MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
Updated January 21, 2012
This subject stirs more human emotions than any other Bible subject. The reason is, it is
about sexuality. The reason why the sex subject is a difficult subject is, because all of our earthly feelings
and emotions are by nature stimulated from our sex. Other words, all men's emotions are male's
feelings and all women's emotions are female feelings. MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE 8-3 "And
now, listen closely. And sisters, don't get up and go out; set still just a little while.
Brothers, do the same. Don't turn off your sets out there that's coming in on this hookup.
Don't do that. And just set still for a few minutes until it's over. Listen close. If you
disagree, put down the Scriptures that I use and then study them prayerfully before you
make your decision" Maybe relaxing (set still) is good advice
again as we approach this emotional subject.
We want every reader to know; that we believe once
you have received the revelation of Marriage and Divorce preached by Brother William Branham
in 1965 (if you were guilty before hearing the Marriage and Divorce revelation), you have a new
life to live in Christ. Certain points mentioned here may not apply to you and yours.
This article has omitted explaining certain situation, and points of views pertain to Marriage
and Divorce. What you will read here is just basic knowledge and circumstantial reactions.
Also, we have not posted all of the supporting quotes and scriptures. Because, this lesson is
only for those who have listen and study all the quotes relating to this subject beforehand.
We have divided it into 5 parts to help us comprehend. Part 1, Good Faith Vows. Part 2,
Grounds for a Divorce. Part 3,
Women's right to remarry. Part 4, Men's right to remarry. Part 5, Honesty.
Good Faith Vows
Good Faith Vows 1
When a boy asks a girl to marry him, his faith in her words, and her faith in his words,
is call "good faith". Their engagement/union is not accepted by God if it is not
in "good faith". God knows if their promises for their future marriage are based upon their truthful words
and intentions. If not, their vows have no real meaning. If he or she has reasons to believe
that the other can not keep their word, then their vows are worthless. To go ahead with a marriage
under these circumstances will cause one, if not both, to fall in sin. But if all is well, then this
first vow is 1 of 3 vows required.
Good Faith Vows 2
After boy accepts girl, and girl accept boy, based upon good promises. Their
parents in some cases, must also accept these same vows. If their parents do not believe their
vows are in, "good faith" they have every right to stop the engagement. Samples, if
one of the two lover's are not of the lawful marrying age. If there is health reason like insanity.
There might be promise made to parents that need to be fulfilled first. There are other reasons
why parents might not accept the boy's and girl's vows. If all is well, then this second vow is vow 2
of the 3 vows required.
Good Faith Vows 3
This third set of vows are said to and before the minister. If the minister believe
this marriage is not in "good faith" he should point out their problems and not perform their
marriage ceremony till they have fix their situation. The minister should ask them if they have hidden
any sexual sins from their future spouse, if they can not answer correctly, he should not
perform the marriage, they are not marry till this confession is made. We base this
doctrine upon statements made by the
prophet regarding believers should be married by a preacher. A preacher should and will ask
questions in private, and then in public during the marriage ceremony. He can only pronounces them husband and
wife after he believes their pass vows can be made anew.
This third public vow institute the marriage.
Grounds for a Divorce
There are scriptural reasons that justify a man divorcing his wife. There also are reasons why a
woman can divorce her husband. MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
"you notice in, I Corinthians 7:10, notice, Paul commands the wife that is--that divorces
her husband to remain single or be reconciled, not to remarry. She must remain single or to be
reconciled back to her husband."
I CORINTHIANS 7:14. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage
in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
The right to divorce is given to men and women alike. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1011-Q-285
Brother Branham, I believe a woman should be subject to her husband. But if a Christian
woman has a sinner husband who does not even come to one of your services and wants his wife
to be doing things, cutting her hair, wearing shorts, and going to ungodly places, is this
woman supposed to be subject to this man in this way? Please explain this more clearly, as
this is a question that is asked often. No, sister, you are not subject to such a person.
No indeedy. For this cause you'll leave everything and cleave to God. Now, the thing... If
you want--that man wants to live with you, and you be--stay a Christian... But if he's
going to make you wear shorts, cut your hair, and do all these other things, and ungodly
places, you seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. You're not bound to such
a person as that.
A husband or wife have rights to a divorce, to seek first the Kingdom of God. They are to
cleave only unto God. Remarriage is another subject apart from the divorce subject.
Women's rights to remarry
A man has certain divorcing condition that allow him to remarry. A women has certin condition
that scriptually allows her to remarry. We will first study the women's rights to remarriage.
I CORINTHIANS 7:11
But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let
not the husband put away his wife Women have the right to remarry her first husband. He
can not put her away (not accept her back) unless he has a scriptural reason. Like, he is got remarried or she
has become unfit to be his wife.
ROMANS 7:2
For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but
if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. Women have the right to
remarry another man if her husband is dead.
There are cases where a women might get remarry and be justified doing so due to her husband
un-scripturual annuling/divorce of their marriage (she was not guilty of accused fornication). She
might be honor before God in another marriage if the original vows were not in good faith (sample,
if he had another wife at the time of her illegal marriage to him). In both cases, she was never married.
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.
See, she's got a living husband, so no man can marry her. Care what she does and who she is, she's
got a living husband. There's no grounds for her at all. But it's not for him: causes her, not him.
Get it? You have to make the Word run in continuity. See? Nothing saying he couldn't, but she can't.
See? 'Causes her, not him. That's just exactly what the Bible says. "Causes her..." It is not stated
against him to remarry, but her. Why? Christ in the type. Notice, it is stated that he cannot remarry,
only a virgin. He can remarry; he can marry--he can remarry again if it's a virgin; but he can't marry
somebody's else's wife. No, indeedy. And if he does marry a divorced woman, he is living in adultery; I
don't care who he is. The Bible said, "Whosoever marries her that is put away, liveth in adultery." There
you are, not no divorcee. See that original back yonder from the beginning now? Remarrying... Now notice,
he can, but she can't. Like David, like Solomon, like the continuity of the whole Bible. Now, same as David
and the rest of them...
Under the old covenant of polygamy divorce were not permitted by man or women. Under Moses' law
divorcement was only permit by men. No where in the Old Testament was a woman given the grounds
to remarry. Great "men of God" in old days had many wives at one time. And if one of their wives
were caught committing adultery she was stone (a few times forgiven). These godly men were never
permitted (by God) to divorce one of their wives. How much more, will God hold a woman accountable
for a divorce with the intent to remarry. Actually, a public acceptance of divorcing is a modern
thing today. My mother told me that when she
was a child in the Baptist church, when a sinner when up to the altar to pray, the members of the
church would send another person to the altar to ask them if they were divorce. If they were, the
people in her Baptist church would not go down to the altar to pray for that person (1930s). Brother Branham
explained that this was Armenian's doctrine, which he said was wrong. The other approach has been
Calvinism doctrine. And that is, that a man or a woman can remarry without sinning. He also said
this was wrong. Brother Branham explains that the real truth is in the middle of these two
reformation teachings. If they can not remarry (Armenianism, which is wrong), and if they can
remarry (Calvinism which is wrong), then there is only one truth left. And that is, one individual
can (the man) and the other (the women) has no scripture grounds for remarriage, other than like-reasons
mentioned above.
Men's rights to remarry
There is no misunderstanding concerning the rights to divorce and remarry due to un-confessed sexual
acts the women had with another man before marriage (fornication). MATTHEW 5:32
But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication,
causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
MATTHEW 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication,
and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit
adultery.
Since the opening of the seals (the 7 seal book, called the Bible), we have found out that Jesus
gives us 4 answers on marriage and divorce in these two above verses.
ANSWER 1.) "saving for the cause of fornication"
It declares that a man is justified in divorcing his wife and remarry if he had no knowledge
of her fornication, prior to marrying her.
ANSWER 2.) "except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery"
And if he does remarry another women with-out Biblical divorcing
grounds he is guilty of adultery.
ANSWER 3.) "causeth her to commit adultery"
because when she remarries another man he and she was guilty for adultery, because he had
no scripturally grounds for divorcing her to start with.
ANSWER 4.) "whosoever shall marry her
If a man marries a woman that has a living husband (after they come to the truth), he and she are
living in adultery.
We will study a list of condition that might grant a man exceptions to remarry. These are only
my views and they may be wrong.
1.) During divorcing proceeding (separation) he might gain the spirtual rights to remarry due
to her actions during this time.
2.) Refusing to be a wife in sex and childbearing. For obviously he can not be a husband
if she is not a wife.
3.) She refuses to live for God. The man will answer to God for his wife's sin, for he is her head.
However, it is my belief that if a man will rightly lead, a women will follow him. It is my
experience,
that men often claim their wives are not living right whereby giving them the right to a divorce.
But a close look at this brother might show he is, or has cause her to fall. This exception will need to be
closely monitored, before a minister becomes involved in blessing this man in his new marriage,
for he might be worse than she.
Under the NO divorcing polygamy covenant there are cases where godly men did put their wives away,
like David did to Michal, but it was not to get another women to take
their place. The "putting away" was just putting them out of the bed. They were
still bound to them in every other way.
Under Moses permission (this was for Moses only permitted by God, thousands of years after polygamy .
When a man divorced his wife he had to put
in her hands a written "Bill of Divorcement" before he could send her from his household. Today
that "Bill of Divorcement" is not legal divorce papers. It is God's Word that she has broken
(see the rights men have for remarriage above).
Honesty
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
I say it now so the ministers will understand: this is to them that follows this Message only.
Notice Brother Branham said, "this is to them that follow the message only." This revelation is only
for the honest Christian that is following Christ. There might be a case
were a brother has had questions in his heart concerning the character of a sister before he married
her. Then after several years of marriage, he discovers his fears are true. She did not tell him the
whole story (fornication). He should not be free to get a divorce because the previous questions in
his heart are her justification. He should have known better, he was not honest with himself and
God.
Other cases could be, a brother who files a divorce to cleave only unto God, and then later
decides, he wants to remarry, he can not do so, regardless of what his spouse had done since the
divorce. This is not honest, because he knew beforehand what might happen. These situations
go on and on. When a married women does wrong to her husband,
if she has remorse and desires repentances and forgiven from her husband, the
husband, if he is honest, realize that only by the blood of Christ that he has stay true to her, then he must
forgive her. For he can not blame her for something that he would have done himself.
If you are not honest with God and His Word you
can not be honest with yourself and your spouse. That is why this subject is only for the "honest"
Christian who really wants to follows Christ. We started this study on "good faith" and we end it on
"honesty" because Marriage and Divorce can only be understood and lived by real followers of Christ. Everyone
else get this subject all wrong.
We have layout the Bible basic to this subject. The study of marriage and divorce is partly Armenianism
and Calvinism. We have tried to weave this two concepts together under the Light of the Message. I'm sure
we missed some important parts. God Bless you and your family.
Eagle Christian Church ' P.O. Box 1510 LaVergne, TN 37086 USA
Pastor James Tidwell
Pastor James Tidwell