Reflections on 1 Corinthians 7:10–24, 39–40 Divorce is one of the most sensitive and painful subjects Christians face today. Almost everyone has been touched by it in some way—perhaps personally, or through a child, parent, or close friend. No one enters marriage intending for it to end in divorce. Yet we live in a fallen… Continue reading Divorce, Desertion, and the Bible
Tag: Divorce
Do some churches inadvertently promote gender-based violence?
This week was the start of the international campaign of “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” (focussing on violence against women and children). “Police statistics indicate that the murder rate of women in South Africa has increased by 16% in the past five years and the number of reported child rapes in the same… Continue reading Do some churches inadvertently promote gender-based violence?
For Better, for Worse
This past weekend I had the privilege of officiating at a wedding in a township church in South Africa. The marriage ceremony took place as an addition to the Sunday morning service. The vibrancy of the singing was contagious and the warmth of hospitality humbling. In African culture there is no such thing as RSVP! … Continue reading For Better, for Worse
When does the Bible permit divorce?
No-one ever marries intending to get divorced, but divorce is a reality – also in the church. Divorce can be for biblically permitted reasons or non-biblical reasons. In my experience we are tempted to make two common mistakes in the church when dealing with divorce:
Sanctity of marriage
In my previous post I mentioned some of societal factors hampering good marriages. I mentioned that we needed to get with God’s plan for marriage. Jesus spoke about God’s intentions for marriage in Mark 10:1-12. Jesus reminded the religious leaders of the day that marriage was God’s plan from the very beginning by referring to… Continue reading Sanctity of marriage