Biblical Grounds for Divorce

Divorce is one of the worst things that can happen in a married person's life. Whatever the reasons for this situation, it is really disturbing and devastating. Divorce is a matter that has been looked at through many religious views. The Holy Bible also has much to say about marriage, infidelity, divorce, and other such sensitive relationship issues.

This Book of Life gives us guidelines to adhere to for keeping away sorrow and misery and also shows us how to conduct ourselves in dealing with these. The Holy Bible talks about marriage and also provides the grounds for divorce.

They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ...

... And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." - Matthew 19:7-9

In the aforementioned verse, we can find that the Pharisees asked Jesus as to why did Moses permit a man to divorce his wife. To this Jesus answered that it was due to the hardness in the heart of man. God never wanted a man and a woman who are married to be separated for any reason.

Nevertheless, He also states that if a man divorces his wife for any reason apart from unfaithfulness, and marries another, he becomes an adulterer. So it is permissible for a man to leave his wife only if she has been unfaithful.

There is another reason why divorce is acceptable, as stated in the Bible. It is found in 1 Corinthians 7:15. It says But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

In this verse He states that if a true Christian has a non-believer as his life partner who chooses to leave, just let go. The believer is free from the bondage then.

It is true that God tells us to forgive and forget. But if your partner is not turning away from unfaithfulness, it is better to choose to separate. To live a good life, one should find a partner who believes in the Living God.

Just because there are a few situations in the Bible about permission for divorce, it is not that God supports it. The two grounds in this Holy Book are based on the fact that God knows the implications of indecent living and believes in letting a relationship end, when it lacks trust, loyalty. In Malachi 2:16, you can see that God is against divorce.

"For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence," Says the Lord of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously." - Malachi 2:16. Similarly, Matthew 19:3-6 also refers to God being against divorce.

Similarly, Matthew 19:3-6 also refers to God being against divorce. "The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, ... 

... 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." - Matthew 19:3-6

The Pharisees asked Jesus if a man divorcing a wife is lawful. To this Jesus responds that when a man is married, he leaves his parents and be with his wife, after which the two are one. A marriage is considered to be made in heaven. And if He has brought two people together, no man can the right to break the bond.

As you can see, the Bible does not support the idea of breaking a marriage, but it does state some grounds on which divorce is justifiable. The grounds for divorce, as you must have seen, are unfaithfulness and disloyalty towards the partner. Simply put, if a relationship lacks trust and respect, it better be put to an end.

This was a brief account of what the bible says about marriage and divorce. God permits us to choose the way of separation, only in cases of unfaithfulness or abandonment in relationships. So divorce is not the way to go, unless every attempt at restoring the marriage, fails.