I believe that marriage is a covenant, the terms of which are the vows. Habitual, unrepentant, violation of those vows destroys the covenant and entitles the wronged spouse to divorce, though does not require it.
The Bible sets out covenant-destroying sins:
- Desertion, abuse and neglect: 1 Corinthians 7:15 and Exodus 21:7-11.
— Abuse is a form of desertion because the evil conduct violates and repels the victim.
— Abuse is an extreme form of neglect. - Adultery (Matthew 19, Mark 10).
God doesn’t hate the legal process of divorce. God hates the sins of desertion, abuse and adultery that cause marriages to break down.
I believe that a wronged party, after divorce, is free to remarry, only in the Lord (i.e., another believer). Links below explain the Scriptural and historical grounds for my belief.
Is abuse grounds for divorce?
My book Not Under Bondage: Biblical Divorce for Abuse, Adultery and Desertion shows that the bible DOES allow divorce for abuse. It examines the scriptures and scholarly research, showing exactly how and why scripture allows victims of abuse to divorce their abusive spouses. It also address whether remarriage is permissible for a divorced Christian. Read my book in conjunction with my article Church discipline for domestic abusers who claim to be Christians: 1 Corinthians 5:11-13. This is important because I changed my mind about church discipline for abusers some years after I published the book.
The Bible DOES allow divorce for domestic abuse
Biblical divorce for abuse explained in a nutshell
Exodus 21 authorises an abused wife to divorce a hard-hearted husband
Refuting the idea that ADULTERY is the only ground for divorce
Isn’t adultery the only ground for divorce?
Does the victim of abuse need church permission to divorce?
Church discipline for domestic abusers who claim to be Christians: 1 Corinthians 5:11-13.
The Bible virtually commands divorce for domestic abuse
Why has the doctrine of divorce been so misunderstood?
Malachi 2:16 and the mistranslation “God hate divorce”
If abuse is grounds for divorce, why didn’t God say so plainly in the Bible?
The tangled mess of mistaken notions about what the Bible teaches on divorce
What is the purpose of marriage? Is it to display Christ’s love for the church?
Does Scripture differentiate between ‘putting away’ and ‘divorce’?
The Jewish divorce certificate gave women the right to remarry, but some men used it rule over women
Divorce in Deuteronomy 21 gives dignity and rights to the woman
Theologians and pastors who believe abuse is grounds for divorce
On Unconditional Covenants — Ps Sam Powell explains that biblical covenants can not be unconditional.
David Instone-Brewer, The Westminster Confession, and Judging Divorce
Liam Goligher — a PCA theologian who says abuse is grounds for divorce
David Clyde Jones – a PCA theologian who said abuse is grounds for divorce
Carl Trueman and Todd Pruitt believe that abuse is grounds for divorce
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer on divorce for abuse
The Hungarian Christians of 1562 had more sense than the No-Divorce-for-Abuse preachers today
Puritans who said abuse was grounds for divorce
Other posts, articles and sermons on divorce which you might find helpful
Martin Luther on divorce and remarriage
False Vows do not a Covenant Make — by Pastor Dietrich Wichmann
The Puritan Confessions on Divorce & Remarriage — by Ps David Dykstra. Note: Dykstra is to be abhorred for defending convicted child abuser Tom Chantry. This sermon on divorce and remarriage by Dykstra can perhaps stand on its own merits. It discusses the 1689 London [Baptist] Confession. The London Confession is interesting because it did not include the section on divorce and remarriage which the [Presbyterian] Westminster Confession had included.
Abuse, Neglect and Pornography as Grounds for Divorce — Brian Sayers, The Journal of Biblical Soul Care [Internet Archive link], Fall 2021, volume 5, number 1. (Internet Archive link to download the paper, in case The Master’s University alters their link.)
The Tragedy of Abuse — Hope and Reality — Sermon by Ps Brian Sayers, Faith Bible Church, Spokane, Washington. This is Part 11 of Brian’s sermon series on Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage.
