What Does the Bible Say About Divorce and Remarriage?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preached, it was also said, whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.

But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

According to Jesus, the only biblical grounds for divorce is sexual immorality. If anyone gets divorced and remarried for any other reason, they commit adultery.

He says so again in Matthew 19, what therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.

Now some will say that if anyone gets divorced and remarried for any reason, they still commit adultery, even if sexual immorality was the reason for the divorce.

This is based on Romans 7, 1 through 3, where it says, a wife is only released from the law of marriage if her husband dies.

But in context, Paul was making an argument about the law, not a robust case for divorce and remarriage.

According to historic church confessions, if a spouse commits adultery, the innocent party may get divorced and remarried as if the offending party were dead.

Because, according to God's law, if one commits adultery, they were to be put to death. Ultimately, we should strive for committed marriages filled with grace, honoring of Christ.

For we have been unfaithful to God, and yet God is forgiving of us when we understand the text.