MARRIAGE IS FOR KEEPS

Passage: Mark 10:1-12

Key verse: 9

NIV

Divorce(A)

10 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan.(B) Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.(C)

2 Some Pharisees(D) came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

3 “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”(E)

5 “It was because your hearts were hard(F) that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’[a](G) 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[b] 8 and the two will become one flesh.’[c](H) So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.(I) 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”(J)

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Footnotes
  1. Mark 10:6 Gen. 1:27
  2. Mark 10:7 Some early manuscripts do not have and be united to his wife.
  3. Mark 10:8 Gen. 2:24
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Teaching About Divorce

10 (A)And he left there and went (B)to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

2 And Pharisees came up and in order (C)to test him asked, (D)“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, (E)“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your (F)hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But (G)from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them (H)male and female.’ 7 (I)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,[a] 8 and (J)the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 (K)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, (L)“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and (M)if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

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Footnotes
  1. Mark 10:7 Some manuscripts omit and hold fast to his wife
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Is divorce lawful? (1-5)

The men who raised this question had adultery in their hearts; but their immediate motive was to make Jesus deny the authority of the Bible. They pointed out that Moses' law permits divorce. Jesus reminded them that Moses' law actually discouraged divorce. Through Moses' law, God was training slaves to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. Many of the regulations spoke to a particular time and situation, and in Jesus' time were obsolete (Lev 11).

2. What God has joined together (6-12)

Jesus went back to Genesis 2 to find God's original purpose in creating marriage. According to Jesus, marriage is not just a contract between two people who decide to live together for their mutual benefit. It is a union created by God. So it is a three-party contract-man, woman and God. To divorce and remarry is a sin against God. One who does this must repent. The disciples were surprised by the Bible's and Jesus' view of marriage, so they asked him about it again.

Prayer: Lord, your word is truth. Teach me how to live by it. Help me to be faithful.

One Word: God has joined them together