As I feel more and more led to do. I'm staying out of arguments and debate. Instead I'm starting threads about the topic that sparks an interest in me. Publishing my thoughts and perspective on the matter and looking for commentary.
The question the pharisees asked was about "putting away" apolyō.
We must be careful to not fall into the same trap the pharisees were setting for Jesus. They asked if it was acceptable to "send away" your wife for any reason whatsoever.
They avoided the whole process of send away and give the writing of a bill of divorcement. And they added "for any reason". Their question was like it normally was, about the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law.
Part of the whole trap was the fact that they were asking if it was ok to do something that was not permitted. You can't just kick a wife out and stop providing for her without just cause. She would be destitute and have the choice often between starvation and death or to find protection and providence from another man. If she sought the protection and providence of another man, she would be essentially forced by her husband into adultery. He would be guilty of the crime he forced her into.
Jesus goes on to explain if you marry a woman like that (sent away from her husband without a divorce) you commit adultery. The reason should be obvious. If she has just been sent away, she is not divorced, and not freed from the law of her husband. You would be committing adultery. She has not been properly divorced (apostasion & apolyō) She must be sent away AND given a writing of a bill of divorcement, apolyo AND apostasion. This distinction is critical because these words are different and mean different things. Jesus did not divorce a bunch of people who came to hear Him teach. He sent them away.
The question the pharisees asked was about "putting away" apolyō.
We must be careful to not fall into the same trap the pharisees were setting for Jesus. They asked if it was acceptable to "send away" your wife for any reason whatsoever.
They avoided the whole process of send away and give the writing of a bill of divorcement. And they added "for any reason". Their question was like it normally was, about the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law.
Part of the whole trap was the fact that they were asking if it was ok to do something that was not permitted. You can't just kick a wife out and stop providing for her without just cause. She would be destitute and have the choice often between starvation and death or to find protection and providence from another man. If she sought the protection and providence of another man, she would be essentially forced by her husband into adultery. He would be guilty of the crime he forced her into.
Jesus goes on to explain if you marry a woman like that (sent away from her husband without a divorce) you commit adultery. The reason should be obvious. If she has just been sent away, she is not divorced, and not freed from the law of her husband. You would be committing adultery. She has not been properly divorced (apostasion & apolyō) She must be sent away AND given a writing of a bill of divorcement, apolyo AND apostasion. This distinction is critical because these words are different and mean different things. Jesus did not divorce a bunch of people who came to hear Him teach. He sent them away.
They omitted the divorcement part, and instead only asked about sending her away for any reason.
The two shall unite their bodies. God joins them together and the purpose is to stay joined and never separate that covenant union.
Here they acknowledge there is a two part process to the matter.
Jesus explains the design of marriage is to stay together.
You can put away a wife for the cause of sexual sin and marry another. IF you put away a wife for any other reason and marry another, you have caused her to commit adultery, the sin is on your head. Putting away is sending her away, or in the case of some wives who have committed fornication, the man may put her away and refuse marital duties lawfully as David did with some of his.
If you marry a woman who is only put away, she is still under the law of her husband and not free to marry, it would be adultery because she is not free to remarry.
