Matt 5:32 and Matt 19:1 do not teach that sexual immorality is a reason for divorce.

Neither does
mark 10:5 nor Deut 24;1-3. Matt, mark and Deut teach that it is because of stubbornness and
hardness of heart, but it was never God’s desire.

What the Bible teaches

1. Malachi 2: 11 & 15 teach that marriage is a ‘holy institution’, for the purpose of covenantly
advancing Christ’s kingdom, through ‘godly offspring’.
2. Malachi 2: 16 teaches that divorce is an abomination committed against God (abomination here
means a wicked attempt to overthrown God’s authority and destroy his kingdom).
3. Mark 10;9 teaches that because marriage union has been instituted and ordained by God, then
there is no human authority by which marriage can be dissolved. It specifically stated that what God
has joined together, no human being ( including a judge), must separate a man and his wife.
4. Roman7:2 teaches that throughout history, the Christian church has rightly recognized marriage as
a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman.
5. Gen 2:24 teaches that when a man and a woman are joined together in holy matrimony, then the
two became ‘one flesh’ …. a spiritual bonding.
6. In Matt 19:9 Jesus categorically states that if a man divorce his wife and marries another woman
commit adultery, and if another man marries the divorced wife also commit adultery.
7. Mark 10:11-12 re-confirm that utterance of Jesus in Matt 19:9.
8. Luke 16:18 also reconcile that same utterance of Jesus in Matt 19:9, in exactly the same way.
9. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinth 7; 10-11, categorically states that a wife should not separate from her
husband (note the operative word ‘should’), but if she does she must remain unmarried and if she
cannot remain singly, then she must be reconciled to her husband, and vice-versa (ie, the same
applies to the man). Note also in this same text, the Apostle Paul states that this is not his opinion, but
a direct command from God.
10. In Malachi 2:16 the Bible makes it clear that God hates divorce and in both Luke 11:14 and
Eph 4:32, the Bible makes it clear that reconciliation and forgiveness should be the hallmark of the
believers’ life and remarry does not allow for reconciliation and forgiveness.
11. Malachi 2:13 tells us that God does not listen to the plea for blessing from those who have broken
the covenant of marriage. In otherwords, if you are a divorcee there is no need to pray and ask God
for blessings of any form.
12. In Malachi 2: 15, God clearly explains His reason for esteeming marriage so highly. He says it was
He who makes the first marriage union one. He says it was His initial idea. In otherwords, if He
designed it, then He gets to define. The theme of marriage in the entire Bible is that marriage is a
covenant, and not a contract. Only death can dissolve a covenant…. no pastor nor no judge.
13. In Roman7:3 tha Bible tells us that if a woman marries man while her hushand is still alive, then
she is an adulteress. She is only free to marry if and only if her husband dies.
So then, is 1 Corinth 6 contradicting all those scriptures? Certainly not.

 In the end of 1 Corinth 6, Paul forcefully urges the believers to flee sexual immorality. Phrase
translated from the Greek term ‘poneia’, which refers to sex outside of heterosexual
marriage. The Church in Corinth was dealing with sexual issues. Here in this chapter, as in
previous chapter, The Apostle Paul was addressing some of these issues raised in a letter
from the Corinthian Church directly. The first part of this chapter deals with the statement
that ‘it is better for a man not to touch a woman’. A euphemism for sexual intercourse. The
situation was that some Christians in the Church had this notion that Christians were
suppose to be spiritual beings who should not even serve this physical appetite. As a matter
of fact, even in the second century Gnosticism were still holding on that view. Put another
way, some Christians in the Church were teaching that Christians should not get married and
those who were already married should not have sex. This philosophy then was the reason
why this letter/chapter was written. And so the entire chapter focuses on God’s will for
Christians when it comes to getting married and having sex within marriage. I Corinth 7: 1-16
include The Apostle Paul’s teaching about sex and marriage for Christians. In these first 16
verses the Apostle Paul insist that Christian couple belong to each other and should not
deprive each other in this way (ie they should not withhold sex from each other), because of
the temptation to sexual sin. In otherwords, you would be giving the devil a footing to stand
 on. The Apostle Paul also pointed out that married believers should not divorce in order to
somehow get closer to God, because God intends marriage to be for life. And those who are
married to unbelievers may, by staying in the marriage, help lead the other party to Christ. In
a nutshell, The Apostle Paul was saying that married Christians should have regular sex, in
order to avoid temptation, those who are married should remain married, and unmarried
believers with the gift of celibacy however, should consider remaining single in order to
avoid the troubles associated with marriage. The Apostle Paul himself embrace the latter. In
otherwords, do not seek to change your marital status, as if one option or the other is
mandatory. In the next 8 verses (17 -24), the Apostle Paul expands on the foregoing
principle: that Christians should remain in whatever situation they were in when they come
to the faith in Christ. In the latter of these verses, the Apostle Paul clarifies that he is not in
any way, shape or form, denouncing marriage or forbidding it. Married or not, circumcised or
not, slave or free, Christians are not obliged to radically upend every aspect of their lives. In
verses 25-40, the Apostle Paul addresses the question about those who are engaged to be
married. Should they go through with it, considering his teaching in the earlier verses, that
singleness provides opportunity to serve Christ undivided. Both are permitted, was his
response. He insisted that you do well in either case. Note, the phrase ‘art you bound unto a
wife? Seek not to be loosed’ can be rephrased, ‘Are you already pledged to a woman? Do not
break of the engagement’. The phrase, ‘art you loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife’, can be
rephrased, ‘are you free from such a commitment (engagement ie,)? Do not seek to be
engaged”. The phrase, ‘and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned’, can be rephrased, ‘but if you
choose to carry through with the engagement and marry, you have not sinned.’ The phrase,
‘and if a betrothed woman marry (ie., an engaged woman, not a divorcee), she hath not
sinned’, can be rephrased, ‘and if an engaged woman carry through with the engagement,
she has not sinned’. There we have it, the context and the full interpretation of the chapter.
So, I Corinth 6 is in no way contradicting the the earlier verses. Now for the conclusion of the
whole matter.
 No divorce - no remarriage: Marriage is a covenant agreement, meant for life, therefore it
must not be broken under any circumstance; remarriage further violates the covenant and
therefore is not permissible.
 Divorce - but no remarriage: Divorce, while not God's desire, is sometimes the only
alternative when all else has failed. The divorced person must remain unmarried for life
thereafter.