Jesus on Marriage and Divorce - Bible Study

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Jesus on Marriage and Divorce

SINCE the dawn of creation, God designed marriage to be permanent, exclusive, and fruitful (Gen 1:28; 2:24; Mt 19:5). However, since man's rebellion against God, the institution of marriage has suffered many distortions that tarnished its God-given beauty. Moses permitted divorce and remarriage as a concession to the sinfulness of Israel under the Old Covenant (Deut 24:1-4). Even so, it was ultimately clear that divorce falls short of God's will and plan for married couples (cf. Mal 2:16).

This leads to an important question: Does Jesus reaffirm the permission of divorce stipulated in Deut 24:1-4, or, rather, does he revoke this concession and announce the indissolubility of marriage for the New Covenant? The Catholic Church has consistently maintained that Jesus forbids divorce and remarriage. The bond that unites a couple in the sacrament of matrimony is created by God (Mt 19:6) and can be dissolved only by the death of one of the spouses (cf. Rom 7:1-3). For men or women to remarry while their spouse is living is to commit adultery (Mt 19:9; Rom 7:3).

Jesus' teaching on marriage, divorce, and remarriage is unfortunately a source of controversy among Christians. Much confusion swirls around his statement in Mt 19:9: "[W]hoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery" (cf. Mt 5:32). Does Jesus really make an "exception" to allow for divorce and remarriage? Since the rise of Protestantism in the sixteenth century, many non-Catholic groups have answered "yes". They began to appeal to this "exception clause" to justify divorce and remarriage in extreme circumstances. However, this view fails to interpret Jesus' statement in light of its immediate, biblical context. The disciples' response to Jesus' statement on divorce ("it is not expedient to marry" [19:10]) demonstrates that, in their understanding, Jesus was leaving no room at all for divorce and remarriage. In fact, they viewed celibacy as a preferable alternative to marriage precisely because Jesus' teaching on this matter is so strict—far more so than that of any of his Jewish contemporaries. The disciples' incredulous response to Jesus thus confirms the Catholic Church's constant teaching on the indissolubility of sacramental marriage.

Still, the question remains: What did Jesus mean when he said "except for unchastity" in Mt 5:32 and 19:9? Over the centuries, Catholic exegesis has put forward three main interpretations of this exception clause. None is endorsed by the Church as her official understanding of the passage. However, all are permissible interpretations inasmuch as they harmonize the exception clause with the revolutionary teaching of Jesus (and the Catholic Church) on the indissolubility of sacramental marriage.

1. Patristic View

Several Church Fathers suggest Jesus allowed for divorce in cases of serious sexual sin such as adultery, but he never permitted remarriage after divorce. The spouses may separate in these circumstances by a legal arrangement of living apart, but they cannot break the marriage bond, and they are not free to remarry. This view finds support by a consideration of the Greek word porneia, translated "unchastity", in Mt 19:9. While the word has a broad range of meaning, it can mean "adultery", as in the Greek OT (also translated "harlotry"; Sir 23:23; Ezek 16:33; Hos 2:2). Thus, an adulterous situation may give cause for separation so long as the spouses do not embark upon a second marriage. This squares with St. Paul's teaching that a separated couple has only two options: be reconciled to one another, or remain single (1 Cor 7:10-11).

2. Levitical Law View

This position interprets "unchastity" in Mt 19:9 as invalid marriages where the spouses are too closely related. Thus, "except for unchastity" (Mt 19:9) means "except where unlawful unions exist". Such unions ought to be severed because of the impediment posed by near blood-relations. A divorce under these conditions does not sunder a true marriage bond because a valid marriage never existed. It is equivalent to an annulment. This view is supported by two NT instances where porneia refers to incest. In Acts 15:20, 29, the apostles charge Gentile Christians to abstain from blood and unchastity. The OT background for this decision in Lev 18:6-18 suggests that unchastity refers to prohibited marriages between closely related kinsfolk. In 1 Cor 5:1-2 (translated "immorality"), porneia clearly refers to an illicit union of a man and his father's wife.

3. "No Comment" View

According to this position, Jesus sets aside Jewish debates over the grounds for divorce in the Old Covenant (Deut 24). Because Jesus is revoking the OT concession on divorce, he brackets the whole issue and sets it off to the side as irrelevant. Thus, "except for unchastity" (Mt 19:9) means "regardless of the OT grounds for divorce". Jesus refuses even to comment on Deut 24:1. To do so would blunt the force of his own teaching, since he is not clarifying or reaffirming Moses' permission, he is abolishing it.

Each of these views faithfully upholds Jesus' prohibition against divorce and remarriage (cf. Mk 10:11, 12; Lk 16:18). He restores marriage to its original purity as a lifelong union of love and fidelity. Greater still, Jesus elevates marriage, transforming it into a New Covenant sacrament. Married couples are now called to be an image of Christ and his enduring love for the Church (Eph 5:21-33; cf. Rev 19:6-8). Through the sound principles of biblical interpretation and the guidance of tradition, the revolutionary standard of Jesus' teaching on marriage and divorce is preserved intact in his Church. «Back to Matthew 19:1.

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