How Does Expectation Relate to Marriage?
We have struggled with Jesus’ words that by divorce we both commit adultery and cause the adultery of our partner. Whatever interpretation is offered for these paradoxical statements, no one can deny that among the early Christians the meaning of the word adultery was changed. It was at least widened considerably. Our interpretation was that Jesus was speaking metaphorically of the hopes and expectations for a marriage that are adulterated by divorce. In this chapter we wonder whether, in addition to divorce, there are other marriage expectations that can be adulterated? But first we should remind ourselves that the only one of the ten commandments in any way relating to marriage is the seventh about committing adultery. As we saw in previous chapters, Jesus turned all the commandments around and filled them out by viewing love as their fulfilment. And Paul then expounded an early Christian vision of love as it related to marriage by picturing a total mutuality of submission of one to
