Divorce Bible Study

What Does God’s Holy Word teach regarding Divorce and Remarriage?

What is adultery? “Adultery is the voluntary sexual intercourse of a married person with a person other than the offender’s husband or wife.” https://thelawdictionary.org/adultery/
What is fornication? As defined in Black's Law legal standard, fornication is still = "Unlawful sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons. Further, if one of the persons be married and the other not, it is fornication on the part of the unmarried, though adultery for the married” https://thelawdictionary.org/fornication/

When adultery and fornication are in the same or adjacent Bible verses, there is surely a distinction. The translation should always be 'fornication' throughout the New Testament, not ‘sexual immorality’ which as a permission for divorce is undefinable (the modern translations result/agenda?). Verses below are NKJV and this ^ indicates commenter’s note.

Questions to consider during the reading of verses below:

For what reason is a man permitted to divorce?
Is there any verse that states that a woman is permitted to divorce?
Why did Christ use the different words fornication and adultery in the same sentences? in Matt 19 and elsewhere.
Is a man permitted to marry a divorced woman?
What is the sin of marrying a divorced woman?
Regarding marital status, what 2 options are permitted for a separated woman
Does 1 Cor 7 state that divorce is permitted?
How many times does 1 Cor 7 state that divorce or remarriage isn’t permitted?
In 1 Cor 7:15, who is permitted to separate oneself? Believer or unbeliever?
Are Christ’s commands too burdensome, legalistic? and necessary to save the souls of children and spouses.

Matt 19:26b with God all things are possible.

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Psalm 119:174 I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And Your law is my delight.

KEY VERSES

Matt 19:6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Matt 19:9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

Luke 16:18 Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Mark 10:11-12 So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Always loop back to Matt 19:6

The Lord says that adultery follows divorce, therefore in God's eyes the marriage bond is not severed by adultery or divorce.

1 Cor 7:10-11Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.

¹¹But even if she ^is separated, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. ^is separated (already) - past tense passive (not active) - perhaps the most corrupted verse in translations

1 Cor 7:13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

1 Cor 7:15 But if the unbeliever ^departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace ^departs = separates himself = chōrizetai. divorce = aphietō

1 Cor 7:39 A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

Always loop back to 1 Cor 7:11

++ Only the unbeliever is permitted to separate (divorce isn't permitted). ++

Gen 2:20-25 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable^ to him. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

23 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

^v20 neged = opposite, complimentary, suitable

Deut 24:1-4 When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house, 2 and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 and if the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, 4 then her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, since she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.

Lev 20:10 ‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.

Deut 22:22 “If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die—the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall put away the evil from Israel.

Malachi 2:13-17

13 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant. 15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. 16 “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.” 17 You have wearied the Lord with your words; Yet you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil Is good in the sight of the Lord, And He delights in them,” Or, “Where is the God of justice?”

Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
⁶And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

Luke 16:17-18 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Mark 10:2-12 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. 3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” 5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this ^[a] precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. 11 So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” ^[a] command

Matt 1:18-20 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being ^[^f^]a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to ^put her away secretly. ²⁰But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is ^[^g^]conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

^[f] upright ^[g] begotten ^apoluó = divorce

Comments: Joseph thought that Mary had committed fornication before ‘God has joined them together in marriage.’ This is an example of divorce for the reason of fornication, before joined together in marriage.

There is no exception in Luke and Mark. Matthew is written more for the Jews where espousal (betrothal, engagement) is binding to join in marriage.

Matt 5:31-32 Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except ^[l]sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. ^[l]fornication

Matt 19:3-10 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” 4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” 8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for ^[b]sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” 10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

^[b]fornication

Always loop back to Matt 19:6

Comment: There was no need for an exception for adultery because by law the adulterer was to be put to death.

The Lord says that adultery follows divorce, therefore in God's eyes the marriage bond is not severed by adultery or divorce.

Roman 7:1-3 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law ^[a]has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. ^[b]rules

1 Cor 7:1-5 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ²Nevertheless, because of ^sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ^{^}fornication

³Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ⁵Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Comments: 'Do not deprive' [any longer] than you can fast and pray. How long is one willing to fast? and pray by mutual agreement. Not very long? (NIV and EHV cut out fasting which is in NKJV and older texts including Majority).

1 Cor 7:10-16Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.

¹¹But even if she ^does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

^is separated (already) - past tense passive (not active) - perhaps the most corrupted verse in translations - for an active agenda?

¹²But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. ¹³And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵But if the unbeliever ^departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under ^bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. ¹⁶For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

^departs = separates himself = chōrizetai. divorce = aphietō ^ bondage, enslaved = from douloó

1 Cor 7:39 A wife is ^bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. ^ bound = from deó

Always Loop back to 1 Cor 7:11

Comments: 1 Corinthians 7 entirely prohibits divorce.

There is no reason for a woman to divorce because Christ forbids her from re-marriage:

Matt 5:32b whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

1 Cor 7:11 But even if she ^does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. ^is separated (already)

God requires forgiving the repentant, and the wife to remain available for reconciliation, or be reconciled.

1 Cor 7:15 If the unbeliever separates (physically not willing to live with), the believer is not "under bondage" to physically follow the spouse and remain with the unbelieving spouse. It is separation, not divorce. I think anything more than that is just assumption. The Greek word means separate, not divorce. The unbeliever might pursue divorce, but not the believer.

++ Only the unbeliever is permitted to separate (divorce isn't permitted). ++

Separation doesn’t require divorce. The believer is not under bondage to support the unbeliever who departs.

Matt 19:6 "Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate”.

Any exception for divorce after joined together in marriage means you are crossing out Christ's command in Matt 19:6

Directly before Matt 19 divorce is Matt 18 mediation and The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Rebuke, repent, forgive, reconcile. Mal 2:16 “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce … do not deal treacherously.” God doesn't forgive the unrepentant or unforgiving.

Matt 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Luke 17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

1 Cor 7:12-13 should be emphasized in any Bible lesson on divorce, because these two verses prohibit almost all of the divorces in the church.

12 If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

1 Cor 7:15 is the contrary situation - 'But if the unbeliever departs' is when the unbeliever is unwilling to live with and 'separates' chōrizetai from the spouse. (not divorce aphietō as in verse 12-13)

There also seems to be good evidence that Erasmus in the year 1516 added the word 'if" to the Matthew exception. (details below). Imagine that the Jewish lawyers told you or Jesus that you were born of fornication. Jesus could have responded ‘do not divorce, not [even] for fornication.’ (he loved his father and mother)

Matt 19:9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, if not for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” 10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” Greek ei mē epi = if not for

-- Fornication, not sexual immorality --

Comments: When adultery and fornication are in the same or adjacent verses, there is surely a distinction between the words. The word porneia should always be translated 'fornication' throughout the New Testament, not ‘sexual immorality’ which is undefinable as a permission for divorce.

Even modern translations like ESV still use uncommon English words like propitiation, sanctification, and NIV uses retribution, vehemently.

Adultery and fornication are easy words that every Christian should know or learn and continue to use God's Words.

The NKJV still uses fornication, but interchanges fornication and sexual immorality, depending on the agenda of the translator in each occurrence (substituting in the term sexual immorality when the subject is directly regarding a marriage).

The usage of fornication seems to be singular when speaking of one person or body, and plural for general situations.

Fornication is unlawful sexual intercourse by an unmarried person before joined together in marriage.

Examples of verses distinguishing fornication versus adultery. Why substituting sexual immorality for fornication?

1 Cor 5:1 It is actually reported that there is ^sexual immorality among you, and such ^sexual immorality as is not even ^[a] named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are ^[b]puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. ^[b]arrogant ^fornication

1 Cor 7:2 Nevertheless, because of ^sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ^fornication

Heb 13:4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

Matt 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

The Pharisee lawyers inferred that Jesus was born of fornication.

John 8:39-42 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.

++ Believers are forbidden to force another believer to the unrighteous heathen courts ++

How dare you? 1 Cor 6:1-10

1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have ^[a]judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!

7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ^[b]homosexuals, nor ^[c]sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

^[a]courts ^[b]catamites, those submitting to homosexuals ^[c]male homosexuals (fornicators, adulterers listed separately)

Heathen courts are full of unbelievers and government employees who swear and then commit perjury, and lawyer practices who avoid swearing and lie repeatedly, while in the practice of thieves, extortioners and kidnapping.

Rev 22:15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

2 Thes 2:12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Psalm 58:1-2 Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
²No, in heart you work wickedness; You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

James 2:4-7 have you not ^[^d^]shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? ⁵Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? ⁶But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? ⁷Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

Christ prohibits all swearing:

Directly following the Divorce paragraph in the Sermon on the Mount is:

Matt 5:33-37 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of ^[m]old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let ^[n]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. ^[m] ancient times ^[n]Lit. your word be yes yes

James 5:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into ^judgment. ^krisis = damnation

-- God’s plan for marriage --

Titus 2:1-8 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God may not be blasphemed.

6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,^[a] 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of ^[b]you.

blasphemy definition - speak irreverently about God or a sacred thing.

Eph 5:22-33 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might ^[g]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, ^[h]of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^respects her husband. ^phobeó = fears

Prov 9:10-13 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the HolyOne is understanding.¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you. ¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.” ¹³A foolish woman is ^[^b^]clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing.

^[^b^]boisterous = loud, demanding, unrestrained

-- Love your brothers, Resolve disputes via the church not courts (Matt 18, 1 Cor 6), Reconcile, Forgive the Repentant --

Matt 5:22-24 - (worship is fake and not permitted if you haven't reconciled with a believer/brother)

22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother ^[^e^]without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother ‘Raca!’^[^f^] shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ^[^g^]‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of ^[^h^]hell fire.23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

^[^e^]NU omits without a cause ^[^f^] Lit., in Aram., Empty head {worthless} ^[^g^] Greek Mōre {moron} ^[^h^]Gr. Gehenna

Read the The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant -

Matt 18:21+ www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18-19&version=NKJV

Matt 18:34-35 “And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother ^[^g^]his trespasses.

^[^g^]NU omits his trespasses

The first servant owed ten thousand talents. Ten thousand talents was a tremendous amount of money. One talent could pay a man for six thousand days of work (16 years working every day). Therefore, ten thousand talents is a gigantic debt (160,000 years of labor) —so huge that the master commanded that the man’s wife and children be sold as payment.

http://text.watv.org/english/qna/view.html?idx=1573

Luke 17:3 “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins ^[^c^]against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him".

^[^c^]NU omits against you

Context - It's not a coincidence? that Jesus packed all of these commands into a big envelope surrounding

You Must Forgive and Do Not Divorce:

Matt 5-7 teachings: Jesus' Sermon on the Mount - Danger of judgment if not reconciled, don't worship until reconciled,

do not divorce, do not marry a divorced woman, don't swear at all, go the extra mile, narrow is the gate, Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. I never knew you; depart from Me. Therefore everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And great was its fall.

Matt 18-19 teachings: resolve disputes in the church, forgive seventy times seven, parable of the unforgiving servant,

what God has joined together, let no one separate, do not divorce, do not marry a divorced woman.

++ Further research ++

-- Why no divorce exception in Mark, Luke or 1 Corinthians? but in Matthew.

Many believe that Christ was referring to the betrothal period when He mentioned a fornication “exception” for divorce. Bethrothal was binding for marriage for the Jews. Scholars note that Matthew does not explain Jewish practices that would be unfamiliar to non-Jews, implying his audience was already knowledgeable about them. Bible scholars suggest the Gospel of Matthew was written for a Jewish audience due to its focus on fulfilling Old Testament prophecies, its extensive use and explanation of Jewish law and customs, and its emphasis on Jesus as the Messiah who offered the Kingdom to Israel.

For the Jews, betrothal was a legally binding stage of marriage where the couple was considered husband and wife, even if they hadn't yet begun living together. This period, known as kiddushin or erusin, created a permanent bond that could only be dissolved by a formal divorce and required significant legal and financial preparations for the groom to build a home for his wife.

-- Divorce ‘exception’ added text by Erasmus in his 1516 edition of the Greek New Testament--

Attachments available:

Google AI - Did Erasmus ADD the word 'if'in the divorce verse? Answer: "Erasmus, a Catholic priest, is believed to have ALTERED the text of Matthew 19:9 to ALLOW for the fornication exception in divorce." Greek ei mē epi = if not for
Paper: Exception Erasmus_and_Divorce_in_Matthew_19_9 - Leslie McFall2007-2014 (34 pages perhaps the most extensive review of the Erasmus addition, which is known by people who research this verse)

I didn't read this paper but looked for the conclusion:

On pg 17 "WHAT EVIDENCE HAD ERASMUS TO MAKE HIS ADDITION TO THE TEXT? The answer is, none.

We have over 5000 manuscripts of the New Testament today and over 2000 lectionary texts (viz., texts divided up for weekly and festival readings). Erasmus had a total of only seven manuscripts, and not one of them contained the whole of the New Testament. Three of them contained the Gospels, but in none of them does the small Greek word ei appear in the text at Matthew 19:9. It would appear that Erasmus deliberately inserted the addition on his own authority, or else he was influenced by Jerome’s Latin translation and decided to give it a Greek rendering"

-- Divorce in the ‘Christian’ church --

In the years before Erasmus and today's conservative Catholics and some conservative Baptists don't allow any exception.

But today even in wedding ceremonies, you might hear a pastor say

- “50% of marriages end in divorce.” (However this is deception because 60% of first marriages stay together and some people have multiple divorces to bring the total to 50%, which is the number that unbelievers use to normalize divorce).

- or “There are as many divorces in the church as outside the church.” (Although possible, this is only evidence of the percentage of fake believers in the churches who reject Christ’s commands regarding divorce and remarriage.)

-- History of divorce in government laws --

In Jesus time and prior, the punishment for adultery was death, which would eliminate remarriage.

There was no need for an exception for adultery because by law the adulterer was to be put to death.

God’s law doesn't allow women to divorce.

In the ‘Christian’ West - divorce not legalized for 1750 years after Christ.

By the 9th and 10th centuries, under the influence of the Catholic Church, divorce rates had been greatly reduced.

1563 the Catholic Church confirmed the status of the sacrament of marriage. The Catholic Church viewed marriage as an indissoluble sacrament.

1752 Fredrick II legalized mutual consent divorce in Prussia long before British Matrimonial Causes Acts of 1857, 1937.

1794 the first time that I found divorce permitted for adultery was by Prussians (Germans) under Frederick the Great.

It wasn’t until the 1937 Matrimonial Causes Act that the UK law allowed women to divorce on the same grounds as men which still required proving fault - adultery, cruelty, desertion.

USA 1903 – Inter-Church Conference on Marriage and Divorce attempts to curb rising divorce rates through religious influence.

1942 US Supreme Court ruled that states must recognize divorces granted in other states.

1969 the first no fault US divorce law was in California.

2025 The Philippines and the Vatican are now the only two states in the world whose laws prohibit divorce. Divorce became legal in the following Catholic countries Italy (1970), Spain (1981), Ireland (1996), Malta (2011 by 53% citizen vote).

Government incentives to divorce

1964 Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty" created the Welfare State where women could substitute the government as the children’s daddy, if they drove the father out of the home.

1974 Title IV-D “to Needy Families” was created to support moms on welfare, and taken from social security retirement.

1998 Incentive Act opened up Title IV-D and enforcement to all moms regardless of their wealth. Hillary Clinton was a prominent advocate while in the White House in 1998 and now every woman has a giant financial incentive to divorce.

Women with multiple baby daddies could take 50% of income of each daddy, because daddy first paid taxes on income.

2023 The large state of Florida enacted a rebuttable presumption of equal shared parenting, which in 2025 existed only in Kentucky (2018), Arkansas (2021), West Virginia (2022), Florida (2023), Missouri (2023).

The number of divorces fell 25% in Kentucky from 2016 to 2023, and domestic abuse allegations dropped significantly because evidence was now required in Kentucky when suing for custody. In Florida it took 10 years with shared parenting bills passed 3 times with 2/3 majority, but 3 vetoes by Florida Republican lawyer governors Rick Scott and Ron Desantis.

-- The Divorce Industry --

Psalm 82:2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah

Isaiah 1:23 Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

Hosea 4:18 Their drink ^[^j^]is rebellion, They commit harlotry continually. Her ^[^k^]rulers ^[^l^]dearly love dishonor.

Micah 3:1-2 And I said: “Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice? ²You who hate good and love evil; Who strip the skin from ^[^a^]My people, And the flesh from their bones;

Hosea 7:2-3 They ^[^b^]do not consider in their hearts That I remember all their wickedness; Now their own deeds have surrounded them; They are before My face. ³They make a king glad with their wickedness, And princes with their lies.

Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of ^[^a^]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Solo parenting when the other parent is available is tragic for children and the other parent. Children don’t get to learn from seeing their parents compromising and solving problems. So we have decades of increasingly self-centered children. Why would they act any different than their solo parent? Children in solo mom homes are 33 times more likely to be seriously abused, 15.3 times more likely to have behavioral disorders, and 6.6 times more likely to become teenage mothers (if they are girls).

English speaking countries are especially evil in incentivizing divorce and the minimizing of one parent. In the USA, the Title IV-D program (over $4 Billion yearly) gives to states two dollars for every one dollar the state spends trafficking money and children to the custodial parent. The judges must create a winner and loser parent for the states to get the 2x matching incentives with very little oversight on usage of money. The amount extorted from the father’s pay isn’t based on the cost of raising a child, but based on the father’s income. The higher the extortion, the more slush fund matching incentives for the states. Many fathers who were paying directly to the mom, are immediately forced into the system which takes the money from their paycheck before they see the paycheck, and the father first pays all the taxes on the income so a 35% of income payment can be up to 50% of income when counting taxes. So in most cases, immediately the money is extorted via Title IV-D to pay the loans and insurance for 2 homes and utilities and 2 cars and daycare workers even when the father is available for daycare, and even if he was willing to live with his wife in 1 home.

1 Cor 7:13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him"

While the father pays double costs of homes, if the woman is restricting visits with children, he must pay his own lawyer (pay-per-view) to get access, and possibly even pay her private lawyer based on her income. A county attorney and government agent are provided for free from taxpayer’s money to defend the woman’s financial demands via Title IV-D. The majority of fathers cannot pay a lawyer and settle for whatever the mom allows. The fathers who pays tens of thousands to a lawyer often end up with the same - whatever the mom allows, because the judge rarely enforces orders on the mom.

Divorce judges increase the riches of divorce lawyers more than $50 Billion every year in the USA.

Legal bribes from lawyers pay much of the re-election campaign slush funds for judges, of which few people know their names or can find evidence in their cases, because divorce courts are secret courts (only the court can record and then tamper) and transcripts for the fathers cost thousands of dollars in some states. One might be able to see the judge ruling (often written mostly by the winning lawyer), but the evidence is secret.

Deut 16:19 You shall not pervert justice; you shall not ^[^a^]show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and ^[^b^]twists the words of the righteous. ^[^b^]perverts

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Over 24 million USA children don’t have scheduled parenting time with their fathers.

The government provides giant incentives for women to divorce - power, money, independence, praise! Even churches praise solo moms, when decades ago a divorced woman was seen by culture as shameful.

All rulers know that removing fathers from the homes is the best way to increase government power and money.

The government puts ‘nice labels’ on evil programs.