Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake
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• I understand that not all sound logic is
  linear. In fully considering a matter, all
  relevant elements, facts, and facets must be
  induced before correct deduction can be
  experienced. However, many of the false doctrines
  pertaining to divorcement are all over the place,
  having an arbitrary starting place, proceeding
  with no discipline, and then abruptly ending.
  Justified and probing questions cannot be
  answered and the proponents make themselves
  unavailable. Notwithstanding, much is black and
  white! (Matt. 19 4-10, 5 31, 32, I Cor. 7 2f.)

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

• Many thus reason Divorcement based on
  financial failure to provide is justified.

Matt. 5 32, 19 9
I Timothy 5 8
Divorcement
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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

• Many thus reason Remarriage is the issue, not
  divorcement.
• They take I Corinthians 7 11, isolate it and
  make it contradict verses 2 through five in the
  context. Such reasoning often also allows for
  subsequent putting away and marriage to another
  (the imperfect mate later commits adultery).

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

• One matter that we are hearing more of today is
  the so called, Divorcement for the Kingdom of
  heavens sake. Since I cannot read this
  expression in the scriptures, I must be told what
  it means. One preacher who has promoted this
  teaching more than any of whom I am aware and
  exerts tremendous influence, especially on young
  preachers teaches
• "a. A person may have to divorce his mate to
  break an unscriptural marriage (Matt. 19 9). In
  this case, one is divorcing for the kingdom of
  heaven's sake (from a sermon titled, When Is
  Divorce A Sin?, by Mike Willis).

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

• To quote this teaching more fully
• one has an obligation to stay in his marriage
  until and unless his responsibilities to his mate
  interfere with his responsibilities to God. He
  must leave for the kingdom of heaven's sake.A
  person may have to leave his mate to become or
  remain a Christian (Luke 18 29-30 1Cor. 7 15
  Matt. 10 34-48 Luke 14 26). In this case, one
  is divorcing for the kingdom of heaven's sake.
  (Mike Willis, Ibid.).

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

• It is important that we point out that the
  proponents of divorce for the Kingdoms sake
  typically start with an illustration, mix it with
  other cases that are of a different sort, and
  then draw a conclusion, a conclusion that they
  apply to both sets of examples. I say this
  because in their general application, they are
  referring to marriages having a bond or marriages
  that God has joined. In their first case (a.),
  it is a marriage to which the couple has no right
  at all and it is fornication. Hence, any
  divorce in the first case would simply and only
  be civil compliance, since there was never a
  marriage bond.

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

• Proof verses for multiple causes
• 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his
  father, and mother, and wife, and children, and
  brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life
  also, he cannot be my disciple (Luke 14).
• Jesus is teaching that his followers must love
  him more than all others. To use this verse to
  teach divorce for a cause other than fornication
  is to make one verse contradict another (Matt.
  19 4f.).

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

• 29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto
  you, There is no man that hath left house, or
  parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for
  the kingdom of God's sake. (Luke 18).
• Jesus statement is in answer to Peters question
  (vs. 28-30). To imagine that Jesus is teaching
  divorce for reasons other than what he has
  expressly taught is utter and irresponsible use
  of the scriptures. Jesus does not even have in
  mind marital difficulties such as a mate
  incurring bills, children abuse, or ones
  emotional health.

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

• Jesus taught only one reason for divorcement for
  an apparent reason To preclude all the chaos
  that has now been introduced by those not content
  with Jesus teaching. Jesus reason plus.do not
  equal one reason, regardless of how fair these
  other reasons may sound. I certainly believe in
  putting Jesus first over all, including a mate
  (Luke 14 26, 18 29). However, I do not believe
  such entails divorcement and the rejection of the
  marriage duties that we have accepted when we
  engage in the marriage vows (I Cor. 7 2f.).

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

•  
• I've read your article a couple of times to make
  sure I understood what you said. While I am in
  agreement that I would not tell a person to
  divorce, for the number of reasons presented by
  Mike, there still are a couple problems with your
  answer.
•  
• 1. You are incorrect about the divorced mate
  running off and marrying another that Mike (and
  many others who hold a similar position) believe
  that mate could now scripturally remarried
  anyone. They don't believe it and I have never
  seen anything in print or tape that says they do.
  Just because you think it is evitable position in
  the future does not make it so.
•  
• 2. You, along with many others, taking issue with
  the kingdom sake argument do not offer one word
  about what the passage DOES MEAN!  In you article
  you go to great length to tell us that it doesn't
  mean what Brother Willis believes it means, what
  can happen if one takes that position and that it
  contradicts other Bible passages. Yet, Don it has
  to mean something and ignoring it won't make it
  go away!
•  
•  Don, I wish that this problem could be dealt
  with in an open fashion and have tried to do so
  with the men I don't agree with some of their
  conclusions.  I continue to pray and be open to
  discuss the  teachings on both side of the
  issues. While I have never wavered on my
  understanding of MDR I must admit there are some
  situations only the Lord know the answer.
•  
• I'm always hesitate to get into discussion with
  you because I know in the past you have used my
  words to portray me as soft and compromising.

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

• Primary arguments based on false charges
• Addendum 2 Since I have mentioned Mike Willis,
  I believe I should state that I personally do not
  know what Mike teaches regarding the possibility
  of marriage to another after the wrong mate
  marries. However, through the years, I have
  observed that most of these men will concede the
  possibility of marriage to another, even in the
  circumstance of a living mate, using the same
  flawed and emotional reasoning that resulted in
  their first erroneous conclusion. (Direct quote
  from my article, dm.)

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Divorcement for the Kingdoms Sake

• Consequences
• These men thus teaching have not only created
  basic and initial error, but they have also
  helped to open the door for all the current flood
  of false teaching on divorce and marriage to
  another. Divorcement for the Kingdoms sake is
  a flawed and deceitful expression, such as plays
  on divorcement.