WEBVTT 00:00:01.629 --> 00:00:05.049 We come again today to the next passage in 1 00:00:05.049 --> 00:00:07.290 Corinthians as we have been going through it 00:00:07.290 --> 00:00:10.289 and looking at all of the different things that 00:00:10.289 --> 00:00:13.630 the Apostle Paul speaks of. And today we come 00:00:13.630 --> 00:00:20.089 to chapter 7, verses 10 through 16. The title 00:00:20.089 --> 00:00:23.570 today is Biblical Principles for Marriage, Divorce, 00:00:23.570 --> 00:00:28.010 Separation, and Mixed Marriages. We'll begin 00:00:28.010 --> 00:00:31.559 reading verse 10. Now to the married I command, 00:00:31.960 --> 00:00:36.079 yet not I, but the Lord. A wife is not to depart 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:39.200 from her husband. But even if she does depart, 00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:42.240 let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:46.060 her husband. And a husband is not to divorce 00:00:46.060 --> 00:00:50.920 his wife. But to the rest I, not the Lord, say. 00:00:51.579 --> 00:00:54.179 If any brother has a wife who does not believe 00:00:54.179 --> 00:00:57.100 and she is willing to live with him, let him 00:00:57.100 --> 00:01:00.039 not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband 00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:02.659 who does not believe, if he is willing to live 00:01:02.659 --> 00:01:06.299 with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving 00:01:06.299 --> 00:01:09.640 husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving 00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:12.840 wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:15.719 your children would be unclean, but now they 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:19.359 are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:22.780 him depart. A brother or a sister is not under 00:01:22.780 --> 00:01:26.659 bondage in such cases. But God has called us 00:01:26.659 --> 00:01:29.900 to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether 00:01:29.900 --> 00:01:32.819 you will save your husband? Or how do you know, 00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:38.680 O husband, whether you will save your wife? Let's 00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:41.640 pray. Father, as we have read this passage in 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:44.469 the scripture, Lord, We seek enlightenment. We 00:01:44.469 --> 00:01:47.069 seek wisdom, Lord. And we pray for your wisdom 00:01:47.069 --> 00:01:49.629 in understanding this, that you would tell us, 00:01:49.689 --> 00:01:51.650 Lord, that you would guide us in our understanding 00:01:51.650 --> 00:01:55.469 and interpretation of this passage. We ask, O 00:01:55.469 --> 00:01:57.329 Lord, that you would be with us today and open 00:01:57.329 --> 00:01:59.810 up our hearts that all that is said might be 00:01:59.810 --> 00:02:02.609 pleasing to you and would be according to your 00:02:02.609 --> 00:02:05.689 word. And we ask for the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:02:05.989 --> 00:02:11.689 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. The Apostle Paul 00:02:11.689 --> 00:02:14.930 moves on to the next two questions in his response 00:02:14.930 --> 00:02:17.689 to the letter from the church in Corinth, which 00:02:17.689 --> 00:02:20.650 he spoke of in verse 1 of this chapter. He is 00:02:20.650 --> 00:02:23.009 still dealing with the subject of marriage principles, 00:02:23.189 --> 00:02:26.889 as we looked at last week, but today it is with 00:02:26.889 --> 00:02:30.090 the subject of divorce and mixed marriages. There 00:02:30.090 --> 00:02:33.449 are two key questions that are addressed in this 00:02:33.449 --> 00:02:37.750 text. Question number one, is divorce permissible 00:02:37.750 --> 00:02:40.789 between two Christians? Question number two, 00:02:40.990 --> 00:02:44.770 what is a Christian's duty in a mixed marriage, 00:02:44.870 --> 00:02:49.830 that is, a believer and an unbeliever? Now this 00:02:49.830 --> 00:02:52.289 subject, of course, is very pertinent to our 00:02:52.289 --> 00:02:56.129 time and place. Indeed, who among us has not 00:02:56.129 --> 00:03:01.030 been affected by the divorce of parents or siblings 00:03:01.030 --> 00:03:06.210 or children and even our own selves? The deleterious 00:03:06.210 --> 00:03:10.639 effect of divorce especially no -fault divorce 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:14.639 in this culture and particularly to children, 00:03:15.580 --> 00:03:20.159 has been incalculable. It has been an awful and 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:24.939 tragic mess. Paul does not address every situation 00:03:24.939 --> 00:03:27.659 in this passage because he's answering questions. 00:03:27.939 --> 00:03:31.099 But I will deal with the subject in a greater 00:03:31.099 --> 00:03:34.460 detail. And I'm going to also look to three other 00:03:34.460 --> 00:03:38.289 passages. three additional ones, to give us a 00:03:38.289 --> 00:03:40.889 good background for our understanding of this 00:03:40.889 --> 00:03:43.689 passage. I'm not going to expound on all of these, 00:03:43.810 --> 00:03:46.770 but they will shed light on some principles here 00:03:46.770 --> 00:03:50.650 as I deal with the passage. The first is in Deuteronomy 00:03:50.650 --> 00:03:56.389 chapter 24, beginning in verse 1. When a man 00:03:56.389 --> 00:04:00.110 takes a wife and marries her, and it happens 00:04:00.110 --> 00:04:03.830 that she finds no favor in his eyes because he 00:04:03.830 --> 00:04:07.689 has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes 00:04:07.689 --> 00:04:10.509 her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her 00:04:10.509 --> 00:04:14.129 hand, and sends her out of his house, when she 00:04:14.129 --> 00:04:16.589 has departed from his house and goes and becomes 00:04:16.589 --> 00:04:20.240 another man's wife, If the latter husband detests 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:23.459 her and writes her a certificate of divorce, 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:26.199 puts it in her hand and sends her out of his 00:04:26.199 --> 00:04:29.399 house, or if the latter husband dies who took 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:32.240 her as his wife, then her former husband who 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:35.639 divorced her must not take her back to be his 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:38.519 wife after she has been defiled. For that is 00:04:38.519 --> 00:04:40.519 an abomination before the Lord, and you should 00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:42.839 not bring sin in the land which the Lord your 00:04:42.839 --> 00:04:46.300 God is giving you as an inheritance. Now in this 00:04:46.300 --> 00:04:49.519 case, among a number of things, this law gives 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:53.180 the ability to divorce if a man finds that his 00:04:53.180 --> 00:04:57.220 wife has been guilty of uncleanness. That is, 00:04:57.300 --> 00:05:01.240 it's a type of shameful exposure or indecency 00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:05.279 or nakedness. While this could have led to adultery, 00:05:05.420 --> 00:05:10.860 it was likely a lesser offense because adultery 00:05:10.860 --> 00:05:14.240 by either a husband or a wife was punishable 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:19.019 by death in the civil code of Israel. But many 00:05:19.019 --> 00:05:22.279 of the Jews by Jesus' time took this to mean 00:05:22.279 --> 00:05:25.720 anything that the husband didn't like. If he 00:05:25.720 --> 00:05:28.540 found a more beautiful woman or if she burnt 00:05:28.540 --> 00:05:32.199 his food or whatever, that was some type of uncleanness. 00:05:32.420 --> 00:05:35.379 Jesus then speaks to this and gives a corrective 00:05:35.379 --> 00:05:39.620 thing in Matthew chapter 19 and Mark chapter 00:05:39.620 --> 00:05:41.339 10, which we're going to look at in a moment. 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:44.399 The next background passage is Malachi chapter 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:49.079 2, verse 13 to 16. And this is the second thing 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:51.660 you do. You cover the altar of the Lord with 00:05:51.660 --> 00:05:54.699 tears, with weeping and crying, so he does not 00:05:54.699 --> 00:05:57.319 regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:00.139 goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, for what 00:06:00.139 --> 00:06:02.980 reason? Because the Lord has been witness between 00:06:02.980 --> 00:06:05.639 you and the wife of your youth, with whom you 00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:09.300 have dealt treacherously. Yet she is your companion 00:06:09.300 --> 00:06:12.509 and your wife by covenant. But did he not make 00:06:12.509 --> 00:06:15.629 them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And 00:06:15.629 --> 00:06:20.610 why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore 00:06:20.610 --> 00:06:24.569 take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously 00:06:24.569 --> 00:06:27.310 with the wife of his youth. For the Lord God 00:06:27.310 --> 00:06:31.529 of Israel says that he hates divorce, for it 00:06:31.529 --> 00:06:34.970 covers one's garment with violence, says the 00:06:34.970 --> 00:06:37.930 Lord of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit. 00:06:38.490 --> 00:06:43.910 that you do not deal treacherously. The third 00:06:43.910 --> 00:06:47.990 background passage is Matthew chapter 19, verse 00:06:47.990 --> 00:06:51.970 3 to 9. This is Jesus speaking. The Pharisees 00:06:51.970 --> 00:06:54.589 also came to him, testing him and saying to him, 00:06:54.829 --> 00:06:57.990 Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for 00:06:57.990 --> 00:07:00.790 just any reason? And he answered and said to 00:07:00.790 --> 00:07:04.269 them, Have you not read that he who made them 00:07:04.269 --> 00:07:08.560 at the beginning made them male and female? And 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:12.300 said, for this reason, a man shall leave his 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:15.839 father and mother and be joined to his wife, 00:07:16.019 --> 00:07:20.680 and the two shall become one flesh. So then, 00:07:20.740 --> 00:07:23.300 they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, 00:07:23.480 --> 00:07:26.000 what God has joined together, let not man separate, 00:07:26.379 --> 00:07:29.180 they said to him. Why then did Moses command 00:07:29.180 --> 00:07:31.759 to give a certificate of divorce and to put her 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:34.759 away? He said to them, Moses, because of the 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:37.339 hardness of your hearts. permitted you to divorce 00:07:37.339 --> 00:07:39.639 your wives, but from the beginning it was not 00:07:39.639 --> 00:07:43.300 so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, 00:07:43.399 --> 00:07:46.519 except for sexual immorality, and marries another, 00:07:46.819 --> 00:07:49.800 commits adultery, and whoever marries her who 00:07:49.800 --> 00:07:53.939 is divorced, commits adultery. Mark chapter 10, 00:07:54.019 --> 00:07:56.439 verse 2 and 10 is a restatement of the passage 00:07:56.439 --> 00:08:00.740 in Matthew, except that it does not record the 00:08:00.740 --> 00:08:05.160 exception for sexual immorality. Now in all of 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:07.819 these, we see the clear command in the Old and 00:08:07.819 --> 00:08:11.100 New Testaments that marriage is ordained by God. 00:08:11.550 --> 00:08:15.610 It is holy. It is sacred. And from the very beginning 00:08:15.610 --> 00:08:19.990 of time, God created male and female and said, 00:08:20.189 --> 00:08:22.889 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his 00:08:22.889 --> 00:08:26.110 mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall 00:08:26.110 --> 00:08:29.730 become one flesh. It's recorded in Genesis chapter 00:08:29.730 --> 00:08:33.629 2, verse 24, for all times. And this is also 00:08:33.629 --> 00:08:35.730 repeated several times throughout the scriptures. 00:08:36.169 --> 00:08:39.929 The Old Testament passage and Jesus' words were 00:08:39.929 --> 00:08:45.289 given, In a predominantly Jewish setting. And 00:08:45.289 --> 00:08:47.429 by that I'm referring to the Deuteronomy passage. 00:08:47.730 --> 00:08:52.230 The Malachi. And Jesus words. Jesus himself said 00:08:52.230 --> 00:08:55.830 in Matthew chapter 15 verse 24. I was not sent 00:08:55.830 --> 00:08:59.409 except to the lost sheep of Israel. Of the house 00:08:59.409 --> 00:09:04.809 of Israel. But Jesus greatly expands this in 00:09:04.809 --> 00:09:07.730 his great commission to the apostles. For they 00:09:07.730 --> 00:09:11.379 are to go throughout to the whole world. And 00:09:11.379 --> 00:09:15.340 Paul builds upon this in a predominantly Gentile 00:09:15.340 --> 00:09:20.899 setting. 1 Corinthians 7 is addressed to the 00:09:20.899 --> 00:09:25.360 worldwide body of Christ, both Jew and Gentile. 00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:29.580 This shift is crucial because the gospel's expansion 00:09:29.580 --> 00:09:34.779 creates new realities, including mixed faith 00:09:34.779 --> 00:09:38.460 marriages. And Paul's going to deal with that 00:09:38.460 --> 00:09:41.409 and will help us to understand. As we see what 00:09:41.409 --> 00:09:43.929 Paul is saying. So let's now seek to fully understand 00:09:43.929 --> 00:09:47.809 this text. The first point is simply this. Paul 00:09:47.809 --> 00:09:50.590 and Jesus command to married believers. This 00:09:50.590 --> 00:09:54.309 is in verse 10 and 11. Paul declares here. Now 00:09:54.309 --> 00:09:57.950 to the married I command. Yet not I but the Lord. 00:09:58.110 --> 00:10:03.429 A wife is not to depart from her husband. But 00:10:03.429 --> 00:10:07.669 even if she does depart. Let her remain unmarried. 00:10:08.009 --> 00:10:12.769 or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband 00:10:12.769 --> 00:10:17.850 is not to divorce his wife. Now Paul begins this 00:10:17.850 --> 00:10:21.129 section by addressing the married. So it's clearly 00:10:21.129 --> 00:10:25.509 here he's speaking to married people. And to 00:10:25.509 --> 00:10:28.350 the question, is divorce permissible between 00:10:28.350 --> 00:10:31.710 two Christian believers? The answer is very clear 00:10:31.710 --> 00:10:35.610 and very straightforward without any equivocation. 00:10:35.710 --> 00:10:41.990 He answers this with a clear no. He says, I command 00:10:41.990 --> 00:10:46.750 a wife is not to depart from her husband and 00:10:46.750 --> 00:10:50.919 a husband is not to divorce his wife. Now, to 00:10:50.919 --> 00:10:54.039 depart is kind of the same word as divorce, even 00:10:54.039 --> 00:10:56.100 though there's two Greek words, but they're synonyms. 00:10:56.120 --> 00:11:00.379 To depart is to separate, to put asunder, and 00:11:00.379 --> 00:11:03.820 thus refers to the same thing, which is used 00:11:03.820 --> 00:11:06.940 for the husband in verse 11. Now, there are many 00:11:06.940 --> 00:11:09.740 times in the scriptures where Paul exhorts, where 00:11:09.740 --> 00:11:12.779 he encourages. He even makes some suggestions. 00:11:13.539 --> 00:11:17.080 Like back in verse 6, he said, I speak by permission 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:20.909 and not of commandment. But it is not so in this 00:11:20.909 --> 00:11:25.870 passage. He gives a strong command. It is a decree. 00:11:26.549 --> 00:11:29.850 But this command, however, is not only from him, 00:11:29.950 --> 00:11:34.429 but he calls on Jesus. He says, I say this, but 00:11:34.429 --> 00:11:38.149 yet not I, but the Lord. So he's referring here 00:11:38.149 --> 00:11:42.340 to Jesus, that Jesus is commanding this. Now, 00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:45.240 as he refers to Jesus as Lord, this is the Greek 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:48.940 word kurios, which refers to Jesus, who is Lord. 00:11:49.059 --> 00:11:52.379 He is Lord of everything, before whom every knee 00:11:52.379 --> 00:11:56.100 is to bow, of those in earth and heaven and under 00:11:56.100 --> 00:11:59.259 the earth. So in saying this, Paul is referencing 00:11:59.259 --> 00:12:02.580 Jesus' commands back in Matthew 19, which we 00:12:02.580 --> 00:12:05.779 just read, and Mark 10. Whoever divorces his 00:12:05.779 --> 00:12:08.440 wife and marries another commits adultery against 00:12:08.440 --> 00:12:11.379 her. And if a woman divorces her husband and 00:12:11.379 --> 00:12:15.720 marries another, she commits adultery. So the 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:18.399 answer to this question is very clear. Both Paul 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:22.080 and Jesus say this is not to happen. and so it 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:26.139 is in nearly all circumstances. Paul gives, however, 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:29.759 one clarification to the wife. She is not to 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:34.139 depart, but if, against this command, she does 00:12:34.139 --> 00:12:38.679 depart, then she is to remain unmarried or be 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:41.080 reconciled to her husband. Those are the choices 00:12:41.080 --> 00:12:44.779 that are given there in that case. Now, I need 00:12:44.779 --> 00:12:48.220 to explain something. In Scripture, subjects 00:12:48.220 --> 00:12:51.500 are frequently developed In various passages. 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:55.659 The study of the word gives light. And so we 00:12:55.659 --> 00:12:58.200 need to look at all the scripture. In order to 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:02.080 have a fuller understanding. So it is with this 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:06.899 passage. Because Paul does not refer to this. 00:13:06.980 --> 00:13:10.139 He does not say this. But Jesus clearly gives 00:13:10.139 --> 00:13:13.659 an exception to this command. In Matthew chapter 00:13:13.659 --> 00:13:17.980 19. Paul is going to give another exception. 00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:23.159 That of desertion. in verses 13 to 15. And this 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:26.139 is how fully developed theology works. We look 00:13:26.139 --> 00:13:28.820 at the whole of Scripture, not just one proof 00:13:28.820 --> 00:13:31.840 text. If we were to proof text this right here, 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:35.240 we would say, in no condition at all times, for 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:38.679 any reason, can there be divorce between a husband 00:13:38.679 --> 00:13:42.360 and a wife, if they're Christians. And yet, here 00:13:42.360 --> 00:13:46.679 we are going to consider two exceptions. So the 00:13:46.679 --> 00:13:50.809 first one, Let me just say, there's been many 00:13:50.809 --> 00:13:53.669 examples of wrong or incomplete doctrine and 00:13:53.669 --> 00:13:56.009 practice in the history of the church because 00:13:56.009 --> 00:13:58.809 of proof texting it as opposed to looking at 00:13:58.809 --> 00:14:02.889 the whole of scripture. Paul does not speak of 00:14:02.889 --> 00:14:05.450 this exception, but Jesus allows for divorce 00:14:05.450 --> 00:14:09.610 and for remarriage in the event of sexual immorality. 00:14:10.539 --> 00:14:14.240 sexual immorality this is the word pornea again 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:17.240 we've looked at that a number of times in as 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:19.279 we've been going through chapter five six and 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:25.820 seven it means any type any type of illicit unlawful 00:14:25.820 --> 00:14:31.100 sexual immorality adultery fornication homosexuality 00:14:31.100 --> 00:14:35.259 lesbianism bestiality incest and i would include 00:14:35.259 --> 00:14:38.799 with that in drawing from it porn used with self 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:42.879 -gratification Therefore, we believe that if 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:46.500 a husband or wife is guilty of the sin of porneia, 00:14:46.659 --> 00:14:51.279 it is lawful for the innocent party to sue for 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:55.779 divorce and to marry another as if the offending 00:14:55.779 --> 00:15:00.700 party were dead. This teaching is Jesus' authoritative 00:15:00.700 --> 00:15:04.639 interpretation of Deuteronomy 24, verses 1 to 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:07.679 4. And Paul's appeal to the teaching of Jesus 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:11.340 shows that both the Old Testament and the Lord's 00:15:11.340 --> 00:15:14.679 teaching are both norms for Christian ethics. 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:19.480 While divorce is lawful, though, it is not required. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:22.960 If there is true repentance and a change of heart 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:25.799 in ways, then there's a possibility of being 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:29.460 reconciled even if one of the partners has had 00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:33.460 an affair or something like that. There's a possibility 00:15:33.460 --> 00:15:36.940 of that. So even though divorce is a possibility, 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:41.659 a lawful one, it is not required in this case. 00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:45.379 It's up to the individual and based on repentance 00:15:45.379 --> 00:15:49.409 and so forth. Now, why is this question asked 00:15:49.409 --> 00:15:53.830 by the Corinthians? Why are they asking about 00:15:53.830 --> 00:15:56.850 divorce? Well, there are several possibilities. 00:15:57.470 --> 00:15:59.669 It could be that there were some in the congregation 00:15:59.669 --> 00:16:03.029 who were advocating celibacy in marriage, and 00:16:03.029 --> 00:16:05.629 perhaps some wanted to be celibate by simply 00:16:05.629 --> 00:16:08.509 divorcing their partners. We know that there 00:16:08.509 --> 00:16:10.950 was a strain of asceticism there, and this could 00:16:10.950 --> 00:16:13.330 have been. I think this is a possible one, but 00:16:13.330 --> 00:16:16.789 probably not very likely. The second possibility 00:16:16.789 --> 00:16:20.730 is that some Christian wives knew that their 00:16:20.730 --> 00:16:26.309 husbands had had a history of sexual immorality 00:16:26.309 --> 00:16:29.669 and may have wondered if Paul expected them to 00:16:29.669 --> 00:16:31.850 abandon their husbands. Now this is in the context 00:16:31.850 --> 00:16:35.850 where they're saved. God saved them, but there's... 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:38.399 You know, there's a lot of mess in the background 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:40.879 because of all of this. And so is it permissible 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:42.980 if I would want to, because I don't want to be 00:16:42.980 --> 00:16:45.960 involved in that in any way or be tainted by 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:49.399 it, can I just divorce my husband? That's a possibility. 00:16:50.220 --> 00:16:52.700 We know that there were a lot of people in the 00:16:52.700 --> 00:16:56.240 church who had been involved in all sorts of 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:59.340 immorality. We saw that back in 6 verse 9 where 00:16:59.340 --> 00:17:01.899 Paul gives a great list and then he says, such 00:17:01.899 --> 00:17:05.180 were some of you. But you have been washed. Or 00:17:05.180 --> 00:17:07.819 third, perhaps simply, some were having marriage 00:17:07.819 --> 00:17:10.220 difficulties and they wanted the easy way out. 00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:12.880 Rather than doing the hard work of maintaining 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:15.500 a marriage and working for reconciliation and 00:17:15.500 --> 00:17:20.180 peace. They simply wanted out. Remember the cultural 00:17:20.180 --> 00:17:23.619 pressures in Corinth. There was the Jewish laxity. 00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:27.380 Easy divorce for any displeasure. Based on a 00:17:27.380 --> 00:17:30.400 misreading of Deuteronomy 24. It was very common. 00:17:30.779 --> 00:17:33.559 Among the Jews. There was the ascetics. They 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:36.740 urged separation or divorce. To pursue higher 00:17:36.740 --> 00:17:41.160 spirituality. And there was the libertines. Where 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:43.660 divorce and remarriage were acceptable. In any 00:17:43.660 --> 00:17:46.779 circumstance. Paul is very clear though in this 00:17:46.779 --> 00:17:50.440 passage. In all normative cases. He takes the 00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:53.339 prevailing views of Corinth to task. And once 00:17:53.339 --> 00:17:57.420 again. He lifts up exclusive lifelong marriage. 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:01.700 Covenant faithfulness as the standard in the 00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:05.980 Christian church. To the married I command. A 00:18:05.980 --> 00:18:09.480 wife is not to depart from her husband. And a 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:13.460 husband is not to divorce his wife. Now this 00:18:13.460 --> 00:18:17.799 is not to say that it will be easy. As we all 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:21.680 know. At least all of us who are married. When 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:24.000 two people come together, they have different 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:27.140 ways, different manners, different mannerisms. 00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:30.140 They each have their own particular besetting 00:18:30.140 --> 00:18:34.059 sins. They irritate one another. And sometimes 00:18:34.059 --> 00:18:39.380 they do thoughtless deeds, hurtful actions, and 00:18:39.380 --> 00:18:44.079 even use argumentative or irritating speech against 00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:49.240 the other. Every husband and every wife is a 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:53.180 sinner saved by grace and in need of sanctification 00:18:53.180 --> 00:18:58.480 and growth. We all know this instinctively. When 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:01.400 we come together, there's adjustments, there's 00:19:01.400 --> 00:19:06.859 things, there's hardships. Marriage is hard work. 00:19:07.059 --> 00:19:10.740 It often involves conflict. And yet grace... 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:15.059 and repentance and mutual forgiveness are available. 00:19:15.420 --> 00:19:18.640 And so I encourage you all, keep short accounts 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:21.319 with each other and be quick to confess your 00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:24.480 sins when you sin against the other. And be just 00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:28.259 as quick to forgive and to be reconciled. When 00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:30.779 sins are not confessed and forgiven, then they 00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:33.700 stack up and they create hardship and then bitterness, 00:19:33.980 --> 00:19:37.519 and then a root of bitterness defiles you. And 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:40.220 so... Both the one who sinned and the one who 00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:43.000 was sinned against have a problem. And hurt builds 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:46.180 up on top of hurts. And you have a real mess 00:19:46.180 --> 00:19:50.279 on your hands. But Christian believers have the 00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:53.099 Holy Spirit. We have the Word of God. And we 00:19:53.099 --> 00:19:56.420 have the covenant community. The church for counsel 00:19:56.420 --> 00:19:59.700 and support. And so we need to seek to resolve 00:19:59.700 --> 00:20:02.940 problems with humility. And to not abandon the 00:20:02.940 --> 00:20:06.329 covenant lightly. When difficulties arise between 00:20:06.329 --> 00:20:09.990 two believers, then we must pursue reconciliation 00:20:09.990 --> 00:20:14.589 through the means of grace. The gospel equips 00:20:14.589 --> 00:20:19.430 us to endure and even to thrive where unbelievers 00:20:19.430 --> 00:20:22.809 might not. And so, dear brothers and sisters, 00:20:23.009 --> 00:20:25.970 we need to avail ourselves of this when difficulties 00:20:25.970 --> 00:20:28.849 come in the marriage, when there are irritants, 00:20:28.869 --> 00:20:32.049 when there's sin. Let us confess the sin. Let 00:20:32.049 --> 00:20:35.700 us work. For peace and harmony and reconciliation. 00:20:37.180 --> 00:20:42.460 Let me say this yet. It's a note to wives. Wives, 00:20:42.460 --> 00:20:45.559 you are commanded to be in subjection to your 00:20:45.559 --> 00:20:49.059 husbands in everything. Like the church is subject 00:20:49.059 --> 00:20:52.940 to Christ. That's in Ephesians 5 verse 24. But 00:20:52.940 --> 00:20:55.779 let me give this clarifying word. Submission 00:20:55.779 --> 00:20:59.940 to your Christian husband does not mean enduring. 00:21:01.080 --> 00:21:04.079 unrepentant, abusive sin, or neglect against 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:07.960 you without getting help. Please get help if 00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:10.859 that is the case. Seek wise counsel from church 00:21:10.859 --> 00:21:13.640 elders or older women or other means of biblical 00:21:13.640 --> 00:21:16.619 counsel, even if your husband is in leadership 00:21:16.619 --> 00:21:20.319 or is an officer of the church. Sadly, in America, 00:21:20.460 --> 00:21:23.420 there have been far too many pastors' wives who 00:21:23.420 --> 00:21:25.940 have endured unimaginable things from their husband, 00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:28.720 and they felt like they couldn't get help. And 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:31.579 so to any of you, if you're having difficulty 00:21:31.579 --> 00:21:34.559 or if you're suffering from abuse, then get help. 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:37.519 God's people are here to help you and to give 00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:41.180 wise and good counsel. You are a daughter of 00:21:41.180 --> 00:21:44.579 God and a member of a faithful church. So I just 00:21:44.579 --> 00:21:47.319 encourage you in that sometimes the whole thing 00:21:47.319 --> 00:21:51.359 of submission is then twisted to mean with I 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:54.160 in me am called to submit, then he can do whatever 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:58.200 he wants. No, that's not the case. again confront 00:21:58.200 --> 00:22:02.299 yes deal with sin but if you won't deal with 00:22:02.299 --> 00:22:05.940 sin then get help all right secondly then we're 00:22:05.940 --> 00:22:08.359 going so that that is the first two verses they're 00:22:08.359 --> 00:22:11.599 very very clear second paul's instruction then 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:15.720 for mixed marriages he says i not the lord say 00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:19.720 but to the rest i not to the lord say If a brother 00:22:19.720 --> 00:22:22.279 has a wife who does not believe and she's willing 00:22:22.279 --> 00:22:24.680 to live with him, let him not divorce her. And 00:22:24.680 --> 00:22:26.779 a woman who has a husband who does not believe, 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:29.420 if he is willing to live with her, let her not 00:22:29.420 --> 00:22:32.440 divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:35.539 by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified 00:22:35.539 --> 00:22:38.180 by the husband. Otherwise, your children would 00:22:38.180 --> 00:22:42.490 be unclean. But now they are holy. But if the 00:22:42.490 --> 00:22:45.349 unbeliever departs, let him depart. A brother 00:22:45.349 --> 00:22:47.950 or sister is not under bondage in such cases. 00:22:48.109 --> 00:22:51.309 But God has called us to peace. For how do you 00:22:51.309 --> 00:22:53.490 know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? 00:22:53.690 --> 00:22:56.390 Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will 00:22:56.390 --> 00:23:02.349 save your wife? We're going to unpack this. And 00:23:02.349 --> 00:23:05.710 I will say right up front. So verse 12 and 13, 00:23:06.069 --> 00:23:09.869 very clear, easy to understand. Verse 10 and 00:23:09.869 --> 00:23:13.650 11. Very clear, easy to understand. Verse 14, 00:23:13.890 --> 00:23:17.150 not so much. So we're going to try to seek to 00:23:17.150 --> 00:23:20.970 unpack that and see and get wisdom from the Lord 00:23:20.970 --> 00:23:24.170 on that and from other wise believers. And then 00:23:24.170 --> 00:23:26.930 we go into verse 15 and 16. And again, it's very 00:23:26.930 --> 00:23:31.779 clear. Paul addresses situations not directly 00:23:31.779 --> 00:23:34.980 covered in Jesus' recorded earthly teaching, 00:23:35.099 --> 00:23:38.640 and that is of a believer married to an unbeliever. 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:41.759 That's what he means when he says, to the rest 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:45.740 I, not the Lord, say. So in other words, he's 00:23:45.740 --> 00:23:47.740 not saying, what I'm about to tell you is not 00:23:47.740 --> 00:23:50.019 authoritative. No, it's not that at all. What 00:23:50.019 --> 00:23:52.039 he's saying is, Jesus didn't deal with this. 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:56.619 Remember, there's a new thing that's happening 00:23:56.619 --> 00:23:59.940 here with the conversion of the world. There's 00:23:59.940 --> 00:24:02.819 a whole host of Gentiles that are coming out 00:24:02.819 --> 00:24:06.119 of the world and they're becoming saved. And 00:24:06.119 --> 00:24:09.960 so now the question is, what if you have a mixed 00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:13.339 marriage where one is saved and the other is 00:24:13.339 --> 00:24:17.359 still an unrepentant idolater? What should be 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:20.380 done in cases like that? That's the question. 00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:25.440 While Jesus did not deal with this problem directly 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:28.200 while he was on the earth, Jesus does deal with 00:24:28.200 --> 00:24:30.180 it through his chosen and appointed apostles 00:24:30.180 --> 00:24:35.319 who speak with divine authority. No man today 00:24:35.319 --> 00:24:39.119 has this authority. It ceased when the last of 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:42.160 the original apostles died, which was most likely 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:45.680 the apostle John. With the coming of the gospel 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:48.200 to the Gentile world, it became far more likely 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:50.799 that either a wife or a husband would convert. 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:53.960 to the Christian faith without the other spouse. 00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:57.940 Now there was much teaching among both the Greeks 00:24:57.940 --> 00:25:01.019 and the Jews that the wife should follow the 00:25:01.019 --> 00:25:04.640 religion of her husband. Jews were to marry only 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:06.859 those belonging to their religion and believe 00:25:06.859 --> 00:25:09.980 that pagan wives should be divorced and the children 00:25:09.980 --> 00:25:14.279 sent away based on the actions of Ezra and Nehemiah. 00:25:15.059 --> 00:25:17.539 Plutarch's advice to the bride and groom emphasizes 00:25:17.539 --> 00:25:39.150 this. A wife, he says, So you can see there the 00:25:39.150 --> 00:25:42.430 real problem here. Again, in the ethos of the 00:25:42.430 --> 00:25:45.509 day, in the practices of the day, this was very 00:25:45.509 --> 00:25:52.259 common. Furthermore, Prior to this, Paul is also 00:25:52.259 --> 00:25:55.099 taught about separation from the world and from 00:25:55.099 --> 00:25:58.599 the unclean. Now, we know that a Christian who 00:25:58.599 --> 00:26:02.519 marries is to marry only in the Lord. And we 00:26:02.519 --> 00:26:06.740 see Paul's warning about being unequally yoked 00:26:06.740 --> 00:26:10.039 with unbelievers back over in 2 Corinthians 6, 00:26:10.140 --> 00:26:14.180 verse 14 and 18. He says, Do not be unequally 00:26:14.180 --> 00:26:17.460 yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship 00:26:17.460 --> 00:26:20.900 has righteousness with lawlessness? And what 00:26:20.900 --> 00:26:25.680 communion has light with darkness? And then in 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:28.579 verse 17 he says, Therefore come out from among 00:26:28.579 --> 00:26:33.339 them and be separate, says the Lord. So it's 00:26:33.339 --> 00:26:35.559 no wonder that the Christian believers needed 00:26:35.559 --> 00:26:38.480 clarification about the state of their mixed 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:41.579 marriages. Should they separate? Should they 00:26:41.579 --> 00:26:46.240 break off the yoke? Should they divorce? Should 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:48.500 they break their marriage oath and covenant in 00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:51.480 light of their conversion to the Christian faith? 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:54.980 And one might say, how can two walk together 00:26:54.980 --> 00:27:00.240 unless they are agreed? Paul's answer to this, 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:04.940 though, It's a bit surprising. In light of all 00:27:04.940 --> 00:27:09.240 that I just said, he is very, very clear. His 00:27:09.240 --> 00:27:13.180 command by the authority of Jesus is very clear. 00:27:13.700 --> 00:27:17.680 A brother with an unbelieving wife who is willing 00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:22.299 to dwell with him, he says, do not divorce her. 00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:25.799 A woman with an unbelieving husband who is willing 00:27:25.799 --> 00:27:32.200 to dwell with her, do not divorce him. Marriage 00:27:32.200 --> 00:27:35.500 is a creation ordinance and therefore should 00:27:35.500 --> 00:27:39.440 not be broken except under extreme circumstances. 00:27:39.980 --> 00:27:43.140 And thus a believer and an unbeliever who were 00:27:43.140 --> 00:27:46.059 joined together in marriage and one of them was 00:27:46.059 --> 00:27:49.440 saved should not break that. That's what Paul 00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:54.200 is saying. Should not break that. Believer should 00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:57.339 not seek to end the marriage solely because of 00:27:57.339 --> 00:28:01.589 differing faith. How can this be and how can 00:28:01.589 --> 00:28:06.329 this possibly work? Paul will then go on to explain 00:28:06.329 --> 00:28:11.529 in verse 14 and 15 as to how this works. But 00:28:11.529 --> 00:28:14.950 before we get to that, I think there's one other 00:28:14.950 --> 00:28:17.769 consideration that we should be noted in this 00:28:17.769 --> 00:28:22.549 situation. Now, Paul does not state this in this 00:28:22.549 --> 00:28:26.069 passage. And so I'm not going to give it as an 00:28:26.069 --> 00:28:28.960 absolute, but I think it's worthy of note. In 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:31.539 light of Jesus' teaching back in Matthew 19, 00:28:31.900 --> 00:28:35.480 I'm going to quote here from Pillar Commentary 00:28:35.480 --> 00:28:38.319 along with a story from Justin Martyr. To be 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:40.920 more specific about the experience of the early 00:28:40.920 --> 00:28:44.960 Christians in Corinth, it is possible that given 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:47.380 Paul's understanding of marriage as an exclusive 00:28:47.380 --> 00:28:50.819 partnership, this might include a commitment 00:28:50.819 --> 00:28:55.299 on the part of an unbelieving spouse to abstain 00:28:55.299 --> 00:28:58.960 from all kinds of extramarital relations. I'm 00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:00.500 going to go on in just a bit. So what he's saying 00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:05.019 here is this works if the other partner, the 00:29:05.019 --> 00:29:08.880 unbelieving one, is not a serial adulterer and 00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:12.579 is not just going out and having his flings all 00:29:12.579 --> 00:29:16.299 over the place. Okay, then this can work. I think 00:29:16.299 --> 00:29:18.980 that is kind of alluded to in the passage, but 00:29:18.980 --> 00:29:22.000 again, it's not stated specifically. I'll continue. 00:29:23.200 --> 00:29:26.079 Knowing the culture, husbands would engage in 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:29.089 extramarital sexual relationships. with slaves, 00:29:29.569 --> 00:29:32.390 with prostitutes, or courtesans. And so it's 00:29:32.390 --> 00:29:35.369 possible that Christian wives would be expected 00:29:35.369 --> 00:29:38.210 to have to endure such behavior on the part of 00:29:38.210 --> 00:29:41.599 unbelieving husbands. Anthony Thistleton reminds 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:44.039 us of the case from the second century reported 00:29:44.039 --> 00:29:47.200 by Justin Martyr at the beginning of his second 00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:50.660 apology. Justin relates the story of a woman 00:29:50.660 --> 00:29:52.819 who had come to Christian faith in the context 00:29:52.819 --> 00:29:56.059 of a marriage where both of them, both she and 00:29:56.059 --> 00:30:00.700 her husband, had been unchaste. Upon becoming 00:30:00.700 --> 00:30:04.799 a Christian, she became a chaste wife. and tried 00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:08.059 to persuade her husband to adopt a similarly 00:30:08.059 --> 00:30:11.400 chaste lifestyle based on Christ's teaching. 00:30:11.619 --> 00:30:15.599 He alienated her, however, by continuing to live 00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:19.220 a sexually immoral lifestyle. In spite of her 00:30:19.220 --> 00:30:22.200 deep desire to leave him, her friends advised 00:30:22.200 --> 00:30:25.740 her to stay to try to win her husband. Her husband 00:30:25.740 --> 00:30:28.980 so declined in unnatural vice, however, that 00:30:28.980 --> 00:30:32.819 in the end she gave him a writ of divorce. Upon 00:30:32.819 --> 00:30:36.039 this, Her husband reported her to the authorities 00:30:36.039 --> 00:30:40.259 for her Christian faith. Kind of a really interesting 00:30:40.259 --> 00:30:42.619 wrinkle there. This is in the very, very early 00:30:42.619 --> 00:30:45.180 church. Like I said, I think this is in the second 00:30:45.180 --> 00:30:47.619 century. I could be wrong on that, second or 00:30:47.619 --> 00:30:51.140 third. So all that I'm saying there here is, 00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:55.079 again, we're putting this all together. So the 00:30:55.079 --> 00:30:57.960 unbelieving husband or unbelieving wife can stay 00:30:57.960 --> 00:31:02.089 with the believer. But if there is sexual immorality, 00:31:02.210 --> 00:31:05.250 then Jesus' words come into play where then she 00:31:05.250 --> 00:31:07.730 would be permitted to divorce. I hope I made 00:31:07.730 --> 00:31:10.769 that clear. I'm simply applying there both the 00:31:10.769 --> 00:31:13.470 teachings of Jesus and Paul that if the unbeliever 00:31:13.470 --> 00:31:16.190 is sexually immoral, then Jesus' exception comes 00:31:16.190 --> 00:31:19.029 into play and the believing spouse has grounds 00:31:19.029 --> 00:31:22.509 for a lawful divorce. Though the religion and 00:31:22.509 --> 00:31:24.730 beliefs are different, they can continue to live 00:31:24.730 --> 00:31:28.380 together. But yet there is sanctification in 00:31:28.380 --> 00:31:32.680 this mixed marriage. Verse 14, the unbelieving 00:31:32.680 --> 00:31:36.140 spouse is sanctified by the believing spouse. 00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:40.559 That is, he or she is set apart and dedicated 00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:44.220 to God by the believing spouse. Furthermore, 00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:49.059 the children are holy. rather than unclean. I'm 00:31:49.059 --> 00:31:51.319 not planning to get into that today. I hope to 00:31:51.319 --> 00:31:53.079 treat that in the next sermon, Lord willing, 00:31:53.180 --> 00:31:55.400 in two weeks. I want to go into that further 00:31:55.400 --> 00:31:58.859 because there's a lot there in that one. The 00:31:58.859 --> 00:32:01.799 implication is that God's blessing and present 00:32:01.799 --> 00:32:04.700 extends to the household through the believer. 00:32:04.920 --> 00:32:07.880 And so the marriage is not defiled, but it has 00:32:07.880 --> 00:32:11.359 potential for redemptive influence. Now we might 00:32:11.359 --> 00:32:15.039 say, in what way is the unbelieving husband sanctified 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:18.259 by a believing wife? or an unbelieving wife sanctified 00:32:18.259 --> 00:32:21.880 by a believing husband. I said this is a difficult 00:32:21.880 --> 00:32:24.319 one, and it is. But I'm going to give you several 00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:27.279 possibilities of the meaning of this, and I think 00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:29.839 maybe the last one might be the best one. But 00:32:29.839 --> 00:32:32.259 we'll kind of go through here. And again, there's 00:32:32.259 --> 00:32:36.039 a lot of ideas on this because it's not real 00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:40.559 clear. First of all, this does not mean... that 00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:43.480 the unbeliever is automatically a saved person. 00:32:43.740 --> 00:32:46.480 No, they're still unbelievers. So whatever this 00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:49.059 sanctification is, it doesn't mean that they're 00:32:49.059 --> 00:32:52.880 saved, as in having a new heart, regenerated, 00:32:52.900 --> 00:32:57.119 and they'll go to heaven. So secondly, it is 00:32:57.119 --> 00:33:00.740 worthy of note that in this case, it is not the 00:33:00.740 --> 00:33:04.440 unclean that makes the clean profane or unholy. 00:33:05.060 --> 00:33:07.720 Often like in the case of separation that was 00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:12.339 talked about or in others when holy and unclean 00:33:12.339 --> 00:33:15.500 come together the unclean makes the holy unclean. 00:33:15.500 --> 00:33:17.880 But that is not the case here. It is the complete 00:33:17.880 --> 00:33:20.740 opposite. Here it is that the holy makes clean 00:33:20.740 --> 00:33:24.880 the unholy or sanctifies it in some way. The 00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:28.220 presence of the Christian spouse has a sanctifying 00:33:28.220 --> 00:33:31.880 influence on the unbelieving spouse. Indeed, 00:33:31.960 --> 00:33:35.299 there are abundant blessings that flow from the 00:33:35.299 --> 00:33:38.960 grace of God in the life of a believer that extends 00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:42.440 to the husband and even to the whole household. 00:33:43.259 --> 00:33:47.859 Even if just one of the spouses becomes a believer, 00:33:48.079 --> 00:33:52.140 the influence pervades and goes through the whole 00:33:52.140 --> 00:33:55.680 house. The unbelieving spouse receives a Christian 00:33:55.680 --> 00:33:58.559 witness that he or she might not have received 00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:02.039 in any other way. I love the way Anthony Thistleton 00:34:02.039 --> 00:34:05.059 put this. He says, the lifestyle of the believing 00:34:05.059 --> 00:34:08.780 spouse, their example, their witness and prayer 00:34:08.780 --> 00:34:12.940 and living out of the gospel is bound to affect 00:34:12.940 --> 00:34:16.820 the ethos and to some extent the values and lifestyle 00:34:16.820 --> 00:34:20.280 of the home, whether this be the husband or the 00:34:20.280 --> 00:34:23.900 wife. They live in a sacred environment, a sphere 00:34:23.900 --> 00:34:26.960 in which God's holiness and transforming power 00:34:26.960 --> 00:34:31.599 operate. I'll give you this one example that 00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:34.280 can maybe help us to grasp this a little more. 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:39.460 We think of the difference of living in a Christian 00:34:39.460 --> 00:34:42.900 or mostly Christian nation versus living in a 00:34:42.900 --> 00:34:47.559 pagan nation. There's a host of wonderful blessings 00:34:47.559 --> 00:34:51.760 that come to all citizens of a nation that operates 00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:53.960 on Christian principles or is a Christian nation. 00:34:54.400 --> 00:34:57.000 There's a host of blessings to it. I mean, think 00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:00.019 about it. Low crime, living peacefully and secure, 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:03.340 protected rights of persons, honorable judges, 00:35:03.800 --> 00:35:07.059 clearly defined laws, even good roads sometimes. 00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:09.880 There's all sorts of things like that that are 00:35:09.880 --> 00:35:13.239 the blessing of living in a nation that is pervaded 00:35:13.239 --> 00:35:17.139 with a Christian influence. And yet, even for 00:35:17.139 --> 00:35:20.239 the unbeliever, these blessings abound, these 00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:24.429 collateral benefits, you might say. And so also, 00:35:24.590 --> 00:35:28.730 I think, it is with this case in the household. 00:35:29.010 --> 00:35:31.590 There's a sanctifying influence that permeates 00:35:31.590 --> 00:35:34.769 either a household or a nation through the blessings 00:35:34.769 --> 00:35:39.309 of a Christian spouse or citizens. I think this 00:35:39.309 --> 00:35:41.989 is a very valid and plausible reason, and it's 00:35:41.989 --> 00:35:46.230 one that I think is certainly to be understood. 00:35:46.929 --> 00:35:50.409 However, there's also just the fact that this 00:35:50.409 --> 00:35:53.309 could simply mean That while a Christian is not 00:35:53.309 --> 00:35:56.150 to marry an unbeliever, for that is being unequally 00:35:56.150 --> 00:35:59.670 yoked together, this union of believer and unbeliever 00:35:59.670 --> 00:36:02.710 is approved and permissible. It is blessed and 00:36:02.710 --> 00:36:05.909 sanctified by God as a consequence and extended 00:36:05.909 --> 00:36:08.409 blessing of the conversion. So now it's simply 00:36:08.409 --> 00:36:11.690 this is God's imprimatur upon them saying what 00:36:11.690 --> 00:36:14.920 would have been wrong in one case. You are not, 00:36:14.940 --> 00:36:17.380 it's now okay. You are blessed and sanctified 00:36:17.380 --> 00:36:19.920 by God in this marriage relationship between 00:36:19.920 --> 00:36:24.360 a believer and an unbeliever. Whatever it is, 00:36:24.460 --> 00:36:26.480 I think I've given you some good ideas here. 00:36:26.559 --> 00:36:30.119 Hopefully they resonate with you. But I will 00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:36.500 say this, this principle does not, it does not 00:36:36.500 --> 00:36:41.159 give permission or license for a Christian to 00:36:41.159 --> 00:36:44.929 marry An unbeliever. With the expectation that. 00:36:45.110 --> 00:36:47.829 Oh I'll have a sanctifying influence upon him. 00:36:47.929 --> 00:36:50.590 Or I'll win him to Christ. Or win her to Christ. 00:36:50.809 --> 00:36:54.909 If I go ahead and marry them. That is possible. 00:36:55.369 --> 00:36:59.070 But the command is clear. We are to marry only 00:36:59.070 --> 00:37:04.409 in the Lord. So do not use this passage. To make 00:37:04.409 --> 00:37:08.409 an excuse for a believer. Marrying an unbeliever. 00:37:09.769 --> 00:37:12.329 At the end of this chapter, verse 39, a wife 00:37:12.329 --> 00:37:14.550 is bound by law as long as her husband lives, 00:37:14.650 --> 00:37:16.750 but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to 00:37:16.750 --> 00:37:21.429 be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 00:37:21.750 --> 00:37:25.369 Only in the Lord. Well, then in verse 15 and 00:37:25.369 --> 00:37:29.070 16, he gets into some freedom, though, if the 00:37:29.070 --> 00:37:32.809 believer does depart, if the believer departs. 00:37:33.210 --> 00:37:35.769 If the unbeliever departs or separates from the 00:37:35.769 --> 00:37:38.360 Christian in the marriage, That is, they don't 00:37:38.360 --> 00:37:40.800 want to live with the believer anymore, and so 00:37:40.800 --> 00:37:43.719 they separate or divorce the Christian spouse. 00:37:44.119 --> 00:37:47.900 In this case, Paul says, a brother or a sister 00:37:47.900 --> 00:37:52.139 is not under bondage in such cases. That is, 00:37:52.139 --> 00:37:56.460 they are no longer bound to this marriage. Not 00:37:56.460 --> 00:38:00.400 being under bondage, they are free to remarry. 00:38:01.039 --> 00:38:04.260 The desertion by an unbelieving spouse is the 00:38:04.260 --> 00:38:07.260 other exception given for remarriage without 00:38:07.260 --> 00:38:10.039 violating the word of God given by Jesus and 00:38:10.039 --> 00:38:13.699 Paul. After being deserted, the believer is no 00:38:13.699 --> 00:38:16.179 longer under bondage. That is, they are no longer 00:38:16.179 --> 00:38:19.559 bound to this person. They are thus free to marry 00:38:19.559 --> 00:38:22.619 another. The marriage has been breached and there 00:38:22.619 --> 00:38:26.119 has been a disillusion of the bond just like 00:38:26.119 --> 00:38:28.780 the wife spoken of in verse 39 that I just read. 00:38:28.900 --> 00:38:31.460 A wife is bound by law as long as her husband 00:38:31.460 --> 00:38:34.739 lives. There's a binding in marriage that takes 00:38:34.739 --> 00:38:37.719 place. If her husband dies, she's at liberty 00:38:37.719 --> 00:38:40.590 to be married. When he says here, are no longer 00:38:40.590 --> 00:38:45.010 bound i believe he's meaning the same thing the 00:38:45.010 --> 00:38:47.130 death of a husband frees the wife from being 00:38:47.130 --> 00:38:50.829 bound so also the desertion of an unbelieving 00:38:50.829 --> 00:38:55.010 spouse frees the other from being bound i will 00:38:55.010 --> 00:38:57.469 say though that situations like this can be difficult 00:38:57.469 --> 00:39:01.690 and messy and they need good and wise pastoral 00:39:01.690 --> 00:39:07.179 counsel and care and wisdom for sure And the 00:39:07.179 --> 00:39:10.539 reason that he gives here is that God has called 00:39:10.539 --> 00:39:14.380 us to peace. It is much better to live in peace 00:39:14.380 --> 00:39:18.360 than with contention and strife. Romans 12, 18. 00:39:18.800 --> 00:39:22.840 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, 00:39:22.940 --> 00:39:25.659 live peaceably with all men. And again in verse 00:39:25.659 --> 00:39:29.300 19 of chapter 14 of Romans. Therefore, let us 00:39:29.300 --> 00:39:32.179 pursue the things which make for peace and the 00:39:32.179 --> 00:39:36.079 things by which one may edify another. Paul says, 00:39:36.230 --> 00:39:39.449 here and it's not bondage they're not in bondage 00:39:39.449 --> 00:39:43.449 in such such cases that god has called us to 00:39:43.449 --> 00:39:46.690 peace now there are some interpreters of this 00:39:46.690 --> 00:39:49.869 that will simply say that simply means that she 00:39:49.869 --> 00:39:53.300 needs she or he simply needs to let them go That 00:39:53.300 --> 00:39:55.199 they can just go and they don't have to be anxious 00:39:55.199 --> 00:39:58.239 about it. But I think the word bondage there 00:39:58.239 --> 00:40:01.820 is more indicative of being bound in marriage. 00:40:01.860 --> 00:40:04.980 And now they are no longer bound in marriage. 00:40:05.059 --> 00:40:08.739 And thus they are free to marry another. In the 00:40:08.739 --> 00:40:11.940 search for peace. Remember the sanctifying influence 00:40:11.940 --> 00:40:15.199 of the Christian spouse. He says, For how do 00:40:15.199 --> 00:40:17.219 you know, O wife, whether you will save your 00:40:17.219 --> 00:40:20.099 husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether 00:40:20.099 --> 00:40:22.920 you will save your wife? There's an evangelistic 00:40:22.920 --> 00:40:25.559 opportunity through continued witness in the 00:40:25.559 --> 00:40:29.300 marriage. Peter speaks of this in 1 Peter 3, 00:40:29.360 --> 00:40:32.159 verse 1 and 2, when he speaks to wives. He says, 00:40:32.219 --> 00:40:35.980 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, 00:40:36.139 --> 00:40:40.719 that if, even if, Some do not obey the word. 00:40:41.179 --> 00:40:45.079 They, without a word, may be won by the conduct 00:40:45.079 --> 00:40:48.320 of their wives when they observe your chaste 00:40:48.320 --> 00:40:52.619 conduct accompanied by fear. Let us seek then 00:40:52.619 --> 00:40:56.420 for peace. Well, let's draw a few final applications 00:40:56.420 --> 00:40:59.059 in summary. I know in this I've gotten pretty 00:40:59.059 --> 00:41:03.239 detailed. This passage really needs to be unpacked 00:41:03.239 --> 00:41:06.059 and I hope I've not. bored you or created difficulty 00:41:06.059 --> 00:41:09.619 in it. It's one of those things where it has 00:41:09.619 --> 00:41:12.880 to be going through and explained pretty clearly. 00:41:14.019 --> 00:41:18.179 So an application. Our culture of no -fault divorce 00:41:18.179 --> 00:41:23.260 has wreaked havoc on faithful marriages and the 00:41:23.260 --> 00:41:26.860 family. Just follow your heart is not a prescription 00:41:26.860 --> 00:41:30.099 for working through difficulties and being reconciled. 00:41:30.099 --> 00:41:35.849 No, we are to work it out. To go deep. And sadly, 00:41:35.929 --> 00:41:40.210 many of the rom -coms or books and movies glorify 00:41:40.210 --> 00:41:43.849 divorce, adultery, and teach a low view of marriage. 00:41:44.010 --> 00:41:47.250 And thus then, the culture influences and affects 00:41:47.250 --> 00:41:52.289 God's people. And so, be aware of that. We live 00:41:52.289 --> 00:41:55.909 in a day of very easy, no -fault divorce. And 00:41:55.909 --> 00:41:58.929 it's so easy to say, oh, I just wasn't into him 00:41:58.929 --> 00:42:02.199 anymore. Or I just want to follow my heart. Or 00:42:02.199 --> 00:42:04.300 this is tough, so I think I'll just go find another 00:42:04.300 --> 00:42:08.519 one. And everything lends itself to that. We 00:42:08.519 --> 00:42:11.739 live in a culture of no -fault divorce. I don't 00:42:11.739 --> 00:42:14.059 want to be bothered by the responsibility anymore. 00:42:14.280 --> 00:42:16.519 I just want to go be single again or whatever 00:42:16.519 --> 00:42:23.400 it is. What if an unlawful divorce or remarriage 00:42:23.400 --> 00:42:27.369 has taken place in the past? And the person or 00:42:27.369 --> 00:42:29.829 the couple are convicted by the Holy Spirit and 00:42:29.829 --> 00:42:32.829 the word of God that they sinned. We see this 00:42:32.829 --> 00:42:36.670 at times. There's sometimes some notable cases 00:42:36.670 --> 00:42:40.329 of this where there was an unlawful divorce and 00:42:40.329 --> 00:42:42.630 remarriage that has taken place. There was sin 00:42:42.630 --> 00:42:45.610 or there was adultery or whatever it is. So what 00:42:45.610 --> 00:42:49.289 if this has taken place in the past? Well, then 00:42:49.289 --> 00:42:51.750 they need to confess the sin before the Lord 00:42:51.750 --> 00:42:54.929 and repent of it. But two wrongs do not make 00:42:54.929 --> 00:42:57.880 a right. Therefore, they should stay in the present 00:42:57.880 --> 00:43:00.679 marriage and live for the glory of God and work 00:43:00.679 --> 00:43:03.480 it out. I come from a background, and this is 00:43:03.480 --> 00:43:06.400 kind of rare, but I come from a background in 00:43:06.400 --> 00:43:09.980 my Mennonite days where that was not allowed 00:43:09.980 --> 00:43:13.539 and they actually forced married couples to divorce 00:43:13.539 --> 00:43:16.280 if they had another living former spouse. And 00:43:16.280 --> 00:43:18.840 so it just really created a mess. That's why 00:43:18.840 --> 00:43:21.440 I just say here, if... If something like that 00:43:21.440 --> 00:43:23.960 happened in the past, do two wrongs, do not make 00:43:23.960 --> 00:43:26.820 a right. Don't do another divorce in light of 00:43:26.820 --> 00:43:29.400 it. Maybe there was an affair and the husband 00:43:29.400 --> 00:43:31.559 divorced his wife and married another and then 00:43:31.559 --> 00:43:34.019 he saw his sin and repented. Then be faithful. 00:43:34.340 --> 00:43:36.780 There are many examples of couples like this 00:43:36.780 --> 00:43:39.559 who are now living faithfully and I thank God 00:43:39.559 --> 00:43:43.659 for each one, each one that I know of. There's 00:43:43.659 --> 00:43:46.500 always things to work through. Sin always complicates, 00:43:46.519 --> 00:43:48.920 but do not commit the sin of another divorce. 00:43:50.860 --> 00:43:53.039 Next, if you're having marriage difficulties 00:43:53.039 --> 00:43:56.639 and you're even contemplating divorce or separation, 00:43:56.980 --> 00:44:01.320 then please get help. Please get help. There 00:44:01.320 --> 00:44:03.900 are many resources available in the church and 00:44:03.900 --> 00:44:06.719 biblical counselors. There are good books. And 00:44:06.719 --> 00:44:08.599 furthermore, you're surrounded with people who 00:44:08.599 --> 00:44:12.300 love you. We all want your marriages to succeed. 00:44:12.659 --> 00:44:15.659 That is what we want. And so if you're struggling 00:44:15.659 --> 00:44:18.300 with something, do not give in to the thought 00:44:18.300 --> 00:44:21.420 of divorce. For there is a way out through the 00:44:21.420 --> 00:44:24.880 grace and the mercy of God. Resolve to fight 00:44:24.880 --> 00:44:27.659 for your marriage with the full resources of 00:44:27.659 --> 00:44:30.440 the gospel. You have the unique resources for 00:44:30.440 --> 00:44:32.960 help. You have the Holy Spirit. You have the 00:44:32.960 --> 00:44:35.119 word of God. And you have the church of Jesus 00:44:35.119 --> 00:44:39.480 Christ by your side. In summary then. Marriage 00:44:39.480 --> 00:44:42.340 is a covenant. God's word gives a strong emphasis 00:44:42.340 --> 00:44:46.599 on permanence, reconciliation, and faithfulness, 00:44:46.639 --> 00:44:49.760 reflecting God's design. Christian believers 00:44:49.760 --> 00:44:52.559 may not divorce each other without a just cause 00:44:52.559 --> 00:44:57.159 of sexual immorality or desertion. There are 00:44:57.159 --> 00:45:00.179 some faithful expositors that teach that severe 00:45:00.179 --> 00:45:03.980 or persistent abuse, especially physical or life 00:45:03.980 --> 00:45:07.579 -threatening, may be included as a form of willful 00:45:07.579 --> 00:45:10.980 desertion. desertion elders certainly need to 00:45:10.980 --> 00:45:13.780 assess repentance safety and whether reconciliation 00:45:13.780 --> 00:45:18.900 is possible and certainly matthew 18 church discipline 00:45:18.900 --> 00:45:24.000 process applies to the abuser in that case If 00:45:24.000 --> 00:45:27.099 a believer divorces a spouse without just cause 00:45:27.099 --> 00:45:31.179 and refuses to be reconciled, this is a grievous 00:45:31.179 --> 00:45:34.820 sin. And the church is responsible to admonish 00:45:34.820 --> 00:45:38.179 the one who is departing. If they will not repent 00:45:38.179 --> 00:45:41.000 and be reconciled, then the church will need 00:45:41.000 --> 00:45:44.300 to consider church discipline. For this is open 00:45:44.300 --> 00:45:47.480 rebellion against the clear commandment of the 00:45:47.480 --> 00:45:50.599 word of God. Remember the passage in Malachi, 00:45:50.820 --> 00:45:54.789 how the God hates. divorce and the ill treatment 00:45:54.789 --> 00:45:59.210 of the marriage partner. And finally, mixed marriages 00:45:59.210 --> 00:46:02.670 are not to be abandoned lightly. The believer's 00:46:02.670 --> 00:46:05.889 presence can be a means of grace and potential 00:46:05.889 --> 00:46:10.230 salvation for the spouse and the children. But 00:46:10.230 --> 00:46:12.829 if the believer is deserted, they are free from 00:46:12.829 --> 00:46:18.079 being bound and can remarry in the Lord. I hope 00:46:18.079 --> 00:46:20.219 that this has been a helpful exposition of this 00:46:20.219 --> 00:46:22.760 passage. Certainly, if you have questions, feel 00:46:22.760 --> 00:46:25.219 free to ask me about them or talk about them 00:46:25.219 --> 00:46:28.579 or further study. This is kind of a compilation 00:46:28.579 --> 00:46:31.139 of a number of other things, and I hope that 00:46:31.139 --> 00:46:34.260 it has been helpful. So may the Lord be praised 00:46:34.260 --> 00:46:35.500 in it all. Let's pray.