Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce

English 513

Dr. Fike

Deuteronomy 24:1 (quoted by Milton on page 937): 

"When a man hath tak'n a wife and married her, and it come to passe that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleannesse in her, let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house, &c."

Genesis 1:

28:       And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over it, etc.

Genesis 2

18:       Then the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.

24:       Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Matthew 5:

31:       It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement;

32:       But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery:  and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Matthew 19:

3:         The 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?

4:         And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

5:         And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife:   and they twain shall be one flesh?

6:         Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh.  What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

7:         They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

8:         He 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.

9:         And I say unto you, 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.

I Corinthians:

7:         But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry.  For it is better to marry than

to burn with passion.