What Is Divorce?

The Meaning

The Greek word “apoluo” translated “divorced” in Matt 5:32 (also translated “put away” in the KJV of many of the other marriage passages) is defined by Thayer as “to loose from, sever by loosening, undo …. used of divorce.” Divorce is the opposite of marriage. It is to “undo” a marriage.

It appears there was no ceremony or legal requirement to get married in the days of Isaac (Gen 24:67), so evidently there was no legal requirement at that time to divorce either (if such were possible). Such may also be the case in some remote societies today. During the time of Moses however, divorce did involve a legal process (Deut 24:1 “let him write her a bill of divorcement”). Evidently the same was also true during Jesus’ day (Matt 5:31). It is certainly true today in the United States. In our society, both marriage and divorce require a legal process – and we must follow the laws of the land (I Pet 2:13).

Divorce Can Be Scriptural Or Unscriptural

Many Christians today act like it is impossible to get an unscriptural divorce. They reason that if a man unscripturally divorces his wife, a divorce has not really occurred, since if the man commits adultery against that wife (before or after the legal divorce), then the wife can put him away (mentally, not legally) and remarry. But Luke 16:18 proves this theory is not true. Among other things it demonstrates that if a man first divorces his wife and then commits adultery by remarrying, it is still adultery for another man to marry the first woman, even though her first husband is now cheating on her sexually.

An unscriptural divorce is a divorce, nonetheless. The problem comes when people try to equate the marriage with the bond, and likewise equate divorce with necessarily loosening that bond. They are afraid that if they admit an unscriptural divorce is really a divorce, then they are admitting the bond would be broken in such case. But that is not true; an unscriptural divorce is a real divorce, but it does not break the bond (obligation). Real divorce and breaking the bond are not necessarily the same thing. Rom 7:2-3 proves the marriage and the bond are not equivalent when it gives the case of a woman that is bound to her first husband, while married (but not bound) to a second husband. Divorce does not necessarily loose the bond, only divorce for fornication does that (and only for the “innocent party” at that, Matt 19:9).

Marrying and divorcing are things that man does. Binding and loosing are things God does. God binds (obligates) a couple when they become scripturally married. God looses that couple when one of the parties dies (Rom 7:2-3). God also looses the “innocent party” for remarriage, when a divorce for fornication occurs (Matt 19:9).

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