Denominations that interpret Matthew 5:32 & 19:9 as NOT permitting divorce in the case of adultery?
Upvote:0
I'm not able to answer the question with regard to the names of specific denominations, and I know this isn't really what you asked about, but given the older age of the question and response so far, I thought it helpful to explain some things about how the passage might be interpreted that way.
St. Matthew 5:32
But I say to you, whosoever shall dismiss his wife, excepting the cause of fornication (p**neia), maketh her to commit adultery. And he that shall marry her that is dismissed, committeth adultery.
The passage makes clear that dismissing someone who has not committed adultery does cause them to become an adulterer. Clearly we should never want to cause someone else to sin (Matt 18:6/Luke 17:2), and so reading this passage (in conjunction the Matt/Luke passages) as a prohibition on — or at least strong statement against — divorce of a faithful spouse is fair.
The passage has often also been interpreted to mean dismissing someone who has committed adultery does not cause them to become an adulterer. And so far, few would dispute this.
But... there are two ways to look at this. It could be the passage is granting special license to the dismisser in the case of an adulterous spouse. Or it could be the dismisser does not cause the dismissee to become an adulterer because they already are an adulterer. In other words, it could be seen as merely acknowledging the transition from faithful to adulterer has already happened for the dismissee, with no special license granted for the dismisser.
This is especially poignant in light of how status in the passage is assigned. The plain text of the passage never speaks to the status of the dismisser; only the dismissee. It doesn't say the dismisser is okay, but only that the dismissee is not made worse. In this light it's easier to see the interpretation that merely acknowledges what has already happened as the correct one. And, in that context, statements against divorce from other parts of scripture would still hold up.
Upvote:2
While I am aware of none which interpret the passage as referring to unlawful marriage as the Catholic Church does, there are a number of denominations which do not believe this passage grants permission for complete divorce and remarriage in the case of adultery:
- Midwest Pilgrim Holiness Church
- Hutterian Brethren
- Amish
- Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches
- Old German Baptist Brethren Church New Conference Fellowship
- Church Of God, International Offices
- Southeastern Mennonite Conference
- United Anglican Church
- Protestant Reformed Churches In America
- Apostolic Faith Church
- Independent Fundamental Churches of America
- Anglican Church In America
- Anglican Catholic Church
That list is from Daniel R. Jennings (Ed.) Denominations That Officially Support The Permanency Of Marriage. Retrieved from http://www.danielrjennings.org/denominationspermanencyofmarriage.html. That page includes quotations from their official statements which can help you understand their positions and interpretations.
Importantly, a notable contemporary Christian teacher, John Piper, also holds this view. John Piper. Divorce & Remarriage: A Position Paper. July 21, 1986. Retrieved from http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/divorce-remarriage-a-position-paper.
I also found arguments against this interpretation, indicating some historic debate on the issue. See G.C. Brewer, "Christ and Paul on Divorce," GA 75:29 [July 20, 1933], p. 674), in Steve Wolfgang. Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage In Church History. Truth Magazine XXXIV.1 (January 4, 1990), pp. 27, 29-31. Retrieved from http://truthmagazine.com/archives/volume34/GOT034012.html
More post
- 📝 What happens to Lutherans who become Catholic?
- 📝 What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the Thomistic understanding of vocation?
- 📝 How can one "buy" oil and "buy" gold, garments, and eye salve if these things can only attained by grace?
- 📝 How can one judge how accurate a given Bible translation is?
- 📝 Is an adult convert to Catholicism required to accept everything in the Catechism before he/she is baptized?
- 📝 How did Job and Noah know that they should make sacrifices to God?
- 📝 What issues do Catholics representing God in fiction historically face?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for humans becoming angels after they die?
- 📝 What is the name of the Eternal Father worshipped by Latter Day Saints?
- 📝 Have Jehovah's Witnesses always been politically neutral?
- 📝 What does Hebrews 10:26 mean?
- 📝 What properties does Christianity attribute to God
- 📝 Refutation of Nailed: Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All (David Fitzgerald)
- 📝 Which book of Scripture is most esteemed by the LDS church?
- 📝 Does the parable of the Unforgiving Servant have implications re: "once saved, always saved"?
- 📝 Was this act of Abbâ Arsenius considered commendable?
- 📝 Is Aquinas' idea of 'Beatific Vision' widely accepted today?
- 📝 Did Jesus know from the outset that He was the Son of God or did Mary tell Him?
- 📝 Are Christians bound to the laws of their country?
- 📝 When did Mary and Joseph learn that they were never supposed to have marital relations, according to Roman Catholic doctrine?
- 📝 Just what does Infant Baptism accomplish as regards Original Sin?
- 📝 What does the Catholic church say about the book of Ezekiel, chapter 23
- 📝 John 1:18 - "No one has ever seen God" - How do Trinitarians reconcile this scripture with the belief that the Lord Jesus Christ is God?
- 📝 What happens in Heaven when we come into contact with fellow Christians who don't wish to speak to us in this life?
- 📝 Theologians who thought Christ incarnated primarily to reveal the doctrine of the Trinity?
- 📝 Why are some clergy referred to as "Monsignor" and others not?
- 📝 What is Jehovah's Witnesses view on a baptized member owning machine guns?
- 📝 Is there a systematic theology resource based solely on the words of Jesus?
- 📝 How Does Catholicism Refute the Reasons Muslims Claim That Jesus Was Not Crucified?
- 📝 How do the Seventh Day Adventist approach Old Testament laws?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Denominations that interpret Matthew 5:32 & 19:9 as NOT permitting divorce in the case of adultery?
- 📝 How do Jehovah's Witnesses interpret Jesus' words in Matthew 24:1–34, about the generation that would not pass away before great tribulation?
- 📝 How do Christians that do not believe in inerrancy interpret the Bible?
- 📝 Are there any denominations that teach a Hell that is not a place?
- 📝 Are there any denominations that do not require pastors to be college educated?
- 📝 How do Catholics and other Christians respond to the US Bishops' teaching that Matthew was not written by it supposed author?
- 📝 Are there any Christian denominations that do not believe in Exorcisms?
- 📝 Which Christian denominations do NOT believe that Jesus existed prior to his conception?
- 📝 Are there any denominations that do NOT practice "laying on of hands" with the specific goal of having a new believer receive the Holy Ghost?
- 📝 How do Catholics respond to Matthew 1:25 meaning that Mary did not remain a perpetual virgin?
- 📝 Did any of the Church Fathers interpret Matthew 1:25 as not speaking in a sexual sense?
- 📝 Are there any trinitarian Christian denominations that believe one should only pray to the Father, not to Jesus?
- 📝 Why is it not that a state divorce is actually an argument AGAINST a church annulment petition rather than a necessary condition for such petition?
- 📝 Are there any denominations that teach Adam and Eve did not have the opportunity to be saved?
- 📝 Do any denominations teach that angels have, or do not have, free will?
- 📝 Are there any Trinitarian denominations that do not view belief in the Trinity as a "salvation issue"?
- 📝 What is an overview of how different denominations interpret Colossians 1:15 - that Jesus is "the firstborn of all creation"?
- 📝 How do denominations that ordain women at the same time justify not ordaining h*m*sexuals?
- 📝 When Paul wrote about Jesus' birth as "born of a woman," did he not contradict the fact that Jesus was "born of a virgin" as Matthew wrote?
- 📝 Jesus predicts that some will not die until he comes in his kingdom, but did this occur?
- 📝 According to those holding that Lazarus was literally raised from the dead, why did Matthew, Mark, and Luke not mention it?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean by "this generation will certainly not pass away.." in Matthew 24:34?
- 📝 What does it mean that Jesus fulfilled the law but did not abolish it?
- 📝 How do Protestants interpret Matthew 16:13–20?
- 📝 How does the Catholic church explain Matthew 19:9, which seems to allow divorce in case of sexual misconduct?
- 📝 According to those holding that Jesus was literally born of a virgin, why did Paul not mention it?
- 📝 Is there a Biblical basis for not believing that Global Warming is occurring?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for saying that wives can divorce their physically abusive husbands?
- 📝 Why were both criminals that were crucified with Jesus abusing him in Mark, and not in Luke?
- 📝 Did Paul write other letters that are not in the Bible?