Matthew 19 discusses Jesus's teachings on divorce, where he is tested by Pharisees regarding its legality. He emphasizes God's original design for marriage and teaches that divorce should not be taken lightly, stating that the only exception is for marital unfaithfulness. The document also explores the cultural context, various interpretations of biblical texts, and the understanding of marriage and divorce in Christian teachings.

1. Matthew 19
Jesus is tested concerning divorce
Jesus is asked about heaven

2. • Matthew 19:1…He
departed from
Galilee…

3. • Matthew 19:1…He
departed from
Galilee…

4. Matthew 19:1,
Judea Beyond The Jordan
• Matthew 19:1 When Jesus had finished these
words, He departed from Galilee and came into
the region of Judea beyond the Jordan;
• The "region of Judea" is the Greek and Roman
equivalent to “the land of Judah” in the Old
Testament. Basically, the southern part of the old
southern kingdom (excluding Idumea). The
eastern side of the Jordan, known later as
Transjordan ("across the Jordan"), or Perea, and
now is simply known as Jordan.

5. Judea Beyond The Jordan

6. Matthew 19:2 and large crowds followed
Him, and He healed them there.

7. Matthew 19:3-12, DIVORCE
• Matthew 5:31 "It
was
said, 'WHOEVER
SENDS HIS WIFE
AWAY, LET HIM
GIVE HER A
CERTIFICATE OF
DIVORCE';

8. Matthew 19:3,
• Matthew 19:3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him
and asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any
reason at all?"
• The Net Bible note is, “The question of the Pharisees was
anything but sincere; they were asking it to test him. Jesus
was now in the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (i.e., Judea
and beyond the Jordan) and it is likely that the Pharisees
were hoping he might answer the question of divorce in a
way similar to John the Baptist and so suffer the same fate
as John, i.e., death at the hands of Herod (cf. Mat 14:1-12).
Jesus answered the question not on the basis of rabbinic
custom and the debate over Deu 24:1, but rather from the
account of creation and God's original design.”

9. Matthew 19:3, Divorce For Any Reason
• Matthew 19:3 …"Is it lawful for a man to divorce
his wife for any reason at all?"
• The question of divorce was the basis of a huge
rabbinic debate for a long time.
• Center of the meaning of “indecency in her”;
• Deuteronomy 24:1 "When a man takes a wife and
marries her, and it happens that she finds no
favor in his eyes because he has found some
indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate
of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her
out from his house,

10. Deuteronomy 24:1,
• 06172 `ervah {er-vaw'}
• Meaning: 1) nakedness, nudity, shame, pudenda 1a)
pudenda (implying shameful exposure) 1b) nakedness
of a thing, indecency, improper behaviour 1c)
exposed, undefended (fig.)
• Origin: from 06168; TWOT - 1692b; n f
• Usage: AV - nakedness 50, nakedness + 01320
1, shame 1, unclean 1, uncleanness 1; 54
• Notes:
• 1 some...: Heb. matter of nakedness

11. Deuteronomy 24:1, “ervah” in English
• CSB finds something improper about her
• NAU ESV NAS found some indecency in her
• NET found something offensive in her
• KJV NKJ found some uncleanness in her
• YLT found in her nakedness of anything…

12. Deuteronomy 24:1, “ervah” in Greek
• Greek = “aschaymown”
• Gingrich,
• ἄςχημον adjective normal accusative neuter
singular no degree from ἀςχήμων
• [GING] ἀςχήμων
ἀςχήμων, ον shameful, unpresentable. τὰ ἀ.
the private parts 1 Cor 12:23.* [pg 29]

13. Matthew 19:5, Become One Flesh

14. Matthew 19:5, Become One Flesh
• Bad Time to Flirt
• My husband was performing a wedding, and I
was the organist. Everything went smoothly until
the end, when he forgot the line, "You may now
kiss the bride." The awkward silence was broken
by me trying to cue my husband with kissing
noises. It got his attention, but it didn't sink in.
• Afterward he told me he thought I was picking an
unusual time to flirt with him. Janice Reese

15. Matthew 19:7-8, “GIVE HER A
CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE”
• Edward E. Henson says, "God's original plan for
marriage should guide us, not a loophole created by
conditions of the fall. One may infer that other
regulations were treated similarly. For example, the
regulation that requires one to return someone's ox if
he sees it running loose (Exod. 23:4) was not
permission To allow one's ox to run loose, knowing it
would be returned. It was a concession to a less than
ideal situation. In the same way, Moses' prescription
for divorce was not permission to divorce for any
reason whatever. It was a concession to reality. Jesus
affirmed this and upheld the ideal.” Edward E. Henson’s, King James
Version Commentary New Testament, on page 56

16. Matthew 19:7,
CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE
• Next 3 slides are from Eric Peterman’s Divorce
& Remarriage -Part 3,

17. Divorce & Remarriage
-Part 3
Remarriage: Seeking to understand Jesus and
the apostles in their cultural, historical, legal
and literary contexts

18. What about remarriage?
•Nope: Not THE Joseph and Mary – it is from AD 72. They would be too old.
Anyway, both Joseph and Mary are very common names
- this says: “you are free on your part to go and become the wife of any
Jewish man that you wish. And this is to be for you from me a writ of
divorce and a get of release.”
- lets look at the divorce certificate of Joseph
and Mary, found at Masada.

19. What about remarriage?
Read the small print. Read an actual divorce
certificate from circa the time of Christ
- a Jewish divorce certificate says: “You are
now free to marry anyone you wish”
- there’s lots more in most divorce
certificates, but these are the only
necessary words.
- In other words, the essence of the divorce
certificate was the right to remarry

20. www.compass.org, On Divorce
• “NOTE: A spouse in adultery does not give a "green light" for divorce in the
Church Age. The statement Jesus made, "except for immorality," was to
the Jews under law, who did not have the power of the Holy Spirit living in
them. Our instructions in the Church Age, where we do have the power of
the Holy Spirit living in us, say we can do "all thing through Christ Who
strengthens me." Men are told to love their wives like Christ loves the
Church," so that certainly rules out divorce!
• There ARE situations that call for a woman or a man to leave the home to
escape physical or emotional damage. But divorce is NEVER an option! We
state publicly in our marriage vows "for better or worse." Sometimes God
allows "worse," but we have the promise that "all things work together for
good..."
• As a balance to the above, we wrote an article in a past Compass
Communique' titled "Christians and Divorce." It deals with people who
have been divorced and how they are NOT second class Christians! Their
sins were nailed to the cross like the sins of everyone else. You can
download that Communique (Fall 2007) by clicking the "Compass
Communique" logo in the center of our home page: www.compass.org “

21. Marriage and Divorce
Copyright by Norman L. Geisler 2006
Edited by Dave Kooyers, April 2012

22. I. A Biblical View of Marriage
A. The Nature of Marriage
2. It involves a covenant before God
“Because the LORD has been witness Between
you and the wife of your youth. With whom you
have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your
companion And your wife by covenant” (Mal.
2:14).
God is a “witness” of all marriages, even those
by unbelievers.

23. I. A Biblical View of Marriage
A. The Nature of Marriage
3. It involves physical union (cont.)
“Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each
man have his own wife, and let each woman have her
own husband…. The wife does not have authority over
her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the
husband does not have authority over his own body, but
the wife does” (1 Cor. 7:2-4).

24. Bible Knowledge Commentary, DLK
• Matthew 19:3 …for any cause at all?“
• “…Pharisees sought to test Jesus through a question: Is it
lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?
The nation was divided over this issue. Followers of Hillel felt
a man could divorce his wife for almost any reason, but
others, following Shammai, thought one could not divorce his
wife unless she were guilty of sexual offense. Without getting
involved in the Hillel-Shammai controversy Jesus reminded
the religious leaders of God's original purpose in establishing
the marriage bond. God made people male and female iv. 4; …

25. Bible Knowledge Commentary, DLK
• “Ge 1:27). In marriage He joins them together in an
inseparable bond. This bond is a higher calling than the
parent-child relationship, for a man is to leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife in a one-flesh relationship
(Ge 2:24). Therefore what God has joined together, men
ought not separate (chorizeto; in 1 Co 7:10 this word means
"to divorce").

26. Mat 19:7, Except For Immorality, DLK
• Matthew 19:9…except for immorality, and marries another
woman commits adultery.“
• 4202 πορνεία porneia {por-ni'-ah}
• Meaning: 1) illicit sexual intercourse 1a)
adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, interco
urse with animals etc. 1b) sexual intercourse with close
relatives; Lev. 18 1c) sexual intercourse with a divorced
man or woman; Mk. 10:11,12 2) metaph. the worship of
idols 2a) of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by
eating the sacrifices offered to idols

27. II. Several Views on Divorce
A. Christian Agreement on Divorce
B. Christian Disagreement on
Divorce
1. There are many grounds for divorce.
2. There is one grounds for divorce.
3. There are no grounds for divorce.

28. Matthew lists one exception--fornication
Jesus said, “I say unto you, whoever divorces his wife
except for fornication, and marries another, commits
adultery” (Matt. 19:9).
Jesus repeats this: “But I say to you that whoever
divorces his wife for any reason except for fornication
causes her to commit adultery...” (Matt. 5:32).
Response: (1) “Fornication” (Gk: porneia) differs from
“adultery” (moikatai). (2) Fornication can refer to sexual
sin before marriage (Acts 15:20; Rom. 1:29) that justifies
annulling it, as Jewish law allowed (Deut. 22:13-19).

29. Bible Knowledge Commentary, DLK
• “Bible scholars differ over the meaning of this "exception
clause," found only in Matthew's Gospel. The word for
"marital unfaithfulness" is porneia
• .(1) Some feel Jesus used this as a synonym for adultery
(moicheia). Therefore adultery by either partner in a marriage
is the only sufficient grounds for a marriage to end in divorce.
Among those holding this view, some believe remarriage is
possible but others believe remarriage should never occur.
• (2) Others define porneia as a sexual offense that could occur
only in the betrothal period when a Jewish man and woman
were considered married but had not yet

30. Bible Knowledge Commentary, DLK
• “consummated their coming marriage with sexual intercourse.
If in this period the woman was found pregnant (as was Mary;
1:18-19), a divorce could occur in order to break the contract.
• (3) Still others believe the term porneia referred to
illegitimate marriages within prohibited degrees of kinship, as
in Lev 18:6-18. If a man discovered that his wife was a near
relative, he would actually be involved in an incestuous
marriage. Then this would be a justifiable grounds for divorce.
Some say this meaning of porneia is found in Ac 15:20,29 (cf.
1 Co 5:1).

31. Bible Knowledge Commentary, DLK
4) Another view is that porneia refers to a
relentless, persistent, unrepentant lifestyle of sexual
unfaithfulness (different from a one-time act of illicit
relations). (In the NT porneia is broader than moicheia). Such
a continued practice would thus be the basis for divorce, since
such unfaithful and unrelenting conduct would have broken
the marriage bond. (On the subject of divorce and
remarriage, see comments on 1 Cor 7:10-16.)
• Whatever view one takes on the exception clause, Jesus
obviously affirmed the permanence of marriage. Those who
heard His words understood Him in this way, for they
reasoned that if there were no grounds for divorce

32. Bible Knowledge Commentary, DLK
one would be better off never to marry. But this was not what
Jesus intended, for God has given marriage to people for their
betterment (Ge 2:18). Marriage should be a deterrent to
lustful sin and to unfaithfulness (1 Co 7:2). But a few either do
not have normal sexual desires (they were born eunuchs or
were castrated), or are able to control those desires for the
furtherance of God's program on the earth (Mt 19:12; cf. 1 Co
7:7-8,26). But not all are able to accept the single role (Mt
19:11)….

33. Joseph Her Husband…Righteous, DLK
• Divorce is never called “sin”
• It does not make any of the lists (Rev 21:8);
• 1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall
inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you;
but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit
of our God.

34. A Righteous Man Betrothed

35. Joseph Her Husband…Righteous, DLK
• Matthew 19:9
• Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as
follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed
to Joseph, before they came together she was found
to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her
husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to
disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly.

36. Matthew 1:19, A Righteous Man
• Matthew 1:19 And Joseph her husband, being
a righteous man …
• 1342 δίκαιοσ dikaios {dik'-ah-yos}
• Meaning: 1) righteous, observing divine laws
1a) in a wide
sense, upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping
the commands of God…

37. Matthew 1:19, Send Her Away
• Matthew 1:19 And Joseph…not wanting to disgrace
her, planned to send her away secretly.
• Joseph planned on giving her a “certificate of divorce ”
• Deuteronomy 24:1 "When…he has found some
indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of
divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from
his house,
• But Joseph wasn’t going to have her brought to the
gate of that city and stoned to death.
• Deuteronomy 22:24 then you shall bring them both out
to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to
death

38. Joseph
Considered
But In A
Dream

39. Conclusion
Divorce is never desirable, but always forgivable.
a. It is never desirable.
1) God hates it (Mal. 2:16).
2) God condemns it (Matt. 19:6).
3) God only permitted it because of sin
(Matt. 19:8).
b. It is always forgivable.
1. There is only one unpardonable sin (Mt.
12:32).
2. And divorce is not it (Jer. 3:1-14).
God says of Himself in Jeremiah 3:8 "And I saw that for all the
adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a
writ of divorce…”

40. Divorce is Forgivable!
“Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done?
She has gone up on every mountain and under every
green tree, and there played the harlot.… Then I saw
that for all the causes for which back- sliding Israel
had committed adultery, I had put her away and
given her a certificate of divorce….
Return, backsliding Israel, says the LORD and I will
not cause My anger to fall on you.... Only
acknowledge your iniquity, that you have
transgressed against the LORD your God…. Return, O
back- sliding children, says the LORD, for I am
married to you…” (Jer. 3:6-14).

41. “Go your way and sin no more!”

42. Matthew 19:6, Make it Last!
• Matthew 19:6 "So they are no longer two, but
one flesh. What therefore God has joined
together, let no man separate."
• In every marriage more than a week old, there
are grounds for divorce. The trick is to
find, and continue to find, grounds for
marriage. Robert Anderson

43. Matthew 19:13,
Children Were Brought To Him
• Matthew 19:13 Then some children were brought
to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and
pray; and the disciples rebuked them.

44. Matthew 19:17, One Who Is Good
• Matthew 19:17 And He said to him, "Why are
you asking Me about what is good? There is
only One who is good; but if you wish to enter
into life, keep the commandments.“
• Here’s his big chance;
• Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You
are the Christ, the Son of the living God.“
• Nope, he blew it

45. Matthew 19:18-19, "Which ones?"
• Matthew 19:18 …"Which ones?" …
• MacArthur Study Bible says "These are 5 of
the 6 commandments that make up the
second table of the Ten Commandments, all
dealing with human relationships… Christ
omitted the 10th commandment, which deals
with covetousness, and added Lev. 19:18, the
summation of the second half of the
Decalogue…”

46. Matthew 19:21, Stewards, Wealth
• Do you suppose that if Jesus had $100,000 and a
401k, and knowing that there are kids starving in
China, and Africa, He would be concerned with;
• What kind of car should I buy? Or how many
bathrooms should I get in my new house?
• 1 Corinthians 4:2 In this case, moreover, it is required
of stewards that one be found trustworthy.
• 1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special
gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards
of the manifold grace of God.
• Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD from your wealth And
from the first of all your produce;

47. Everybody Should Get Rich And Famous
• Matthew 19:23…it is hard for a rich man to enter…
• I think everybody should get rich and famous and do
everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not
the answer. Jim Carrey
• Hard but not impossible;
• Genesis 26:12-14…Isaac…continued to grow richer until he
became very wealthy…
• Luke 19:2 And there was a man called by the name of
Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich
• Psalm 49:16-19 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich…

48. Matthew 19:23, Why Is It Hard For A
Rich Man To Enter Heaven?

49. Matthew 19:23, Why Is It Hard For A
Rich Man To Enter Heaven?
• Proverbs 18:11-12 A rich man's wealth is his strong city, And
like a high wall in his own…
• Please turn to 1 Timothy 6:6-11
• The good news for all Americans;
• Proverbs 22:2 The rich and the poor have a common
bond, The LORD is the maker of them all.
• 1 Corinthians 1:26…there were not many wise according to
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
• So, all you rich Americans;
• 1 Timothy 6:18 …be rich in good works, to be generous and
ready to share,

50. Matthew 19:24, Eye Of A Needle

51. Ken Davis says it’s funny

52. Ken Davis says it’s funny

53. Matthew 19:24, Eye Of A Needle
• The Archaeological Study Bible says, “As illustrative as these
theories are, they in fact diminish the force of Jesus' words. The
point is not that salvation is difficult without God but that it is
impossible without him. Jesus contrast of the largest animal
known in Palestine with the smallest of holes created a vivid and
memorable illustration. The fact that modern day gates have
been so named can most likely be attributed to the influence of
this and similar statements within the Talmud and the Koran. In
other words, the term "needle’s eye gate" most likely did not
precede the teaching; rather, the popularity of the term
evidently came about because of the teaching.… Bible readers do
not do well to beware of legendary, pseudo – archaeological
interpretations, which can be quite misleading and even distort
or undermine the true meaning of a Biblical text."

54. Matthew 19:27, Count The Cost

55. Matthew 19:27, Count The Cost
• Matthew 19:27 …we have left everything and followed You…
• Being a Christian can mean having to make hard choices.
• Your loyalty to Jesus must exceed even your loyalty to your
family.
• Please turn to Luke 12:51-53
• Please turn to Luke 14:26
• Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his
hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of
God."
• Our Lord and Savior, Jesus, is warning His followers to count
the cost to be sure it's worth the price.

56. Matthew 19:27, We Left Everything
And Followed You
• Matthew 19:27 …we have left everything and followed You…
• Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter, for bringing up their sacrifice, or
their expectation of rewards.
• Revelation 22:12 "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My
reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what
he has done.

57. Snowy
Night, Moscow,
Russia.
THE END

58. Everybody Should Get Rich And Famous
• I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever
dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer. Jim Carrey
• Genesis 26:12-14…Isaac…continued to grow richer until he became very
wealthy…
• Psalm 49:16-19 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich…
• Proverbs 18:11-12 A rich man's wealth is his strong city, And like a high
wall in his own…
• Proverbs 22:2 The rich and the poor have a common bond, The LORD is
the maker of them all.
• Hosea 12:8 And Ephraim said, "Surely I have become rich, I have found
wealth for myself; In all my labors they will find in me No iniquity, which
would be sin.“
• Matthew 19:23 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
• Luke 19:2 And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a

59. 1 Timothy 6:6-11
1 Timothy 6:6-11 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when
accompanied by contentment.
• 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take
anything out of it either.
• 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.
• 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare
and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin
and destruction.
• 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by
longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs.
• 11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

60. Mat 19:9, Commits Adultery, DLK
• Matthew 19:9…commits adultery.“
• Matthew 19:3 …for any cause at all?“
•
Divorce and Remarriage
• in the Bible and in the Church
• The conclusions:
• The Bible's message for those suffering within marriage is both realistic and loving
• Marriage should be lifelong, but broken marriage vows can be grounds for divorce
• Biblical grounds for divorce include adultery, abuse and abandonment
• Jesus urged forgiveness but allowed divorce for repeated unrepentant breaking of marriage vows
• Only the victim, not the purpetrator of such sins, should decide when or whether to divorce
• Anyone who divorces on bibical grounds or who is divorced against their will can remarry.
• Very quick summary:
This book interprets the words of Jesus and Paul through the eyes of first century readers who knew about the
‘Any Cause’ divorce which Jesus was asked about ("Is it lawful to divorce for ‘Any Cause’" – Mt.19.3). Christians in
following generations forgot about the ‘Any Cause’ divorce and misunderstood Jesus.
• The 'Any Cause' divorce was invented by some Pharisees who divided up the phrase "a cause of indecency"
(Dt.24.1) into two grounds for divorce: "indecency" (porneia which they interpreted as ‘Adultery’) and "a cause"
(ie ‘Any Cause’). Jesus said the phrase could not be split up and that it meant "nothing except porneia". Although
almost everyone was using this new type of divorce, Jesus told them that it was invalid, so remarriage was
adulterous because they were still married.

61. Lavender Field France