Remarriage: God's Ideal

This eighth message on Biblical marriage explains God's position on remarriage. Since marriage is a lifelong covenant, a divorcee commits adultery if they remarry while their spouse is still alive. Paul gives an EXAMPLE, using the law in Romans 7:1-3, showing that it controls a person as long as they are alive. His conclusion is that a woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living, but remarriage before the death of her husband makes her an adulteress. The EXEMPTION in 1 Corinthians 7:15 is not about remarriage, but refers to the command to "fulfill his/her duty" sexually (v.3). They were no longer bound sexually to an unbelieving spouse who had divorced them. Paul teaches that spiritually equal couples (both being believers) are commanded not to send each other away, no matter what. But with spiritually unequal couples, Paul commands the believer to not send their unbelieving spouse away, no matter what (they are sanctified by the believer). Yet if the unbeliever leaves (divorces), the believer is commanded to let them go AND they are no longer "under bondage" to give themselves sexually until marriage is restored. The EXPLANATION in 1 Corinthians 7:39 is that a wife is obligated to stay with her husband until death. After death she is free to remarry, only in the Lord, but Paul's opinion was that she stay single.