The Sanctity of Marriage

““18) Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.” Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭18‬ ‭

This verse looks arbitrary in the context, but it had a purpose. This subject also appears in Matthew 5:27-32. Jesus consistently defended the sanctity of marriage.

According to Matthew 19:3-12, the Pharisees had a very liberal view of divorce and remarriage. They granted divorces for any cause at all. They practices no fault divorce and remarriage. No marriage was safe. They looked good outwardly, but inside they were full of lusts, fornication and all kinds of immoral cravings.

In verse 9 of Matthew 19, Jesus said honor your marriage covenant “except for the cause of immorality.” He used the Greek word is “pornia.” It means “immorality.”

Many modern scholars say a spouse who commits pornea while in a marriage covenant has broken the marriage covenant and therefore created grounds for divorce. But does that view hold up under biblical scrutiny?

We don’t have time for a deep dive on this subject, but that view is totally contrary to 1 Corinthians 7:1-5. In this text, Paul used the same Greek word. However, he clearly taught that if you have problems controlling your sex drives, get married! He didn’t say, get divorced. He concluded that marriage is the place to work through pornea problems.

So what was Jesus teaching in Mathew 19:9? How should we apply the exception clause? It appears Jesus was saying that marriage is a permanent covenant unless the marriage itself is a “pornia” or immoral union.

So what are examples of immoral marriages? Technically, it would involve any marriage union that violates Leviticus 18 and 20. These would be unions of incest, homosexuality, adultery and bestiality. These are immoral marriages and were not sanctioned by the Law.

Interestingly, there are only two divorces commanded in the New Testament. The first was in Mark 6:17-18, where John the Baptist kept telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to have his brother’s wife. He was in an adulterous marriage.

The second example is in 1 Corinthians 5 where Paul came against the marriage of a man to his father’s wife. Both examples related to relationships of incest. They were immoral marriages. They were condemned by the Law. They were to be terminated. God did not ordain them.

When we hit the pause button and look at the broad context of Luke 16:14-18, Jesus was unpacking the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. It included their very liberal view and practice of divorce and remarriage. They did not embrace and defend the sanctity of marriage the way God prescribed in the Law.

Instead, they were inwardly filled with lusts, fantasies and sexual passions. They were immoral. Their liberal views on divorce and remarriage became the means to fulfill their passions and still appear righteous. Jesus was exposing their hypocrisy.

The tragedy with the modern church is that it lines up with the Pharisees and not with the teachings of Jesus on this subject. The modern church has adopted a very liberal view of divorce and remarriage. Like the Pharisees, the modern church has fine tuned a way for righteous wife swapping.

But Jesus did not embrace the circular reasoning of the Pharisees. Both the Old and New Testaments draws the same straight line on this subject. Jesus calls His church to uphold the sanctity of marriage.

I know Luke 16:18 hits hard. The Bible does not contradict itself. The teachings of Jesus and the rest of the New Testament on this subject are absolutely consistent. They uphold the sanctity of marriage without exception.

Daily Bible Commentary

By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global