Most Christian Leaders
Need To Repent Of Their Unstable Reasoning That Has Led To Their False Teaching On The Subject Of Divorce And Remarriage
Any reasonable person would agree that it is unstable to condemn the sinful lifestyle of, lets say, a thief, but then turn and condone the sinful lifestyle of adulterers and adulteresses. But that is exactly what most pastors and ministers of modern churches are doing.
To illustrate how this is being done, let us take the reasoning made by most pastors and ministers and compare it with the reasoning made by the thief in the following scenario.
A thief, after hearing the Gospel message and professing to have understood it and accepting that he must repent, is soon afterwards found stealing. When confronted, he claims that because he has repented, it is now alright to carry on with that lifestyle. But everyone would agree that his reasoning is wrong. If he repented, then he is not supposed to be a thief any longer.
If someone correctly understands Jesus' words[i] to mean that remarriage, while the first lawful spouse lives, constitutes adultery; then they would agree that most pastors and ministers are in effect endorsing the same reasoning of the thief in the above scenario. Even though Jesus said that remarriage is adultery, the remarried are allowed to continue in that biblically unlawful marriage. Their reasoning is identical to the reasoning of the thief in the above scenario. Since they have accepted Jesus and have repented of their sins, it is alright to continue in the marriage (committing adultery). But they don't believe it is adultery because they say they have accepted Jesus and have repented. The thief also didn't believe that his lifestyle was wrong any longer because he had accepted Jesus and repented.
How can the great majority of pastors and ministers disagree with the reasoning that the thief should be allowed to continue with his lifestyle because he has repented of it, but then turn and allow the remarried to continue in adultery because they have repented of it? Why don't they stop pretending that they believe and follow Jesus' teachings concerning divorce and remarriage? It must be because this teaching is not popular; it is offensive to the carnal mind[ii]. Could it be that, like the hypocritical Pharisees, they love the praise of man more than the praise of God? I wouldn't be surprised if many of the Christian leaders who are in error concerning this are angry, when they should be seeking repentance. Doesn't this also fit the profile of the Pharisees who were offended at Jesus' words?[iii] John the Baptist offended the carnal minded Herodias by revealing that her marriage to Herod was unlawful. The offence it provoked cost John his life. See Mark 6:17-27
[i] Mark 10: 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.1 Cor. 7: 39 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.
[ii]Romans 8: 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. [iii] Christians also can become offended "because of the word:
Matt. 13: 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. [An angry reaction to what Jesus plainly taught is evidence that the person is offended. See Luke 20:19 Mark 14:1 John 6: 61,64 1 Tim 6:3,4 Matt. 11:6]
Luke 18: 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. [What the New Testament carries over from the law (verse 17 above) is found in Genesis chapter two concerning Adam and Eve. Jesus used this to establish that divorce and remarriage is adultery. See Endnote1 above. Though Jesus emphasized that Moses' allowance for divorce was written for the hardness of their hearts and that it does not dissolve the marriage, most Christian leaders, with regard to Jesus' teaching on divorce, as the Pharisees of old, prefer to follow the law of Moses, by which they can excuse and justify themselves. See John 1:17 and Gal. 3:11 Php. 3:9.]
1 Cor. 6: 9 ¶ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
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