Divorce and remarriage in the church : biblical solutions for pastoral realities / [print]
David Instone-Brewer.
- Downers Grove, Illinois : InterVarsity Press, 2003.
- 212 pages ; 21 cm
Includes bibliographical references.
Confessions of a confused minister : Jesus never said, "What God has joined, no one can separate" -- A marriage made in paradise : Moses' certificate of divorce -- God the reluctant divorcee : God's marriage contract and the grounds for his divorce from Israel -- The church can't do without it : Jesus criticized those who abandoned Old Testament law -- Divorce on demand? : Jesus taught us to forgive the repentant partner -- When your partner walks out : Christians shouldn't cause divorce, but sometimes they have to accept it -- Till death do us part? : is a divorcee still married in God's eyes? -- Four biblical grounds for divorce : these include abuse and neglect -- Can I get married again? : a valid divorce implies the right to remarry -- Is remarriage adultery? : don't redivorce, because two wrongs don't make a right -- Promises, promises : marriage vows and remarriage in church -- The teaching that time forgot : why did the church misunderstand Jesus so soon? -- Conspiracy? : why has no one explained all this before? -- What should the church do now? : putting biblical principles into practice -- Dear pastor : real-life problems from my mailbox -- Group briefing notes and discussion questions.
Will God allow me to divorce my abusive husband? Would it be a sin if I remarried? Divorce and remarriage are major pastoral issues facing every church. Yet when we turn to Scripture for guidance, we often hear conflicting messages about its teachings. David Instone-Brewer shows how, when properly understood, the New Testament provides faithful, realistic and wise guidance of crucial importance and practical help for the church today.