Was the only cause for divorce adultery – sexual unfaithfulness to the marriage vows?
No. Adultery (or implied adultery by sleeping with a woman) was not a stated cause for divorce in the Old Testament because it was a crime against the society and its penalty was death. The widow or widower was naturally free to marry again. ” If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.” (Deuteronomy 22:22 NIV) 6. Does Jesus allow divorce now in New Testament times? Yes. The one reason a Christian can get a divorce is because of immorality. Matthew 19:9. This reverses the liberal permission of Deuteronomy 24:1. (See point 4 above.) ” I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:9 NIV) 7. Does marital unfaithfulness or sexual immorality include homosexuality? Yes. Jude makes this clear in speaking of Sodom, the great homosexual center. ” In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding to
