Paul, and centuries of Christian tradition.”
Retrieved from: chchcatholic.co.nz
The word of God condemns unbiblical doctrines surrounding marriage and diet as being the doctrines of demons.
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
1Timothy 4:1
This is because of the far reaching consequences of these overly strict, severe, pharisaical, papal doctrines, some of which, unfortunately, the SDARM church has adopted.
“Priests and popes have made laws forbidding people to marry, and secluding them in monasteries. These laws and restrictions were devised by Satan to place men and women in unnatural positions. Thus Satan has tempted human beings to disregard the law of marriage as a thing unholy, but at the same time he has opened the door for the indulgence of human passion. Thus have come into existence some of the greatest evils which curse our world, – adultery, fornication and the murder of innocent children born out of wedlock.”
The Bible Echo, August 28, 1899
God loves His people, and His church. He desires it to reach the highest ideal. In publishing our concerns we are not looking to diminish the position God has given the church, we don’t want members to resign or people to fight. We are merely seeking for truth to prevail in a world that is fighting against it. We want questions, discourse, and devoted study. We want to be able to edify and exhort one another. We want this prayerful seeking for truth to be followed with revival and reform.
We love our church, we desire God to be free to bless it and use it for His glory. We are a family. We want love to be shared among us – especially for those of us who suffer and sorrow. When thinking of our brethren who have erred, for those of us who have made mistakes, and especially those of us who have been hurt and betrayed, please, let us heed the command God has given to us:
“I wish that we had much more of the Spirit of Christ and a great deal less self, and less of human opinions. If we err, let it be on the side of mercy rather than on the side of condemnation and harsh dealing.”
Letter 16, 1887
We hope and pray that if you see light in this message, you will not hide it under the bed, but set it on hill for all to partake. Please study and share and pray for our church that she will see and understand her errors, repent, turn to God, and be again His glorious fortress, a city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world.
Thank you for reading, God bless.