Divorce Or Separation? Which Is Acceptable By God?

We have learned God's statutes for marriage. The world does not follow these statutes very well; they did not at the first of mankind, nor are they any better today.

Marriage is to be between a man and his chosen bride; one woman. In the Bible we see the selection of the wife is either by the father of the groom, or the groom himself. Oftentimes the bride was bargained for between the father of the groom and the father of the chosen bride; either way, the woman usually had little or no say in the matter. Jewish women accepted this format as it was handed down and held traditional. Perhaps, this was the teachings given to the women by prophets disclosing God’s will for the woman. God had put the woman into a position to be in subjection of man as man was formed first, then woman. (this we shall read in a moment in 1 Tim. 2:13-14)

As we continue our study of righteous behavior in the assembly of God, especially here in 1 Cor. 7, let us take into consideration the selection of the bride as we look further at laws concerning man and woman's positions within a marriage. With God's rules and traditions of men at the time of the writing by Paul, we can begin to understand the new regulations pertaining to married individuals; especially within God's universal laws for man and for woman. Those in Corinth were having difficulty sharing the laws of God for marriage, especially with a believer married to a non-believer. What should they do in this case?

Let us begin, again, our study in 1 Cor. 7 and verse 10. We begin with the concept of divorce. Is divorce a viable possibility to dissolve a marriage acceptable by God?

10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

‘Let not the wife depart’ implies she has no right to leave the marriage. We know the man chooses the woman for a wife, not the woman choosing the man. This was the tradition we read in the Old Testament. Is this the reason for the statement a woman cannot depart the marriage? Or perhaps it might be for other reasons.

NOTICE: not only does the man choose the wife, the man is the head of the woman. 1 Cor. 11:3. 3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Also, the woman is subject to husband. (in every thing) Eph. 5:22-24. 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. And, Col. 3:18. 18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Under these teachings by Apostle Paul by the authority of God, the woman has no authority to leave the husband. Verse 10: ‘Let not the wife depart from her husband:’

We know in Gen. 3 God told the woman her husband would rule over her, and the woman was to be in submission as said by the Law. In 1 Cor. 14:34, Paul says, 34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. Obedience to who? God first who said she is to be in subjection to man. And, she is to be in subjection to her husband. By what authority? The Law of God. We, also, see in 2 Tim. 2:11-15, woman has no right to usurp authority over man. 11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

In this writing, we can assume the Gentiles had no such tradition or law in selection of a mate, nor the woman’s place within the marriage. This submission to man might not have been the belief of the women, thus, they did not question the marriage vow nor take it seriously as God intended her to be in subjection to a man.