The New Law

Some time ago on another board I started a thread asking if the following passage amounts to Jesus establishing a new law of divorce:

31 “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

To my shock, some people said, "yes," including people I never would have guessed would say "yes." They interpret the above to mean, "The old law says you must give her a certificate of divorce... but I am giving you this new law, that you must not divorce for any reason but sexual immorality." Pastors are even enforcing this new law in their churches.

Since no part of the Bible contradicts any other part, we must apply the same reasoning to this text that immediately precedes the above:

27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Therefore Jesus introduces here a new law. He is saying, the old law says you must not commit adultery. The new law says that if you look at anyone with lust, that makes you guilty of being an adulterer just like you would have been if you actually committed the offense of adultery.

Now, granted, it's tough for Pastors to enforce this new law unless they can read minds. But I can guarantee that you pastors have a flock of adulterers on your hands, and I bet you're one of them (not that you'll ever admit it).

Since the pastor isn't likely to enforce this new law, it's up to us to enforce it upon ourselves.

What can you do to comply with this new law? Well, for one thing, Jesus said to pluck out your eye. If you don't, then you'll go to hell. It's better to go to heaven without an eye than go to hell with one. It's your flesh that is sinning, so get rid of it. That is, after all, what the new law says.

Now, that sounds kind of harsh, but there's an upside to this new law of adultery. It essentially frees you from the new law of divorce. Since everyone experiences lust at one time or another, you can be certain your spouse has experienced it at least once during your marriage. He/she has therefore committed adultery, which means you are free to leave your spouse at any time and still claim, rightfully, to have a Biblical divorce. Right? Come on, now, let's be consistent.

Regardless -- if the atonement rescues us from the fact that we are unable to follow the OT law, then why would Jesus issue new laws that are far more difficult to follow than the old ones?

 

You think that was the point Jesus was making? Apply that to the paragraph on divorce, then, please. Tell me what point they were missing about the mosaic law of divorce, and how Jesus cleared it up for them.

For example: "Write your wife a certificate of divorce" should have taught them the lesson that divorce is not permissible unless your wife commits adultery or another sexual sin. Yeah, hard to see how they could have missed that lesson.

 

That doesn't match your original answer. You said, "Jesus wasn't giving any new laws, but showing how people were missing the point of the law."

I'd like to know how they were supposed to get the "point" that divorce is wrong except in the case of adultery from the law, "give your wife a certificate of divorce."

Suffice it to say I think you're WAY off.

 

I think you folks have completely and totally missed the boat on this whole passage. The key to understanding the point of what He is saying is how He begins it:

17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Immediately afterward, He basically tells you how watered down the Mosaic law was - and how even the slightest infraction will disqualify you from the Kingdom of Heaven.

The question which leads to understanding this passage is, "If it takes having to live without anger, lust, or having endure an intolerable marriage, how could I ever get my righteousness to possibly exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees?"

 

Neither. He didn't change anything in the law in this passage.

 

1 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, 4 then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.
3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”
4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”
5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

Summary: "This was the Mosaic law. But it wasn't how it was intended to be at creation."