Fr. Richard Omolade is a Catholic minister and educator for many years with extensive experience when it comes to the things of the bible as well as the real world. The Bible, for Christians, is the norm for all and is believed to be subject to no higher norm. This means it is the guiding light for actions for believers. This is why Christians sometimes ask: “Is it in the Bible?”

One area of human life that the expectations of many have not been met is in the area of marital relationship. Genesis laid the foundation for marriage and anchors it on the will of God. True believers must therefore observe the institution of marriage according to the divine will. Before we consider the dictates of the Bible regarding divorce, it is imperative to know what the Bible says about marriage.

According to Genesis, marriage is sharing of life, for when the man was found to be alone and lonely, God offered various remedies not proved adequate and appropriate until the creation of the woman who came and shared the life of the man. The significance of this special relationship is brought home through the exclamation of the man: “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!” (Gen 2:23) The man saw himself in his wife. This “self” includes his true identity and destination, his hope and fears, his joys and aspirations. The woman revealed himself to him, and in so doing, completed his true identity.

This is why marriage proposal should not be offered to a stranger but to someone one has studied and has sufficient knowledge about, of course after the true discernment and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. If this is allowed to take place, there will be no need for a divorce which is a permanent dissolution of a sacred bond. Marriage unites two people and they become one (Gen 2:24). This means that marriage, according to the Bible, is between two people; thus, only a monogamous relationship is allowed in the Christian tradition.

Marriage is also between a male and a female. Hence, the recent attempts to redefine marriage do not adhere to the will of God and are forbidden by the Bible. Such “alternative” relationships may be called anything, a civil union, for instance, but not marriage. Marriage is also not a rehearsal, it is not an experiment, it is a lived reality. That is why cohabitation, which is living together of two people but without the commitment of marriage, is a form of deceit because marriage is fundamentally a permanent state once contracted. In other words, marriage is meant to last. It is not for a day or for as long as things are good, but “until death do us part”. Hence, the Bible reminds us: “What God has united, human beings must not divide.” (Matthew 19: 6).

The primordial plan of God is for marriage to last, which means to endure until the death of a partner, after which the other spouse would be eligible to remarry if he or she so desires. The Gospel of Matthew makes is clear that no situation is good enough to terminate a union ordained by God. When pressed further as to why Moses instituted a writ of dismissal, which is a form of divorce, Jesus remarked that it was because the people were unteachable, because they had hardened their heart. (Matthew 19: 7-8, see also Luke 16: 18) It means the people were not living their lives according to God’s plan; they have not observed the institution of marriage as designed by the Creator. Hence Moses in his wisdom, looked for a way out, so that people will not continue in a state of bondage, he allowed a writ of dismissal to be given. What can we take from this?

First, the first option is for marriage to last; divorce then is not the first option is not an alternative life style but a negation of marriage. Hence where problems exist, couples must find ways to remedy the situation. Such remedy will include counseling, forbearance, and living a sacrificial life for the good of the marriage, the family and children.

The Gospel of Matthew allows for divorce in case of illicit marriage. Divorce here is almost a misnomer. Illicit marriage indicates that the couples contracted the marriage when in fact they were not appropriate for each other for various reasons, such as insufficient knowledge, deception or force. In such cases, the ceremony had the appearance of marriage, but in essence there was no marriage. If this situation is thus established later on, a writ of dismissal could be given. The Catholic church calls it a verdict of nullity. This means - read complete article at http://www.exlinklodge.com/2015/12/what-bible-really-says-on-divorce-and.html









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Read complete article at http://www.exlinklodge.com/2015/12/what-bible-really-says-on-divorce-and.html




U need it

It quite crazy to have catholic priest to give marital advice.... Wtf .... He got to be married before he advice me...

You don't give what you don't have

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