Technicalities, Specifics, and Interpretation

I have learned something over the last couple of weeks. I have been asking others for their opinion on whether it is biblical for me to remarry. What I have received is a technical analysis of scripture. Which is fine, but I have noticed how little "interpretation" we do of these scriptures. Simply put, my situation in my divorce does not neatly fit into one of the passages about divorce or remarriage. So, since I do not fit technically into one of those categories, there seems to be no way of deciding whether I can remarry biblically. So, shouldn't we as Christians be able to read scripture, look at the principles in the text, and glean what truth can be mined from them regardless of the subject at hand?

For example, the Bible says, "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." (Matthew 5:29 KJV). I must say my eyes have offended me often daily. I still have them both. I dare say that anyone who reads this blog has been offended by what their eyes see (and by this the scriptural context is to look upon the opposite sex [or if we want to be technical, a woman] with lust) and yet probably also have both of their eyes. This is a scripture we "interpret" because we don't want to rip out our eyes.

In my situation, my wife left me and did not want to reconcile. I had not been unfaithful and caused her to leave. She had not been unfaithful either. The scripture says divorce is permissible due to infidelity. After she left, I had a brief relationship with a woman which included physical relations. However, she did not divorce me for infidelity. Another passage states, "And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace" (1Co 7:10-15 KJV). My wife was a believer. So, this scripture does not apply to me. This is where my interpretation comes into play. She was a believer, but she departed. So, should I as a believer whose spouse has departed remain unmarried for life because my wife, who was a believer, left me and has now remarried leaving me no option for reconciliation? I believe that I can remarry because the principle of abandonment in this passage applies to me even if my wife is a believer.


I may lose friends over my decision. It is hard to say how people will react to things like this where we want to be very technical and specific. Ultimately, it is for me to decide based on scripture and my relationship with God and what He is doing in my life. I have often forced God into a box. Yet over the last few years, God has burst open the box and shown me that He can work through any and all circumstances to mold me into the man I should be. If not, then I should just quit going to church because with my past I can never be used of God. Look at those great men of faith such as Abraham (a liar), Moses (a murderer), David (a murderer and adulterer), Peter (a betrayer), Paul (killed Christians), and John (arrogantly asked to be seated at Christ's side). They never did anything wrong, right?