What is Adultery?

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by Aquila

The text reads,

“3The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9And I say unto you (THE PHARISEES), Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” - Matthew 19:3-9

The Pharisees asked this question because they were putting their wives away for just any cause and remarrying a “newer model”. Jesus tells them that according to the Law (remember all of this was said under the Law) that if a man puts away his wife for any other cause other than fornication (sexual uncleanness) and marries another, he commits adultery. And whoso marrieth her which is put away for another other cause commits adultery. Jesus wasn’t giving a didactic teaching of the church. His words were a rebuke of their own carnal practices.

Paul said,

“8I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I. 9But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. 10And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. 12But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. 15But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.” – I Corinthians 7:8-15

Paul illustrates that there are exceptions to the rule spoken of by Christ under the Law. Essentially if an unbelieving (be they unbelievers or backslidden from the faith because this is unspecified) spouse wishes to divorce, we are to just let them go. A brother or sister isn’t bound to remain single and reconcile in such cases.

We have to have wisdom and grace in these matters.

It appears to me the pharises were looking to justify there illegitimate marriages not the other way around.



Exhibit A would appear to reinforce my position.

1 Cor 7 says a spousse is not bound but there is no implication that remarriage is accepted. That is an argument from silence.

I want the wisdom of the book and I don't want to have more grace than God