A question about remarriage
You asked:
“where in the new testament gives a person the right to re-marry? i find it nowhere in the new testament scriptures.”
Thank you for your question. I see only two instances in the scriptures where a Christian is free to remarry. There
are, unfortunately those who would find other exceptions as suits their present needs and circumstances, but I
would attest that those who use the scriptures so liberally do not possess the heart of a true Christian.
Perhaps the most obvious circumstance in which a Christian is free to remarry is in the case of the death of one
spouse. In 1 Corinthians 7:8,9 the apostle Paul tells the Corinthians:
8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but if
they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn [with passion.] This command includes widows, showing that it is allowed for someone who has lost a spouse to death is free to
remarry, in fact Paul later says that this is preferable, especially in the case of younger widows (1 Timothy 5:14):
Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no
opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. The second instance where a Christian is free to remarry is in the case of adultery. In a marriage where one spouse
is sexually unfaithful, and the marriage cannot be reconciled (reconciliation would always be preferable to divorce,
although this is allowed in such a case) then the innocent spouse is free to remarry. This can be seen in the words
of Jesus in Matthew 19:9:
“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits
adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” Jesus uses a key word here: EXCEPT. Jesus sees no cause for divorce except for the case of sexual immorality. In
such a case, the innocent party may ‘put away’, or divorce, the sinning party. The innocent would then be free to
remarry. There are those who do not view this as a valid exception. I certainly respect those who see NO valid
cause for divorce, but I do disagree with them from a scriptural standpoint, as Jesus’ words are quite straightforward
in this verse. I hope these scriptures answer your question. If not, or if you have other questions, please feel free to contact us
again.Justin Murdock,
for the Garrett’s Creek Church of Christ and thegospelfortoday.com
REPLY from ‘Rubbie’: (sent 10:27 PM 10/5/06):justin explain to me please ro7:1-3 i know that we are not new testament christian(for the convenience of our readers, here is the text of Romans 7:1-3:Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long
as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to [her] husband as long as he lives. But if
the husband dies, she is released from the law of [her] husband. 3 So then if, while [her] husband lives, she
marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she
is no adulteress, though she has married another man.
another reply from ‘Rubbie’: (sent 10:14 PM 10/6/06)hello justin i am waiting on your answer on romans7:1-3 thank youthegospelfortoday.com’s response: (posted 11:25 PM 10/6/06)
First.Patience is a virtue Mr. Pittman 
… I have a business and a family to attend to and don’t sit by my computer 24
hours a day to immediately answer each and every question.Second.
Thank you for your continued interest in this subject.
I believe that the Bible is free of contradiction. James 1:25 refers to the New Testament when James writes of ‘the
perfect law of liberty’. Something that contradicts itself is in no means perfect. Paul does not contradict Jesus in 1
Corinthians 7. Paul states what the ‘rule’ is. The rule is that marriage is forever and divorce is a sin. What Jesus
gives us is an exception to this rule. When one spouse disrespects the institution of marriage enough to commit
sexual immorality, then Jesus allows an exception to free the innocent party from being bound to such a one. This
exception need not be stated each and every time that marriage is spoken of. One instance in the inspired record
should be enough for us to believe.
Hope this helps,
Justin Murdock,
for the Garrett’s Creek Church of Christ and thegospelfortoday.com
