The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Sarah K. during the 2007-2008 League.
Bible Study: Sanctity of Marriage
It says in Matthew 19: 3-12, "and some Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all? And He answered and said, have you not read, that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh? Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate. They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?" He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality and marries another woman commits adultery." The disciples said to Him, " If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry," But He said to them, "Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given, "For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He, who is able to accept this, let him accept it." (New American Standard 1995) It clearly states here that marriage is precious in the sight of God, and that divorce excepting in the case of immorality, is adultery! We see conformation of this teaching in Mark chapter 10 vs. 2-12 "And some Pharisees came up to Him, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife. And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?" And they said, "Moses permitted a man to write a Certificate of Divorce and send her away." But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. "But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and the two shall become one flesh; consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate and in the house the disciples began questioning Him about this again. And He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery." It also says in Luke 16 vs. 18 that "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries commits adultery; and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery." In these three passages Jesus clearly teaches that we are to hold marriage in highest regard. There is no doubt that He deems marriage as a holy institution; created by God Himself. In Hebrews 13:4 the writer says, "Let marriage be, held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Likewise in Romans 7:2-3 it says "For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man." Here we see that Paul is echoing the teachings of Jesus. Truly the marriage between a man and a woman is to be kept pure and spotless.
Ephesians 5:22-29 states, "wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also is the head of the church, He himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body." Here He is comparing the marriage relationship between one man and one woman to the relationship of Christ and the church. Just as Jesus, laid down his life for us, we should be laying down ourselves for the good of our spouses. What a beautiful picture of what marriage should be like!! If we all lived as Jesus taught us, there would be no reason for divorce!
Sarah K.
