PLAIN SPEAKING
Mark records something concerning this incident which Matthew does not. After Jesus had answered the Pharisees, and was back in the house, his disciples asked him again about "putting away". Obviously, even his disciples were taken aback, and were troubled by the severity of his answer to the Pharisees. Note his re-affirmation of what he had said to the Pharisees, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery" (Mark 10:11 & 12). No words could be plainer — no meaning more obvious — no warning more serious! Brethren and sisters who put away their partners, and marry another, are committing adultery! Jesus says so!Brethren and sisters who put away their partners, and marry another, are committing adultery! Jesus says so! And that is the only meaning that can be put upon these words to his disciples. And, because God only recognizes a first marriage, while both partners are alive, any second relationship is a state of continuous adultery.
Now consider some words of God through the Apostle Paul. In Romans 7:1-3Romans 7:1-3 1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man., although Paul is using the example of a man and wife to draw an analogy concerning the relationship of Israel to the Mosaic Law, yet that does not alter one jot what Paul is saying about marriage. Otherwise the analogy would not be a true one! He says, "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, SHE SHALL BE CALLED AN ADULTERESS: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man". Here, God states quite categorically, and without any exception, that a woman cannot obtain a discharge from her marriage-covenant, except by the death of her husband. The marriage-covenant is binding for life — she is glued to her husband by God — for life! Of course, the same rule applies also to husbands. A man cannot be absolved from his marriage-covenant, except by the death of his wife. Commenting on this passage John Carter, in "Paul's Letter To The Romans", page 64, says, "This principle is illustrated in the law of marriage, called in verse 2, "the law of the husband" i.e. the law concerning the husband. This law fastens a wife to her husband while he lives but when he dies she is "discharged" from this law. To be joined to another while the husband lives is adultery" (my emphasis).
We turn to some more plain teaching of the Spirit through the Apostle Paul. "And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife" (1 Cor 7:10 & 11). Here Paul is reiterating the teaching of Jesus that for brethren and sisters divorce is forbidden. If a marriage has broken down to the extent that a husband and wife can no longer tolerate each other's presence, then the only course left to them is to separate from each other. However, divorce is forbidden, and both should be holding the door open to reconciliation. If, however, reconciliation proves impossible, they were commanded to live celibate lives. They could not go and marry someone else while their first partner was still living.
After devoting a section of 1 Corinthians to dealing with the whole spectrum of marriage, Paul sums up that section by repeating the Divine principle that marriage is indissoluble. "The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord" (1 Cor 7:39). Again, as we would expect, the words of the Spirit through Paul are entirely in accord with the teaching of Jesus that marriage is the gluing together of a man and woman for life.
This principle of the permanency of marriage is so clearly taught in Scripture that it cannot be denied. God does not recognize the right of any person, or group of persons, to ignore, or to change, His law.God does not recognize the right of any person, or group of persons, to ignore, or to change, His law. And by instituting divorce man has done exactly that. Logic alone tells us that, for the people of God, a man-made law can NEVER override, or cancel out a God-given law. Divorce can never cut short a marriage. God hates what man has devised in order to circumvent His law concerning marriage. "For Yahweh, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away" (Mal 2:16). How can we seek to justify what God hates? Are we going to say, "We ought to obey men rather than God"? Because that is just what we ARE saying, if we allow a man-made decree to override a God-made decree. Surely, we should be standing firm on the words of Jesus, "What God hath glued together, let not man put asunder".