What does the Bible say about divorce?

The Bible passages below can be used in sermons, prayers, and pastoral care focused on divorced

Old Testament view

• The Old Testament certainly proclaims the sanctity of marriage. Genesis 2:24 can be understood as the foundational text for marriage: A man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and they become one. 

• Perhaps surprisingly, Israel's God-given law rather freely provided for divorce. According to Deuteronomy 24:1-4, a man could divorce his wife with a certificate of divorce if he finds something objectionable about her. This was true only for men in relation to their wives, and not vice versa. 

• Despite this relative freedom, the prophet Malachi speaks for the Lord, saying, "I hate divorce" (Malachi 2:16). 

Jesus' words on divorce 

• In the New Testament, the attitude toward divorce seems less tolerant. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:31-32), Jesus quotes the Old Testament law about giving a certificate of divorce, but then makes his own statement, saying that "anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." 

• In Mark 10:11-12, Jesus puts the same limits on wives wishing to divorce their husbands. 

Paul's view of divorce 

• Paul also addresses the issue of divorce and adds another possible exception to Jesus' words against divorce. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul comments on what must have been a problem for Christian converts whose spouses remained unbelievers, causing a serious breach in their relationships. Paul's counsel, which he affirms is his own and not the Lord's (see verse 12), is that the couple should remain in the marriage and try to work things out.  

• Nevertheless, he says, if the unbelieving partner wants to leave the marriage, the believing partner is no longer bound (1 Corinthians 7:15). In I Corinthians 7:26-28, Paul also makes clear that though remaining single after divorce is preferred, the divorced husband or wife is free to remarry. 

Sermon ideas about divorce  

What can we say about the Bible's view of divorce in our sermons today? The key element in the New Testament is the so-called exception clause of adultery. This has been interpreted by some to mean that one cannot divorce his wife unless she has been unfaithful, and that whoever remarries commits adultery.  

This interpretation misunderstands what Jesus is saying. It is not that anyone who is divorced is not permitted to remarry, but that anyone who pursues an illegitimate divorce (apart from unfaithfulness) is not permitted to remarry. If the divorce is valid due to a partner's unfaithfulness, then remarriage is also valid. 

Various Christian traditions have interpreted the Bible's commands regarding divorce differently. Roman Catholics hold that marriage is a sacrament and is therefore inviolable. Anyone who divorces and remarries (except with an annulment, which voids the original marriage) cannot be admitted to the sacraments. 

Some Protestants hold strictly to the exceptions for adultery and abandonment by the spouse as the only grounds for remarriage. Most Protestants tend to see divorce through the lens of grace and forgiveness. Divorce is always wrong in the sense that it is not God's good will. However, these Protestants say, Christians need to see it as a sin alongside other sins: It can be forgiven, and the divorced couple should be allowed to make a fresh start with due self-examination and repentance. The danger in this understanding is that Christians might begin to take a "sin so that grace may abound" approach, thereby undermining the deep importance of the marriage covenant. It is the often difficult and delicate balance of law and grace — which sermons about marriage and divorce can point out. 

Excerpts about divorce 

Following are sample excerpts from Zeteosearch sermon resources about divorce: 

"Congregations do well when they're willing to learn how to be helpful rather than hurtful to fellow church members when a marriage is headed toward divorce, whatever the reason." Article about Theology by Judy Cook from The Banner

"It is painful enough to go through divorce, but that pain is compounded by verses like this, which remind us that the church has not traditionally been a welcoming place for divorced persons." Article about Preaching by Collette Broady Grund from Working Preacher

"What God has joined together now lies in pieces. What began with delight and tenderness, reeks now with bitterness and festering pain." Prayer by Carol Penner from Leading in Worship