What does the Bible say about marrying a divorced person?
Bible Topic · WEB
The Bible teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant, and marrying a person who was divorced contrary to God’s will is ordinarily treated as adultery, while Scripture recognizes limited grounds for divorce. Jesus warns in Luke 16:18, Matthew 5:32, and Mark 10:11-12 against divorcing and remarrying casually, affirming God’s design for faithfulness. Matthew 19:9 identifies sexual immorality as an exception, and 1 Corinthians 7:15 addresses abandonment by an unbelieving spouse. Romans 7:2 and 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 underscore marriage’s binding character and call separated spouses toward reconciliation where possible. Yet Christ’s grace is sufficient for repentant sinners, and the church should uphold both holiness and merciful pastoral care.
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Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible
- Luke 16:18
Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
- Matthew 5:32
but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.
- Romans 7:2
For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.
- Mark 10:12
If a woman herself divorces her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery."
- 1 Corinthians 7:10-11
[10] But to the married I command--not I, but the Lord--that the wife not leave her husband [11] (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.
- Matthew 19:9
I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery."
- 1 Corinthians 7:15
Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.
- Mark 10:11-12
[11] He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her. [12] If a woman herself divorces her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery."
- Hebrews 10:26
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,
- Malachi 2:16
For I hate divorce," says Yahweh, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with violence!' says Yahweh of Hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you don't deal treacherously.
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