Divorce and the Christian
I recently had a conversation with some friends about biblical issues concerning divorce—if and when it is acceptable, whether God condones remarriage, whether a divorced man should be allowed to serve in the church as a deacon or elder, etc. A lot of interesting things came out of that conversation. More interesting still was a post on Dr. Warnock's blog that I read shortly thereafter. In it, he quotes from a book by Jay Adams concerning the biblical principles involved when two married Christians decide that they can no longer live together. Mr. Adams is of the opinion that churches should excommunicate someone who refuses to be reconciled to their spouse:
"Let us say that a husband who is a professing Christian refuses to be reconciled to his wife. Perhaps he has even left her. Reconciliation has been attempted by the wife. If she continues to insist upon reconciliation (according to Matthew 18), but fails in her attempts at private confrontation, she must take one or two others from the church and confront her husband. Suppose she does and that he also refuses to hear them. In that case she is required to submit the problem officially to the church, which ultimately may be forced, by his adamant refusal to be reconciled, to excommunicate him for contumacy. Excommunication, Christ says, changes his status to that of a heathen and a publican, i.e., someone outside of the church (Matthew 18:17). Now he must be treated "as a heathen and a publican." That means, for instance, that after reasonable attempts to reconcile him to the church and to his wife, he may be taken to court (I Corinthians 6: 1–8 forbids brethren to go to law against one another) to sue for a divorce (only, of course, if the excommunicated one deserts his partner)."
That's harsher than anything on this subject that I've ever heard taught in a church. But if you're so inclined, go read the whole post and let me know what you think.
