I have been putting some time into the subject of “Divorce and Remarriage” this week. I have added a number of documents to this site, and have also written a couple of posts on the subject.
About a week ago, Michael Whennen picked out my article on Church of God Restoration Movement Dating from an alert he had set up in Google Alerts. That article discussed the position of D.S. Warner, who taught that Christians could stay in a second marriage, even if they have a living spouse from another legal marriage.
Michael sent me a paper by Les McFall that deals with how the exception clause was created in Matthew 19:9. Erasmus changed the Greek in his manuscript, with no textual authority, and this same Greek text became the basis for the Textual Receptus.
Some of the documents I have been adding are not posted in my blog, as I am adding them to the website via WordPress Page instead of WordPress Post. So I thought I would do a post with a list of the articles from Page and Post.
There are two articles in the “Divorce and Remarriage Articles” by the Church of God Anderson; one by D.S. Warner and the other by Church of God Anderson ministers. The writings from these men made an allowance to stay in a second marriage while the first spouse from a lawful1 marriage was still living. While I disagree with this position, I have posted them on my site for historical purposes.
Divorce and Remarriage Post Articles:
Review of Considerations On Divorce A Vinculo Matrimonii 1857 — This review of Edward Badeley’s “Considerations On Divorce A Vinculo Matrimonii” is to give you a short form of the main points that Barrister raised in his booklet.
Except For Fornication Clause of Matthew 19:9 — A review of Leslie McFall’s paper “Biblical Teaching on Divorce and Remarriage” discusses the addition that Desiderius Erasmus added to his Greek-Latin New Testament (1516 1st ed), which changed the way Matthew 19:9 has been translated.
Divorce & Remarriage — A short article that shows all D&M scriptures in the New Testament, and a list of the most common excuses used to justify remarriage after divorcing a lawful1 spouse.
Divorce and Remarriage Page Articles
Codex Leicester Manuscript 69 — Information on “Manuscript 69″ from Robert Waltz’s “Encyclopedia of New Testament Textual Criticism” and Les McFall’s PDF on “Codex Leicester”. Includes a photo of sample scribe writing and marginal correction for Matthew 19:9.
An Explanation For McFall’s “Literal Translation Of Matthew” 19:9 — This is McFall’s explanation for his literal translation of Matthew 19:9, which is a copy of appendix B from his paper “The Biblical Teaching On Divorce and Remarriage”. I put this in HTML so that I can reference this part of his paper when I quote his translation of this verse.
Divorce and Remarriage Articles in PDF
Considerations on Divorce A Vinculo Matrimonii in Connexion with Holy Scripture — A 66-page booklet by Edward Badeley – a Barrister in London, England who did this study to find out whether divorce for the reason of adultery was or was not prohibited by New Testament scriptures. (1857)
Divorce and Remarriage: Another Look at the Matthean Exception Clauses — A 33-page article by Andrew S. Kulikovsky, which reviews the so-called ‘exception clauses’ of Mat 5:32 and Mat 19:9. Kulikovsky argues that the so-called ‘exception clause’ in Mat 19:9 is a parenthetical clause, and that it is an editorial addition which functions as an explicit prohibition against divorce for sexual sin – not an exception clause that allows re-marriage in case of marital unfaithfulness. (Dec. 12, 2005)
The Biblical Teaching on Divorce and Remarriage — A 42-page article by Leslie McFall that deals with the influence of the Greek word ει being added to Matthew 19:19 by Desiderius Erasmus in his New Testament Greek manuscript in 1516. (Oct. 15, 2008)
Divorce and Remarriage Articles by Church of God Anderson
Must They Separate? — A letter to the Church of God, from the ministers assembled in General Camp Meeting at Moundsville, W. VA June 1901, concerning the issue of divorce and remarriage. I do not agree with the view held in this letter, but I have posted it here for historical purposes.
Marriage and Divorce — Booklet by D. S. Warner, who taught that there is no Bible command to separate two people who are married where one has a living spouse from a previous marriage. He also taught that the 2nd married is allowed to continue if they got into the second marriage while not knowing that the Bible teaches against the second marriage. As noted above, I do not agree with the view held in this letter, but I have posted it here for historical purposes.
1 The use of ‘lawful’ is in respect to the New Covenant law (the law of liberty, the royal law), and is not referring to the law of Moses or the current marriage laws of any nation.
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:53 am
Some other good marriage/divorce sites worth checking out
http://www.cadz.net/mdr.htm
http://www.marriagedivorce.com
http://www.cadz.net (Audio Sermons)
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Hi Cheryl; Thank you for posting those links. I know of Stephen W. Wilcox from the Hosea Project and there are some interesting things on both of his sites you posted above.
Keep an eye out for a review I am doing of Andrew S. Kulikovsky’s article Divorce and Remarriage: Another Look at the Matthean Exception Clauses. Also take time to read my article Except For Fornication Clause of Matthew 19:9 which is a short review of McFall’s 43 page article The Biblical Teaching on Divorce and Remarriage.
Both McFall and Kulikovsky handle the so-called exception clause of Mat 19:9 in a different way than Wilcox who holds the Mat 19:9 so-called exception clause has to do with Jewish betrothal.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:35 pm
We all need to stop listening to mere men’s opinions, listening to mere men, whether they even be elders, pastors and all get back to listening to God, and to listening, obeying his words..
I have no personal doubts being in the ministry the last 3 decades that many pastors are wrongfully sex maniacs and that is why they counsel, divorce, practice divorce too. sadly it is undeniably that 70 percent of the pastors are still even ungodly persons, a fact I have detailed as well elsewhere.
It is for this reasons I have helped rightfully to fire many ungodly pastors, even original church founding ones too.
The except for fornication clause is not a mandatory divorce too, for you can ask your spouse to repent and forgive them next too.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Hi thenonconformer; Well I am for listening to God and obeying his Word. One of the issues I have brought up is quite important. According to the Leslie McFall Erasmus changed the Greek into the Mat 19:9 so that it gives an exception clause which is what most people are using for an excuse to divorce and remarry. And there is no textual evidence to support Erasmus’ addition. Read my review of McFall’s article disclosing this.
November 24th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
After teaching on this subject for over thirty years I am amazed at all the confusion being spread because of; I think, or I believe phrases. The true acid test of truth is what did Jesus and Paul really teach? What did all of the earliest Church fathers teach? Who changed the teaching and when; and who wrote all of our theology books that have led the present-day Church astray?
Paul clearly said to Timothy; “I received my revelation directly from Jesus Christ, and in that day we will be judged by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. If anyone teaches anything any different from what I have taught you, let him be accursed. If even an angel teaches something different; let him be anathmatized.” Once we find out today’s Church is not teaching what Jesus and Paul taught, healing and order can be restored.
My newest book; “Divorce and Remarriage, The Trojan Horse Within the Church.” reveals all of these historic facts with direct quotations of all the persons involved in the original teaching and the actual quotations of those involved in changing the message.
Bill Gothard said of this book: “O have been pleased to receive and review your manuscript…You have done an outstanding job on presenting the Biblical view on divorce and remarriage. The readers cannot help but be impressed with the scholarly research you have done on this subject…for those who sincerely want the truth, your book will be a valuable resource.”
The book can be obtained through Xulon Press and Spring Arbor at any bookstore, or at Christian Principles Restored.
April 10th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Another article & web-site to add to the list Cheryl has sent your way:
http://www.marriagedivorceremarriage.com/media/divorce-remarriage.pdf
July 20th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Hi gang,
On the slim chance that someone seeking truth, reads this site and needs to feel a little hope, I have a testimony.
My name is Stephen, and I wanted to share something. Back in 08, my wife left me for the option to date again or be with another man (pick one). Since our separation she has shown on numerous occasions that she has abandoned the Way and at times even blasphemed it. Since then I have always battled with whether or not I will be able to remarry. I had known about the interpretational nightmare that the Church has on their hands since before I was divorced myself. Once divorced I found myself living the nightmare. Must I be single now that my unbelieving wife left me for an adulterous life?
God is good. In fact, He’s great. Slowly, through lots of consideration of all sides of the argument, and through the comfort of the Holy Spirit, I found my answer. I must and can be single. The trouble I struggled with was not condemnation through a confused conscience, it was actually the Holy Spirit intervening. God’s stirring of my conscience is His loving providence.
This will be a hard road. But as the book of James states, it is these trials that produce perseverance. And as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 7, a life of singleness enables us to consetrate on our own spiritual growth instead of others. Such a trial, albeit large for many of us, can be seen as an opportunity for even more closeness with God.
I ask that you folks pray for me, and my ex-wife.
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:22 pm
God bless you Stephen!!
You have chosen the way of the cross.
You could have chosen your own way, which may have yielded some good things for the flesh, in this life. But you have chosen to crucify the old man and his desires on the cross, with Jesus.
The good news is that there is a resurrection after the cross! Run the race with patience, enduring unto the end, and you will be rewarded the crown of life.
As the song says, “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus. Life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ. One glimpse of his dear face, all sorrow will erase. So bravely run the race, ’til we see Christ!”
Amen!
Mike
September 7th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Anytime someone says, “the original Greek says/means” is indicating to he listener that a false doctrine is coming. Bill Gothard is a dangerous teacher and is binding people instead of setting them free. God’s Word is the final authority, not people’s interpretation, historical accounts or dictionaries.
September 7th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Hi Mikie,
God’s Word is in Hebrew and Greek. The English Bibles we have are only translations.
Bob.
September 8th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Bob,
I agree that they were written in those languages, but does it mean it can’t be preserved in another? The “original” haven’t existed for a long time. God promised to preserve His Word. “Only translations” means God didn’t preserve His Word, and I DO NOT accept that. I trust my Bible. which IS inspired, even if it is “only a translation” as you put it. People who correct an inspired Book with uninspired books are sowing doubt, not faith.