divorce & remarriage: biblical answers to a sociological problem

Due to negative ethical changes in society, divorce has sadly become fashionable from the early eighties to date, and the Church has been unable to deal with it or slow the tide. Currently, there are millions of Christian divorcees worldwide, but the questions remain: Can a Christian remarry, or is divorce an unpardonable sin? The practice of forgiveness is not an option for a faithful Christian; how, then, do you balance forgiveness with divorce? Is divorce the best solution in your case? The lack of sound answers to the above questions has exposed many Believers to hurt, condemnation, and backsliding. In tracing answers to these pertinent questions, Rev. Emmanuel Baba-Lola posited that it could not be more apparent in the Holy Scriptures that divorce is not part of God’s program for marriage and that there is no such thing as a divorce doctrine in the Holy Bible; he therefore, concluded that no Church should have a doctrine on divorce or remarriage as it always comes under elders’ administration in the Holy Scriptures. From the fact that only very few Bible Writers said something about divorce: Moses, Jeremiah, Malachi, Christ, and Paul to the fact that marriage is sacred before God and the explicit reality that our God hates divorce, no Christian should trivialize marriage or divorce.

Nevertheless, divorce still happens even among great lovers of God, and it is a reality on this planet that no human is perfect before the Almighty. Divorce is the physical death of a marriage, but the spiritual implications linger on; we must discourage it vehemently but succumb to it when we must-when life is threatened, when joy seems irrecoverable, when continuation attenuates peace and reconciliation enters a permanent eclipse, when we’ve done our best but the monster refused to die. Remarriage should be decided by the Church elders based on the Spirit’s leading and the merits and demerits of each case. Marriage, as sacred as it is, was never treated as an end in itself in the Holy Bible; it did not make it to the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament and is not a requisite before the judgment throne of Christ in the New Testament as every soul will answer for himself. Therefore, marriage is made for man and not man for marriage; marriage should not be the reason for anyone’s untimely death or mental breakdown. In Divorce & Remarriage, Rev. Emmanuel Baba-Lola provides Biblical answers. He explores historical stances on divorce and remarriage by the early Church fathers to bring God’s fantastic comfort to victims of divorce as well as encouragement and empowerment to every spouse to stand their ground against the onslaught of Satan against the home.