A Difficult Area

All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. The Hebrew and Greek meaning of the words mentioned are from Strong's Hebrew Greek Dictionary.

Apostle Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 7:10-11, "And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife." This, the apostle said, is the commandment of the Lord Jesus Himself. I don't think the Lord has changed his mind over the intervening years. I have read the Bible through many times and never have I found what scripture Apostle Paul was referring to. My assumption then is that he received it by direct revelation from the Lord Jesus. He was after all the apostle to the Gentiles!

My spouse and I have discussed this issue many times. She doesn't necessarily agree with me as to what Paul said in the subsequent scriptures, e,g., 1st Corinthians 7:12-15. He said, (among other things), "...if an unbelieving spouse departs the believing spouse is under no obligation in such cases." The apostle Paul wrote also in Romans 7:2 to them that knew the Law, "For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband." This fully agrees with what the Lord Jesus said in Mark 10:12. We have never argued over what the Bible says but we have expressed our differing opinions on occasion. But each time I have had to talk with anyone on these issues I have always tried to apply these scriptures to the persons I have talked with to the best of my ability. (By the way I am not a licenced counselor).

This then is a serious issue. the Bible is clear that no adulterer shall inherit the kingdom of God. In 1st Corinthians 6:9-11 Apostle Paul said, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you:"   He went on and said "but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." We all, everyone of us, fit the description in some way or another. For as the Bible says in Ephesians 2:3, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." The Apostle Paul even included himself in the foregoing scripture. What else could he have meant with the term, "...we all..." I am so glad that he said "And such were some of you..." So my advice is...if you are a Christian and you just can't get along with your spouse, don't worry, you may leave him or her, just live a celibate life or be reconciled to them. This is the Lord's command not mine. And this is very good and godly advice. BTW if you are reading this and you have never been baptized in the only name that can save you (see Acts 4:12)  Let me encourage you to do so today. Then let God fill you with  His spirit, You will be eternally glad you did.