Biblical Answer

The Old Testament and Divorce

In the Old Testament, divorce was explicitly forbidden in some cases (Deut 22:13-21, 28-30), but Moses, Jesus, and Paul recognized that the ideal was not always met and thus set up restrictions and safeguards to make provision for divorce. Jesus added that he was dealing with hard hearts (Matt 19:8-9). This was a concession to human frailty, not an expression of the will of God. The Old Testament passage Deuteronomy 24:1-4 does not endorse divorce, but neither does it forbid it. It simply sets up some guidelines to limit the damage where uncorrectable.

The Pharisees and the Law

The Pharisees felt that Jesus contradicted Moses, who allowed divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. However, Jesus pointed out that Moses had not commanded divorce, although his words allowed it. Divorce was a concession to human frailty, not an expression of the will of God. Jesus taught that God instituted marriage so that the two should become one flesh, and that divorce was a mockery of the Law. He drew a contrast between the ultimate will of God, who does not command divorce, and a concession of God, who permits divorce in some specific circumstances.

The Teaching of Jesus

Jesus taught that divorce was a form of violence and that God hates divorce (Mal 2:16). He emphasized that marriage is a lifelong commitment, and that divorce is not an ideal situation. In Matthew 19:8-9, Jesus said that Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of the human heart. However, Jesus' teaching on divorce is not about allowing divorce for most any reason, but about recognizing that God's ideal is for lifelong marriage. He taught that Christians may accept divorce if initiated by an unbelieving spouse, but God never allows Christians to initiate divorce themselves. Jesus' teaching on divorce is about upholding the sanctity of marriage and promoting a lifelong commitment to one another.