GLEANINGS — March 17, A.D. 2013                                                                                                               Divorce and Remarriage, Part Three

We've seen that divorce is permissable in certain limited and sorrowful circumstances. It is not required. A Christian who has been the victim of adultery or desertion might prayerfully wait upon God for the repentance and restoration of his or her spouse. Or, such a victim who has become divorced is free in the Lord to choose to remain single. We have been called to peace...we have been called into the Kingdom where grace reigns through righteousness.

We have also seen that remarriage is permissable for the innocent party. The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 24, has well articulated all of this in a theological format, all based on Scripture. A paraphrase of Chapter 24 of the Confession follows, with Bible references.

I. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman: neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband, at the same time.[1]
1. Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6; Rom. 7:3; Prov. 2:17

II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife,[2] for the increase of mankind with legitimate offspring, and of the church with an holy seed;[3] and for the prevention of uncleanness.[4]
2. Gen. 2:18; Eph. 5:28; I Peter 3:7	3. Gen. 1:28; 9:1; Mal. 2:15	4. I Cor. 7:2, 9

III. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their consent. [5] Yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord.[6] And therefore such as profess the true reformed religion should not marry with unbelievers, papists, or other idolaters: neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresies.[7]
5. Heb. 13:4; I Tim. 4:3; I Cor. 7:36-38; Gen. 24:57, 88 6. I Cor. 7:39
7. Gen. 34:14; Exod. 34:16; II Cor. 6:14; Deut. 7:3-4; I Kings 11:4; Neh. 13:25-27; Mal. 2:11-12

IV. Marriage ought not to be within the limits of blood or other relation forbidden by the Word.[8] Nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together as man and wife.[9]
8. Lev. 18:6-17; 24-30; Lev. 20:19; I Cor. 5:1; Amos 2:7	9. Mark 6:18; Lev. 18:24-28

V. Adultery or fornication committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, gives just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract.[10] In the case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce:[11] and, after the divorce, to marry another, as if the offending party were dead.[12]
10. Matt. 1:18-20; see Deut. 22:23-24	11. Matt. 5:31-32	12. Matt. 19:9; Rom. 7:2-3

VI. Although the corruption of man causes him to look for "loopholes" to put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage: yet, nothing but adultery, or such willful desertion as can no way be remedied by the church, or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage:[13] A divorce should include a public and orderly course of proceeding; and the persons concerned in it not left to their own wills, and discretion, in their own case.[14]
13. Matt. 19:8-9; I Cor. 7:15; Matt. 19:6	14. Deut. 24:1-4

Please note that this paraphrase of chapter 24 of the Confession updates a few terms and phrases for the benefit of the 21st century reader. The Scripture references are as given by the writers of the Confession. Scripture quotations in the body of this paper are from the New King James version.