Articles by BibleThinker

It may seem peculiar but I think that this solves a riddle about why scripture speaks the way it does on the topic of divorce. Jesus acknowledged divorce but taught that it didn’t always free you from your moral obligation to your prior spouse. Paul, in 1 Cor 7, taught that a divorced couple was really divorced but still obliged to get back together or stay unmarried. In my view, this view comes naturally from taking the Bible at face value on it’s teaching on divorce and remarriage. If you want to understand better what ends your moral obligation to a prior spouse then please watch the BIG video (the 1st one in the playlist below) which also has time stamps to help you find exactly what you are looking for.

For all my videos on the topic of Divorce and Remarriage check out this playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHtBvJzugPJp9P5X1T-hA91j

My web site https://BibleThinker.org

If sex doesn’t equal marriage then what does? We will take a look at a number of biblical passages to find the answer to this question. The bottom line is that sex does join you to a person in a very intimate way, but that this alone does not constitute a marriage. Marriage is more than sex and it takes more to be truly married than to just start sleeping with someone.

Here’s the playlist for all the videos (as they come out) on marriage, divorce and remarriage. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHtBvJzugPJp9P5X1T-hA91j

I try to graciously, honestly and without misrepresentation, deal with a number of important issues related to Catholicism; the Pope, purgatory, Mary, the authority claims of Roman Catholicism, historical challenges to official teachings of the RC church, theological problems with the gospel as it is taught in the official councils of Catholicism (especially Trent) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The truth is that I wish I could say the disagreements I have with official Roman Catholic teaching were merely secondary issues. But, despite incredible agreement on many primary issues such as the inspiration and authority of scripture, the Trinity and the death and resurrection of Jesus, there remains the fact that Roman Catholicism teaches errors that seem to compromise the very gospel itself. I really wish I could affirm that the gospel is still in tact in the council of Trent or the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but I am honestly convinced it’s not. So, with a heavy heart I think we need to talk about it. While the biggest issue here is the gospel I will still deal with a number of other connected topics and hope you’ll find it helpful.

Lisa Laizure’s ministry – https://womensbiblestudy.com/

The playlist for this “Contending for the Faith” conference, which includes a teaching on Jehovah’s Witnesses and on Mormonism. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHsR0GrnMlICl0I17pXiIrx6

My website https://biblethinker.org

1. 0:00 Intro and explanation
2. 1:56 In Jeremiah, God divorced Israel but didn’t marry someone else – he offered them restoration! Doesn’t this undermine your case for remarriage?
3. 6:08 If a person who illegitimately divorced their spouse is unmarried and repentant and if their former spouse has remarried, may that person marry someone else?
4. 9:04 If the punishment for adultery was death under the law then how can adultery be a cause for divorce?
5. 19:49 Is addiction to porn considered sexual immorality and therefore, grounds for divorce?
6. 22:54 Does the requirement for leaders to be the “husband of one wife” mean that a divorced man can’t be a pastor?
7. 44:20 What do you do when a spouse wants to separate but not divorce, leaving you in limbo?
8. 50:33 What about domestic abuse such as verbal/spiritual abuses?
9. 55:42 If a person becomes a Christian after an invalid divorce, and reconciliation is not an option (former spouse is remarried), is that person free to remarry?
10. 57:42 Mike, you’re saying marriage isn’t really for life. Two don’t become one-flesh?
11. 1:00:06 If adultery justifies divorce and the man who divorces his wife commits adultery then why is the innocent woman in Luke 16 vs. 18 not allowed to get remarried?
12. 1:06:28 What’s with the jar of gummy bears in the background?
13. 1:07:14 What about the mass divorce that God commanded in Ezra and Nehemiah?

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬………………………….. Conclusion of Pt. 1 …………………………..
The questions below will be answered in future videos on this channel. Subscribe and click the “bell” icon to get notifications when those short videos come out! ~

14. When are two people considered “married” in God’s eyes? Is living and sleeping together enough?
15. What if a polygamist gives his life to Christ? Do they stay married to all their wives?
16. Can you please elaborate on what is meant by “still being morally obligated” after a divorce?
17. Can you explain what Jesus meant by “because of the hardness of your hearts” and comment on Roman Catholic annulment?
18. Some teach that the key to understanding the Bible is knowing the difference between “putting away” and “writ of divorce”. What’s up with that?
19. Is not one of the highest laws to forgive? Doesn’t Jesus say to forgive 70 times 7? If Jesus forgives Israel (see Romans 11), shouldn’t we, in our marriages, be forgiving all the time and never divorce?
20. What about a spouse who keeps draining the bank account and refuses to stop?
21. You have said adultery, abandonment, and abuse (lots of ways out of a marriage) are exceptions to divorce and remarry—why would the disciples be shocked in Matthew 19 if that’s what Jesus truly meant?
22. If you can justify divorce with adultery then why not just go commit adultery to get out of a marriage as some people have?
23. Is it possible that Jesus was just talking about king Herod and we’ve misunderstood?
24. Since priests are forbidden from marrying a divorced woman does this mean it was allowed for everyone else under the O.T. Law?
25. Could Deut. 24 really be showing us that second marriages are invalid and adulterous, which is why she can’t go back to her first husband?
26. Given Deut. 24, should we also say today that remarrying an ex-spouse who you filed a certificate of divorce for is also not allowed?
27. Can I tell you whether to divorce or not?
28. Why I’m concerned about saying “abuse” justifies divorce.
29. Should ANY second marriage be broken up?
30. Have I changed my mind on my teaching?

Here’s the playlist on divorce and remarriage which has my LONG video on the topic https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHtBvJzugPJp9P5X1T-hA91j

On a biblical view of “interracial marriage” https://youtu.be/HEJKLvacY2I

My web site https://BibleThinker.org

Some say the Bible forbids interracial marriage. Here’s WHY they say it and WHY they are wrong. I’m still in the middle of making a series of videos on marriage, divorce and remarriage and since this particular question didn’t really fit well into one of those videos I thought I’d make a stand alone video on it. I actually did some research to find out what passages of scripture people used to try to support a ban on interracial marriage (also called anti-miscegenation) and I’m responding to those particular passages and talking points in this video.

Here’s my full and in-depth teaching on divorce and remarriage in the Bible. https://youtu.be/N2pC6ZikbYo

This is my teaching on a biblical understanding of wive’s submitting to their husbands https://youtu.be/H8PFVZgIQ2w

This is my teaching on how to be a husband according to the Bible. https://youtu.be/65eMggo_xKQ

Subscribe to get new videos every week and learn to think biblically about everything.

Here’s my web site https://BibleThinker.org

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:
0:00 Intro and announcements.
5:55 A Christian view of racism.
14:06 Is it biblical to believe that physical healing is equal to salvation in the atonement?
18:07 What is your advice for a new believer encountering militant anti-theists?
21:14 Is creation in Genesis 1 to be taken literally, as in 6 24-hour days, and why?
24:37 What is food offered to idols? In Acts 15: 20 and Revelation 2: 20, is there a law we have to keep? Is Halal food offered to idols?
31:14 Once someone is born again, can they lose their salvation due to bad behavior?
33:43 What does it mean to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?
36:25 How can a person be sanctified?
40:46 What is your advice for a new Christian who is having trouble getting into the routine of studying Scripture and praying?
44:11 Should new Christians avoid watching non-Christian movies?
47:20 Is there such a thing as a non-Trinitarian Christian?
48:25 How can I gently correct a friend who thinks we can “speak things into existence”?
49:43 Is my pastor my “spiritual father”?
51:05 Is speaking in tongues required?
54:17 Is it biblical to have to do baptism classes and pass a test before being baptized, instead of being baptized right away?
56:29 Please explain “original sin”…Is it inherited, or something we commit? Are children born corrupted?
58:27 How can I help my little brother get closer to the Lord, in addition to Bible study and teaching him what’s right and wrong?
59:47 Are the soul and the spirit two different things, and if so, what is the difference?
1:00:24 What law is in our hearts?
1:02:29 What are the “essentials” of the Christian faith?
1:04:04 What should I do if I’ve realized that my own church is taking after Bethel’s “word-of-faith” model?

My website https://BibleThinker.org
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VIDEO MAP/TIME STAMPS
0:00 Intro to topic
#1 10:07 What you need to know about the Jewish backdrop of Jesus’ teaching on divorce.
#2 25:53 Why you should be open to exceptions to Jesus’ rule about not divorcing.
#3 37:15 What all four Gospels have in common on this topic.
#4 39:00 Jesus’ teaching on divorce in Mark 10.
#5 46:54 Jesus’ teaching on divorce in Luke 16.
#6 48:42 Jesus’ teaching on divorce in Matthew 5.
#7 50:16 I’ve been taught that marriage is literally unbreakable; that it is ontologically impossible to end unless your spouse dies. What about that?
#8 54:26 What did Jesus mean by “sexual immorality”.
#9 1:11:00 Jesus’ teaching on divorce in Matthew 19.
#10 1:21:22 Jesus’ teaching on divorce in Romans 7.
#11 1:28:17 Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7 vs. 10-16.
#12 1:37:54 Does “not enslaved” allow remarriage after divorce in 1 Corinthians 7 vs. 15?
#13 1:51:19 When can a Christian spouse be treated like a non-Christian?
#14 2:00:49 What about abuse or extreme situations?
#15 2:08:25 If you divorce for abuse or extreme situations can you get remarried?
#16 2:10:51 Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7 vs. 17-40.
#17 2:19:05 Who are we to disagree with the church fathers?
#18 2:31:46 God said, “I hate divorce”, doesn’t that mean you can’t get divorced?
#19 2:33:53 What about those who will abuse the exceptions and wrongly divorce?
#20 2:36:28 What about alcoholism, gambling, drug use, etc.?
#21 2:37:29 What about a marriage that was entered sinfully? Should it be broken up?
#22 2:44:05 What about David Instone-Brewer?
#23 2:57:06 Should a pastor marry someone who is wrongly divorced?
#24 2:58:53 Summary of all 16 biblical principles.
#25 3:02:45 What are bad reasons for getting a divorce?
#26 3:03:16 Final thoughts.

RESOURCE LIST
My teaching for husbands. https://youtu.be/65eMggo_xKQ
My teaching for wives. https://youtu.be/H8PFVZgIQ2w

Know that I don’t endorse these different works. They are resources showing a wide variety of interpretations from the most strict to relatively lenient. If you want to go deep on this topic then I recommend reading several authors, especially those you disagree with.
ARTICLES:
John Piper, “Divorce and Remarriage: A Position Paper” https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/divorce-and-remarriage-a-position-paper
Raymond Westbrook, “The Prohibition on Restoration of Marriage in Deuteronomy 24:1-4” https://www.wisereaction.org/ebooks/westbrook.pdf this is where he gives his case for the first marriage involving a man keeping the ketubah and the second marriage involving the woman getting it.
Wayne Grudem, “Grounds for Divorce: Why I Believe There Are More Than Two” (the infamous paper delivered at last year’s ETS) http://www.waynegrudem.com/grounds-for-divorce-why-i-now-believe-there-are-more-than-two/
David Instone-Brewer’s article on ancient marriage and divorce papyri. http://www.tyndalearchive.com/Brewer/MarriagePapyri/1Cor_7a.htm
The Damascus Document https://www.academia.edu/28913750/The_Damascus_Document_CD_2005_
Carol Osburn article refuting David Pawson’s view that the Greek shows second marriages are continual adultery. “The Present Indicative in Matthew 19:9” https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=restorationquarterly

BOOKS:
David Pawson – “Remarriage is Adultery Unless…” https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00564TNV2/
Gordon Wenham, “Jesus, Divorce, and Remarriage: In Their Historical Setting” https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083ZN5ZQ3/
Wenham, Heth & Keener, “Remarriage after Divorce in Today’s Church: 3 Views” https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050O6P1O/
David Instone-Brewer, “Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible: The Social and Literary Context” https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001Q3L4VY/
See reviews of Instone-Brewer’s work here (Gagnon’s negative review and I-B’s response are particularly interesting) https://www.divorce-remarriage.com/
Craig Keener, “…And Marries Another: Divorce and Remarriage in the Teach

Want to skip right to the meat? 7:52

Thank you to Lisa Laizure and Women’s Bible Study ministry for inviting me to do this and letting me upload it on to my YouTube channel! Here’s a link to their web site https://womensbiblestudy.com/ and if you are reading this before June 25th you still have time to sign up for free and join us for the live web conference on Catholicism.

This video is about Mormonism and it is done with a heart of love for them and a desire for them to know the true peace that comes through the true Jesus.

I’ve got two more videos that will be in this series eventually. One on Jehovah’s Witnesses and one on Catholicism.
Here is the link for the playlist of all these “Contending for the Faith Conference” videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHsR0GrnMlICl0I17pXiIrx6
The final video on Catholicism will be uploaded in late June.

My website https://BibleThinker.org

Thank you to Lisa Laizure and Women’s Bible Study ministry for letting me upload this on to my YouTube channel! Here’s a link to their web site https://womensbiblestudy.com/ and if you are reading this before June 25th you still have time to sign up for free and join us for the live web conference on Catholicism.

This video is about Jehovah’s Witnesses and it is done with a heart of love for them and a desire for them to know the true peace that comes through the true Jesus.

Here is the link for the playlist of all these “Contending for the Faith Conference” videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHsR0GrnMlICl0I17pXiIrx6
The final video on Catholicism will be uploaded in late June.

My website https://BibleThinker.org

My guest, Peter Williams, has a wonderful approach to showing that the Gospels are reliable. He builds his case with lots good scholarship but makes it easily understandable for the rest of us. I highly recommend his book to you all and I’ve given away several copies to friends of mine.
Here’s the book (and I’m not getting anything for this, I really just think it’s that great):https://www.amazon.com/Can-Trust-Gospels-Peter-Williams-ebook/dp/B07DNF73F2/
Get the free Tyndale House magazing “Ink”; which gives normal people access to scholarship on the Bible and Christianity. I just subscribed! https://tyndalehouse.com/magazine
My website is here: https://Biblethinker.org