Biblical Answer

Jesus' teaching on divorce is clear and uncompromising. He stated that God's original intent was for marriage to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman. In response to a question from the Pharisees, Jesus cited the Old Testament statement that a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and then added that this was God's original intention. Jesus' hearers were shocked by the strictness of this teaching, and some of them asked if it was better not to marry at all rather than to suffer the consequences of divorce. Jesus' response was that marriage was a lifelong commitment, and that divorce was only permissible in the case of unfaithfulness. He also pointed out that Moses had not commanded divorce, but had allowed it as a concession to human frailty.

Jesus' teaching on divorce is rooted in the understanding of marriage as a lifelong union between a man and a woman. He saw no need to qualify this uncompromising conclusion, and instead emphasized the importance of permanence in marriage. This teaching is not just a moral or legal principle, but a reflection of God's original intent for marriage. Jesus' words on divorce and remarriage have been challenging to interpreters, but the essential position of Jesus in relation to this debate is clear. He saw divorce as a concession to human frailty, and not as an expression of the will of God.

In Jesus' teaching on divorce, he emphasized the importance of understanding the nature of marriage in order to answer the question of divorce. He pointed out that Moses had not commanded divorce, but had allowed it as a concession to human frailty. Jesus' teaching on divorce is not just a moral or legal principle, but a reflection of God's original intent for marriage. He forbids divorce except on the ground of unchastity, and emphasizes the importance of permanence in marriage. This teaching is challenging to interpreters, but it is rooted in the understanding of marriage as a lifelong union between a man and a woman.