Part 7 of 12 · Marriage, Covenant, and Faithfulness
Hearing the Whole Teaching of Jesus
Compare the Gospel passages before drawing a conclusion.
“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Mark 10:9 KJV
Read the full passages in the KJV
Read Scripture in context
Open each passage to read the complete assigned verses here. The links above also let you read the surrounding chapters.
Matthew 5:27–32 KJV
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
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.
Read in your Bible or open the passage ↗Matthew 19:3–12 KJV
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.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Read in your Bible or open the passage ↗Mark 10:2–12 KJV
2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
Read in your Bible or open the passage ↗Luke 16:14–18 KJV
14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
Read in your Bible or open the passage ↗Read the Sermon on the Mount and the Gospel comparisons
Matthew 5:27–32 places Jesus’ divorce teaching near his warning about adultery in the heart. The passage calls for serious personal integrity. It challenges an approach that measures faithfulness only by technical compliance while neglecting the moral reality of desire, dismissal, and the harm done to another person.
Matthew 19 includes an exception involving fornication. Mark 10:2–12 presents the warning without that stated exception and addresses a wife divorcing her husband as well as a husband divorcing his wife. Luke 16:14–18 places its concise warning among sayings about God’s knowledge of the heart and the continuing seriousness of his word. We need a reading that accounts for all these texts rather than selecting the least difficult one.
Explain what an exception does and does not establish
Many Christians understand Matthew’s exception as permitting divorce and remarriage after sexual unfaithfulness. Others permit divorce on that ground but read the warning about remarriage more restrictively. Still others understand the exception as referring to an unlawful union or to unfaithfulness connected with betrothal. A broad meaning of a Greek term is not enough by itself to settle which reading best explains the sentence.
Matthew’s exception must not be expanded into a claim that any behavior we find deeply offensive is the sexual sin named there. An argument that abandonment or severe abuse provides grounds for divorce must explain the additional passages and principles on which it rests. It should not depend on silently changing Matthew’s words.
Read the difficult response about singleness
The disciples’ reaction in Matthew 19:10 shows that they heard Jesus’ teaching as demanding. His answer in verses 11–12 recognizes that a life without marriage is not received in the same way by everyone. The passage gives singleness spiritual dignity. It does not make every desire to marry selfish, and neither should it be used to bypass the question of whether a previous marriage remains binding.
A serious warning
Jesus’ warnings about divorce and adultery cannot be reduced to advice about filing the proper document. They challenge the idea that ending one relationship automatically makes another morally right. Mark 10:11–12 applies accountability to both husband and wife.
Matthew includes an exception concerning ‘fornication’ in 5:32 and 19:9. Mark and Luke state the warning without that exception. A responsible reading needs to account for both features. We shouldn’t quote Matthew as though Mark and Luke add nothing, or quote Mark and Luke as though Matthew’s wording doesn’t exist.
Where interpretations differ
One common Protestant reading understands Matthew’s exception to permit divorce and remarriage for the innocent spouse in cases of sexual immorality. Other Christians understand the exception more narrowly, including readings connected with betrothal unfaithfulness or an unlawful union. Some distinguish permission to separate or divorce from permission to remarry. The exception’s scope and implications need to be argued from the passages.
Jesus’ appeal to creation establishes a serious presumption of permanence. His teaching doesn’t present an easy exit from ordinary disappointment. At the same time, these exchanges don’t explicitly set out a domestic abuse case. Whether other biblical principles establish additional grounds is a question we must examine rather than assume.
My conclusion here is that marriage, divorce, and remarriage carry moral weight. Compassion doesn’t require us to weaken that teaching. Faithfulness to it also requires us to care honestly for people who have experienced betrayal.
Reflect
Sit with the question
- What warning appears across all four passages?
- How does my interpretation account for Matthew’s exception and Mark’s wording?
- Which parts of my conclusion are explicit statements, and which are conclusions drawn by comparing texts?
Practice
Take one faithful step
Use the Gospel comparison at the end of this study. Write a short explanation that addresses every passage, including the one most difficult for your view.
Pray
Bring it before God
Jesus, help me hear all that you teach. Give me conviction without cruelty and compassion without dishonesty. Amen.
Truth to carryMarriage, divorce, and remarriage carry moral weight.