DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE BEFORE BAPTISM
Some contend that someone who has been divorced and remarried before baptism, upon coming to the Truth, must discontinue their second marriage. But I believe this is the one circumstance where the Almighty, in His abundant mercy, has made a concession. In such a case the second marriage-contract was made in ignorance of God's law, and we behold the wonderful love and compassion of God in not requiring such to part again. In the context of marriage He says in 1 Cor 7:17, "But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk". This is the one circumstance where the Almighty, in His abundant mercy, has made a concessionAgain in verse 20, "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called". And again in verse 24, "Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God". These verses come right in the middle of a passage dealing with various situations within marriage, and although Paul cites other examples (slavery and circumcision), yet the context shows that he is applying these words to marriage. The principle is that those who are called being divorced must either return to their partner or remain single, while those who are called being divorced and remarried can remain in that position, for that is their position at baptism. It would be foolish to suggest that, after baptism, those who have separated from or divorced their partner before baptism cannot return to their partner, for even those who separate from their partner after baptism are commanded "let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband" (1 Cor 7:11).
Bro. John Carter, in his book "Marriage And Divorce", page 75, refers to two passages, 1 Tim 3:2 and Titus 1:6, both of which say, "A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife". He then says, "A parallel rule for widows generally overlooked, certainly rules out polygamy. Only a widow who had been the wife of one husband" (1 Tim 5:91 Tim 5:9 9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,) had to be admitted to the role of the church. Since polyandry was not practised, the corresponding rule for church officers cannot refer to polygamy. May not the meaning of Paul be found in the ways of life in the first century? A man who had exercised the current freedom for divorce and had married again was as a result regarded as thereby unsuited for official position, in which personal example played such a part. Such divorce and remarriage must have taken place before baptism, for as we have seen Paul had forbidden divorce for believers, or if this had taken place there MUST NOT be a marriage with another partner (1 Cor 7:111 Cor 7:11 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.)."
Bro. Carter rightly concludes from the Scriptures that there were in the early ecclesias some who had been divorced and remarried before baptism. They were not denied salvation, but prohibited from holding office in the ecclesias. Any brother who has been divorced and remarried before baptism cannot hold office in the ecclesiasThey were obviously not expected to separate from their second wife, for if they did there would be no reason for withholding ecclesial office from them. Such were accepted as the Truth found them. As this precedent was set by the early ecclesias, under the guidance of Spirit-endowed apostles and elders, it is right that we should not require such to separate, the one stipulation being that any brother who has been divorced and remarried before baptism cannot hold office in the ecclesias, (see also 1 Tim 3:121 Tim 3:12 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.).
At times, in ways to suit His purpose, God has changed the rules regarding marriage. When mankind were first created there was only one couple from which the world could be populated. The sons and daughters of Adam and Eve had to intermarry in order to continue the human race. Even in Abraham's time this situation remained, for Abraham married his half-sister. It was not until the Law of Moses that anything was expressly recorded to change this.
Similarly, it seems it was permissible in Old Testament times to have more than one wife, although the Law said of the kings of Israel, "Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away" (Deut 17:17). However, with God's foreknowledge, this, along with the prohibition about multiplying horses, seems to have been a warning concerning Solomon, more than to the other kings. By New Testament times the practice of having more than one wife seems to have died out in Jewry, and it is certainly forbidden to Christ's followers. May it be that the practice of having more than one wife in Old Testament times was a type of God's relationship with the two kingdoms, Samaria and Judah, just as having one wife since New Testament times is a type of Christ and his bride. The important point to recognize is that God makes the rules, and only he has the authority to change His rules.