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Jesus is Questioned on Divorce. Matthew 19:3-12. Testing Jesus Matthew 19:3-12. Focusing the issue : Some brethren say Jesus was teaching Moses (Deut. 24:1) NO – Jesus taught on marriage while explaining why Moses allowed what was allowed under his law.
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Jesus is Questioned on Divorce Matthew 19:3-12
Testing JesusMatthew 19:3-12 • Focusing the issue: • Some brethren say Jesus was teaching Moses (Deut. 24:1) • NO – Jesus taught on marriage while explaining why Moses allowed what was allowed under his law
Testing JesusMatthew 19:3-12 • Focusing the issue: • Some brethren conclude divorce is allowable if they intend never to remarry • NO – This views “putting away” (19:9) only as a legal (court) action instead of as the sinful sundering that it is, Matt. 19:6 • Exception applied frees the innocent of sinful sundering, allowing him/her to remarry • Jesus forbids sending away spouse for other reasons, Matt. 5:32 (19:6)
Question #1Matthew 19:3 • Answer: “No, but not for the reason you expect. Marriage is not to be sundered.” Matt. 19:4-6 • Testing Jesus: • Dispute over causes for divorce; Not over whether God approved of divorce! • Pharisees assumed the right of divorce – they disputed its cause(s) Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? apoluo: Also translated – release, dismiss, send away, divorce
Question #1Matthew 19:3 The Dispute Over Cause (Deut. 24:1) • School of Shammai • Emphasized “uncleanness” and defined it as adultery • Overly strict, Deut. 22:22; Lev. 20:10 • School of Hillel • Broadened “indecent” to any and every cause • Utterly lax, eliminating the restraint of Deut. 24:1 Is it lawful for a man to put away* his wife for every cause? * apoluo: Also translated – release, dismiss, send away, divorce
Question #1Matthew 19:3 The Dispute Over Cause (Deut. 24:1) • School of Shammai • Emphasized “uncleanness” and defined it as adultery • Overly strict, Deut. 22:22; Lev. 20:10 • School of Hillel • Broadened “indecent” to any and every cause • Utterly lax, eliminating the restraint of Deut. 24:1 Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? Jesus will show both are wrong! They failed to understand God’s original aim of marriage
Answer #1Matthew 19:4-5 • Creation of male and female implies God designed marriage, 19:4; Gen. 1:27 • God instituted marriage by His creative will and act • For this reason: God said what marriage really is, 19:5; Gen. 2:24 • One flesh relationship • Primacy and permanency of marriage is recognized by the “one flesh” relation Marriage is a law from creation and lasts for life!
Answer #1Matthew 19:6 • Marriage is not to be put asunder, 19:6; 1 Cor. 7:10, 11 • chorizo: Separate, “to separate oneself, depart” • “To place room between”, cf. Rom. 8:35, 39 • “The implication is that any man who divides what God has thus by his own creation united into one, flies in the face of God and his will.” (Lenski) Conclusion: They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
Applications for UsMatthew 19:4-6 • Marriage is for life, Rom. 7:2-3; 1 Cor. 7:39 • God’s will is not that people in scriptural marriages divorce • God’s will is that marriages He joins are not sundered • God does not approve of divorce for “any reason” • Divorce (just don’t remarry), Matt. 19:6; 5:32; 1 Cor. 7:27 • God hates divorce, Mal. 2:16 They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
Question #2Matthew 19:7 • Refer to Deut. 24:1-4 • False assumption: Moses commanded divorce “Even its substance dealt only with the legal procedure followed in the release of a wife; a divorce certificate had to be given.” (Lenski) “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”
Answer #2Matthew 19:8 • Moses gave permission to put away wives within God-given parameters, Deut. 24:1-4 • Limited the reason: “Some uncleanness in her”, 24:1 • “unseemly”, “indecency” • Offensiveness, shameful-ness, disgrace (Davidson) • OT use: Deut. 23:14; Lev. 18:6; Isa. 47:3; Ezek. 16:8 Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
Answer #2Matthew 19:8 • Moses gave permission to put away wives within God-given parameters, Deut. 24:1-4 • Shameful immorality short of adultery, Deut. 22:22 • Other conditions, 24:2-4 • Certificate of divorcement • Not allowed to return to 1st • Why? Hardness of hearts • Not so from the beginning Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
Answer #2Matthew 19:8 • Concession was made by Moses due to hard hearts • God regulated its usage: • Restrained rampant divorce • Protection and provision for wives • Jesus ended the concession • Jesus did not preach Moses • He nailed the LOM to the cross Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
Answer #2Matthew 19:9 • Fornication is the one reason Jesus allows for putting away your spouse • Frees the innocent one to remarry without sin • All remarriages without this reason are adultery, Mk. 10:11-12; Rom. 7:2-3 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.
ApplicationsMatthew 19:7-9 • Moses did NOT sanction many reasons to end a marriage • Jesus did NOT sanction many reasons to end a marriage • Jesus does NOT command or permit divorce without remarriage And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.
Apostles (#3)Matthew 19:10 • Reluctant to give up the Jewish ease of ending a marriage • Appealed to emotions and earthly wisdom • “Celibacy is better than marriage!” Or… • “Immorality is better than marriage!” If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.
Apostles (#3)Matthew 19:11-12 • Truth is unchanged by our emotions or by the difficulty of obedience • This saying about marriage: • Its origin, its permanency and its exception (19:4-9) • There are eunuchs… • By birth • By others • By choice for the kingdom of heaven’s sake All cannot except this saying but only those to whom it has been given … He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”
Apostles (#3)Matthew 19:11-12 • Able to accept it • Willing to yield to God’s truth about marriage • Marriage is for life • Do not sunder God-joined marriages • Make every sacrifice necessary to be in the kingdom of heaven All cannot except this saying but only those to whom it has been given … He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”
Marriage • JesusElevatedmarriage: One flesh for life! • Sundering what God has joined together is a great sin, Matt. 19:6 • Do not look for ways to end your marriage • Use God’s WORD to enhance your marriage with unwavering commitment