The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-10, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. Copyright 1990 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

I have a question on divorce. I know there’s a lot of different opinions and teachings on it, and you’ve canvassed this pretty well on your tapes, and I’ve always been pretty much convinced of the position that is taught here [Grace Community Church], particularly after I read Jay Adams’ book. But, recently, I was browsing in the bookstore and found a book called Jesus and Divorce by Gordon Wenham and William Heth. It’s very new and they make what appears to me to be--I can’t say I really like this--but it seems that they’re really canvassed all the material on the previous books that have been written and have done some hard exegetical work, and their conclusion is that remarriage is just plain not permitted in any case. And, I’m wondering if anybody here is sort of looking over that material, and if any conclusions are being drawn?

Answer

Thanks for asking, Tom. Bill Heth generated that material in his dissertation at Dallas Seminary originally, and I read the original dissertation and I considered that viewpoint rather extensively. The viewpoint is that there are no grounds for any divorce…I think, apart from incest. I think what he talks about is the implication of the Herodian family and incest and that Jesus is directing-if I remember right, that’s part of it.

Question (continued)

I haven’t finished it myself, okay? The impression I’m getting is that he’s saying that in the case of adultery, the divorce--putting away--is permitted, but that remarriage is not.

Answer (continued)

Right, but I think there is that incest factor as the only legitimate grounds for divorce, if I remember right. I read it in its original form; then, I’ve gotten two or three copies in the mail and responded to it in mail; and then, I have read the book as well. I would have to say at this point and time, the book has been out probably three or four years now, but the material has been floating around for about twice that long, and it has been answered on a number of different occasions by a number of different people. While they throw a lot of exegetical things around, I think the bottom line is that there’s a little bit of creative exegesis in the sense that they’re pulling out some suppositions on which they build, and if you get back to the suppositions and you attack those, I think the system crumbles.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
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