Hello and welcome to
Heaven's Point of View.
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My name is Dr. Yvonne Lewis
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and our special
host for this Series
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on Love,
Marriage, Sex, and Divorce
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is Dr. Tom Sheperd who is a
Professor at Andrews University,
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he's a Professor of New
Testament Interpretation
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and he's the
Director of their Programs:
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their Ph. D. and
Th. D. Religion Programs
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so we are so
thankful and grateful
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that you have been sharing this
wonderful information with us
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and we're down at the
very end of this Series
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and it's just been so
insightful because we found out
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what does the Bible have to
say about these various areas
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on Love, Marriage
and Sex and Divorce,
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so last time...
we were talking about
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well... you
were talking about...
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because I wasn't
here for that one,
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you were talking about
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the Christian that's
married to the unbeliever.
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Tom: Right.
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Can you just recap
a little bit of that?
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Sure, the Christian was
married to the unbeliever
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who was willing to
stay in the marriage.
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Now, first we should
notice... just reiterate that
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how in the world did
this situation come to pass?
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Because,
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nowhere in the Bible did we see
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the Scriptures affirming
marrying an unbeliever.
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In fact, it's just
the opposite, right?
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Yeah, yeah, you're not
to have linked up with them,
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you're not to have concord with
that which is apart from God.
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Hmmm... hmmm...
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It's sad that too
many times people don't
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recognize this or
take it into account,
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it's like they let their
heart lead instead of their mind
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or their faith and
people should realize that
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marrying an unbeliever
is... putting yourself...
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you'll be unequally
yoked, you'll not be able to...
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when... you're
going in one direction
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and the other person is
going in another direction
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and, of course, the time
when this really shows up
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is when children are
born. Yvonne: That's right.
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Because the believer
want to raise their child
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as a believer, of course,
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and the unbeliever...
does not care about that...
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is not interested
in it and can resist it
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and it can be... it
can be pretty challenging.
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So, what Paul
describes in 1st Corinthians 7
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is actually the case of a
person who became a Christian
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after they were
married, yeah... so...
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here were two
unbelievers that were married
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and then one of
them became a Christian.
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You know that
actually happened to me,
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because when I
married my husband,
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I was out of the
church and then I came back...
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shortly after marrying him,
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so, I guess, he
was probably wondering,
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"Well, who is this person?"
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Because... you're
a different person
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from the one
that you were before,
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and that's a...
it's a real scenario
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and it's a real situation...
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because you can't
blame the unbeliever
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because he didn't marry...
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he didn't sign up for
that, you know what I mean?
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And then you can't
blame the believer because
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you are following God's leading
so it is a very real situation
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and... as you
said... the children...
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it can put the
children in the middle, so...
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Oh yeah, very much... and
so Paul is describing here
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what are
Christians supposed to do?
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It's really kind of three steps,
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the Christians
married to each other,
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then the Christian married
to the... willing unbeliever,
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now the last one is the
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Christian married to
the unwilling unbeliever...
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or willing
unbeliever... Hmmm... hmmm...
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so I know, from your background,
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I wonder if you
have any suggestions
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about how
people can cope with...
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if they're
married to an unbeliever
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how can they... how
can they make it work?
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How can they help
draw people to Christ
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and keep things going well?
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Well, I'm divorced,
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so I don't know if
I'm the one to answer that
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but seriously... one
thing that you can do
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is... you really
have to put yourself
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in the position
of the unbeliever...
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just to kind of... understand
their perspective on it
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so that you're not
feeling like "well... "
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you're not feeling
self-righteous, you're not...
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you are really trying to
understand their position
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and, of course, you have to pray
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and you have to ask God to
be sensitive to the situation
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and ask God for His
leading and how to deal with
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the situation because...
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there are places you
no longer will go to,
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there are things
you will no longer do
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and so that can...
Tom: It creates a tension...
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It creates a tension
which can pull you apart.
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So, I guess the key
is to really seek God
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on how to be... in
those specific situations
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and try to understand
your spouse's position
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without compromising yours.
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Right, it goes back a bit
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to what we said
in previous programs
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about how the Christian is
to relate to the unbeliever
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and that they are...
they sanctify the unbeliever,
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they're helping to draw
them but they're also...
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God has placed His
seal even over this marriage
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that was entered into before the
person even became a Christian.
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I'm reminded of the
words in 1st Peter 3,
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where Peter
describes a Christian woman
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married to a pagan man
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and in probably the
same kind of circumstance
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where she became
a Christian after...
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after their marriage...
sometime after their marriage
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and he talks about...
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he really presents the
woman as an Evangelist,
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but a silent Evangelist.
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Yvonne: Silent... yes...
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She says... it
says... "without a word... "
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so, when you think
about communication
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and you ponder... now,
which would be more powerful
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to win somebody
through the spoken word
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or to win them
without saying a word.
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That's right.
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And you really come
to the conclusion...
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it seems to me that...
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without a
word... is a stronger...
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you know,
there's more power there
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and so, here's Peter presenting
these women as Evangelists.
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That's right, that's right.
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Winning their
husbands... being one...
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actually is a
way he describes it,
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God, of course, is
the one who draws them.
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Yes, you know
that poem that says,
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"I'd rather see a sermon
than to hear one any day... "
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And I think that
that's important,
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the way you live your life
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without compromising your values
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but you live... you
live as a Christian person
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and I think that that
can either win your spouse
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or actually push them away.
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I appreciated your
focus and your emphasis there
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on the idea of
taking their perspective...
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you're not suggesting that
you act like a non-Christian
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but you're saying, "try
to understand their mindset
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and where they're coming from"
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and that goes
along with the whole idea
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of... in marriage...
that you are "other-centered"
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that you are seeking
to fulfill their needs
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and to think about their needs.
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Okay, well, so I think
probably now we can turn
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to 1st Corinthians 7 and read
the last part of the section
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which is 1st
Corinthians 7 verses 15 and 16.
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Okay, it says, "But if
the unbeliever departs,
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let him depart, a
brother or a sister
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is not under
bondage in such cases.
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But God has called us to peace.
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For how do you know, O wife,
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whether you will
save your husband?
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Or how do you know, O husband,
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whether you
will save your wife?"
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All right... so... this
passage we have to understand...
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sometimes this passage is
called "the Pauline privilege. "
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Hmmm...
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It presents the
counter situation
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from what we described
in the previous program
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where the unbeliever was
willing to stay in the marriage
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and in that situation,
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the Christian is not to
try to get out of the marriage.
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Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm...
Tom: The Christian is to stay...
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Paul does not ever
describe the Christian
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as the person
initiating separation or divorce
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he's... along the lines
of what Jesus said that...
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"What God has joined together,
let man not rend asunder. "
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So, here he... in
verses 15 and 16...
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he doesn't mention willingness,
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he doesn't even
mention unwillingness.
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He just
describes the unbeliever...
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we could say,
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"the unbeliever
voted with their feet,"
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you know... they departed.
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Yvonne: Right. Tom:
The unbeliever departed.
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The verb that is
used here is the verb...
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the Greek verb, "Chórizó"
which... in the active voice
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it means to
divide or to separate
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in the passive
voice, it means to separate
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and it's actually one of
the common words for divorce.
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To be separated... you see...
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divorce from one another,
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it was a common Greco-Roman
term that they used for that,
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in these verses it's in this,
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what we'd call,
middle-passive voice
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where it can be that
it's describing actually
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a divorce that's taken place,
the unbeliever has departed
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it seems, the unbeliever
initiated the divorce,
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okay, so in such
circumstances, you know,
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the question would be,
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"Well, how is the
Christian supposed to respond?"
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Right...
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The way Paul calls for
the Christian to respond
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to this departure is
stated in three phrases,
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all right, the
first is... he says...
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"let him or her depart. "
00:10:03.10\00:10:05.67
Yvonne: Just let them go.
00:10:05.70\00:10:08.24
Tom: Let them go...
Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:10:08.27\00:10:09.60
So with these words, Paul
indicates that a Christian
00:10:09.64\00:10:11.97
is not to stand in
the way of a divorce.
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All right... now the Christian
did not initiate the divorce,
00:10:14.21\00:10:18.98
notice, that the
action is being taken
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by the unbeliever,
not by the believer, okay.
00:10:21.98\00:10:25.45
So, the Christian
didn't initiate it
00:10:25.52\00:10:29.49
but does not have to
resist it or counter it.
00:10:29.52\00:10:33.16
So that's the
first thing that he says.
00:10:33.19\00:10:36.00
Let them depart... then he says,
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"In such cases,
the brother or sister
00:10:40.77\00:10:43.61
is not... " what
does your version say,
00:10:43.64\00:10:46.47
mine says, "enslaved... "
00:10:46.51\00:10:47.84
What verse is it? Verse 15...
00:10:47.88\00:10:52.95
Verse 15... "A
brother or a sister is not
00:10:52.98\00:10:55.88
under bondage in such cases... "
00:10:55.92\00:10:58.15
Is not "bound... "
the verb, here, is the...
00:10:58.19\00:11:01.82
well, it's a little interesting
to use it in terms of marriage
00:11:01.89\00:11:05.43
but it's "douloi"
which is a common word...
00:11:05.46\00:11:07.70
for "to be a slave... "
00:11:07.73\00:11:09.06
or to serve as a slave,
now, we mustn't get the idea
00:11:09.10\00:11:12.93
that necessarily
Paul is saying here,
00:11:13.00\00:11:14.60
"Marriage is slavery"
00:11:14.64\00:11:16.47
That's what it's kind
of sounding like here...
00:11:16.50\00:11:19.94
that... marriage...
bondage... is it slavery?
00:11:19.97\00:11:22.74
There are some people
who kind of get that way...
00:11:22.81\00:11:25.55
they feel that
way... the verb here is,
00:11:25.61\00:11:28.28
in the passive voice...
and in the perfect tense,
00:11:28.32\00:11:32.12
the brother or sister is
not enslaved by such things
00:11:32.15\00:11:35.92
and then we have to
kind of unpack that...
00:11:35.96\00:11:39.83
the third thing that he will say
is that we're called to peace.
00:11:39.86\00:11:42.06
So, first we need to unpack
this idea of not being enslaved
00:11:42.10\00:11:48.04
okay... the
parallel that helps us
00:11:48.07\00:11:51.91
a lot in this,
is Romans chapter 7,
00:11:51.94\00:11:55.74
verses 1 to 6, it's
written by, of course,
00:11:55.78\00:11:58.71
the same man, the Apostle
Paul, and so, we want to read
00:11:58.75\00:12:03.55
Romans... turn over to
Romans 7. Yvonne: Okay.
00:12:03.59\00:12:06.76
Now, Romans 7 is one of
the most fascinating chapters
00:12:06.82\00:12:10.03
in the book of Romans.
00:12:10.06\00:12:11.73
Now why so...
why do you think so?
00:12:11.79\00:12:13.13
Oh, well, he's
talking about the law.
00:12:13.16\00:12:14.50
See,
00:12:14.53\00:12:16.80
in Romans 5, 6, 7
and then on into 8,
00:12:16.83\00:12:19.17
he has three great
powers that he describes:
00:12:19.20\00:12:22.04
death, sin and law.
00:12:22.07\00:12:24.81
Hmmm...
00:12:24.84\00:12:26.21
And how the Christian
is set free from death...
00:12:26.24\00:12:29.61
by the death of Jesus...
Jesus takes Adam's place
00:12:29.64\00:12:32.95
the Christian is set free from
the "rule of sin" by baptism.
00:12:32.98\00:12:40.06
Hmmm...
00:12:40.12\00:12:41.46
A lot of people
think that you have to...
00:12:41.49\00:12:43.43
we'll give a little commercial
for the book of Romans here,
00:12:43.46\00:12:47.50
but some people think that...
00:12:47.53\00:12:50.33
that you have to
work towards dying to sin,
00:12:50.37\00:12:53.17
Paul actually says that
happened at your baptism.
00:12:53.20\00:12:55.67
When you were baptized,
you died to "sin as a master,"
00:12:55.70\00:12:59.87
and the rest of Romans 6 says,
00:12:59.91\00:13:02.74
"In order that you may
fight sin... as an enemy. "
00:13:02.78\00:13:06.15
So, that's why baptism is
such an important thing to do.
00:13:06.18\00:13:12.29
Oh absolutely, absolutely,
00:13:12.32\00:13:13.86
people don't
understand this well enough,
00:13:13.89\00:13:15.36
baptism is so crucial that
it is a change of "Masters"
00:13:15.39\00:13:20.23
you change from Master
Sin to be with Master Jesus.
00:13:20.30\00:13:25.10
And it points you
to a new direction.
00:13:25.13\00:13:27.00
The old goal was
Satan's way, now you're going...
00:13:27.04\00:13:29.60
you're on a different team,
you're going the other direction
00:13:29.64\00:13:31.47
and if you're fighting with sin,
00:13:31.54\00:13:33.84
it's really one
of the illustrations
00:13:33.88\00:13:36.24
that you're a
Christian because the pagan...
00:13:36.28\00:13:38.81
the person's
who's not a Christian,
00:13:38.85\00:13:40.25
doesn't fight for sin,
they embrace it, you see.
00:13:40.28\00:13:41.62
Right.
00:13:41.65\00:13:42.98
So the fight with
sin... you don't...
00:13:43.02\00:13:44.42
Paul argues not
towards death but from death,
00:13:44.45\00:13:47.06
you die to sin as "a Master"
00:13:47.09\00:13:49.49
so you can now
fight "sin" as an enemy.
00:13:49.52\00:13:51.06
That's chapter 6... one
of my favorite chapters.
00:13:51.09\00:13:52.96
Yvonne: Yes. Tom:
Chapter 7 though...
00:13:52.99\00:13:54.56
he has to explain
00:13:54.60\00:13:56.03
what is the Christian's
relationship to "Law"
00:13:56.06\00:13:58.77
and Paul's
doctrine and teaching on Law
00:13:58.80\00:14:04.44
is very nuanced and very complex
00:14:04.47\00:14:06.34
and most people try
to simplify it too much
00:14:06.37\00:14:09.08
but he... he has
quite a few things,
00:14:09.11\00:14:11.68
he really doesn't
say the Law is bad
00:14:11.71\00:14:14.28
the Law is holy, just
and good. Yvonne: Right.
00:14:14.32\00:14:15.92
but the Law... promises life
00:14:15.95\00:14:20.32
but it proves death to
you because you're a sinner
00:14:20.36\00:14:22.79
so the problem is
actually "sin" not "Law. "
00:14:22.82\00:14:24.16
Right.
00:14:24.19\00:14:25.53
So he talks
about sin being removed
00:14:25.56\00:14:27.20
and the person now
living by the Spirit
00:14:27.23\00:14:29.36
fulfilling the just
requirements of the Law.
00:14:29.40\00:14:31.43
But he takes like... two
chapters to explain that.
00:14:31.47\00:14:34.24
One-and-a-half...
something like that...
00:14:34.27\00:14:36.20
but in chapter 7 verses 1 to 6
00:14:36.27\00:14:39.24
he has this
illustration from marriage.
00:14:39.27\00:14:41.71
Yeah... yeah...
00:14:41.74\00:14:43.18
And it's also
confusing a little bit...
00:14:43.21\00:14:45.11
so we'll read it, read
Romans 7 verses 1 to 6.
00:14:45.15\00:14:47.88
Okay, "Or do you
not know, brethren...
00:14:47.92\00:14:49.82
for I speak to
those who know the law,
00:14:49.85\00:14:51.89
that the law has dominion
over a man as long as he lives?
00:14:51.95\00:14:54.82
For the woman who has a husband
00:14:54.86\00:14:57.06
is bound by the law to her
husband as long as he lives.
00:14:57.09\00:14:59.89
But if the husband dies,
00:14:59.93\00:15:01.83
she is released from
the law of her husband.
00:15:01.86\00:15:04.23
So then if, while
her husband lives,
00:15:04.27\00:15:07.17
she marries another man,
00:15:07.20\00:15:08.54
she will be
called an adulteress;
00:15:08.57\00:15:10.01
but if her husband dies,
she is free from that law,
00:15:10.04\00:15:13.27
so that she is no adulteress,
00:15:13.31\00:15:16.75
though she has
married another man.
00:15:16.78\00:15:18.81
Therefore, my brethren,
00:15:18.85\00:15:20.65
you also have
become dead to the law
00:15:20.72\00:15:23.08
through the body of Christ,
00:15:23.12\00:15:24.45
that you may be
married to another...
00:15:24.49\00:15:26.76
to Him who was
raised from the dead,
00:15:26.79\00:15:28.96
that we should
bear fruit to God.
00:15:28.99\00:15:31.09
For when we were in the
flesh, the sinful passions
00:15:31.13\00:15:34.56
which were aroused by the
law were at work in our members
00:15:34.63\00:15:37.63
to bear fruit to death.
00:15:37.67\00:15:39.23
But now we have been
delivered from the law,
00:15:39.27\00:15:42.00
having died to
what we were held by,
00:15:42.04\00:15:44.27
so that we should serve
in the newness of the Spirit
00:15:44.31\00:15:47.68
and not in the
oldness of the letter. "
00:15:47.74\00:15:50.48
Yes, of course,
now this is a passage
00:15:50.51\00:15:53.18
that gets Adventists
kind of... you know...
00:15:53.21\00:15:55.92
"going", because
he's talking about the law
00:15:55.95\00:15:58.49
and he's talking about dying...
about married to another... "
00:15:58.52\00:16:02.29
like that... Yvonne: Right...
00:16:02.32\00:16:03.66
The key that you
have to understand
00:16:03.69\00:16:05.89
I'll just give a
little capsule on that...
00:16:05.93\00:16:07.96
the key that you
have to understand is
00:16:08.00\00:16:10.27
that when Paul
talks about "death," here,
00:16:10.30\00:16:12.50
he's actually kind of
linking back into chapter 6
00:16:12.53\00:16:15.50
we said that... when you
die... that sin is a master
00:16:15.54\00:16:18.44
because... when
people try to make this...
00:16:18.47\00:16:21.71
this is like an example
or a metaphor or something
00:16:21.74\00:16:24.28
and when they try to
make it walk on all fours,
00:16:24.31\00:16:26.75
it doesn't walk too good.
00:16:26.78\00:16:28.38
They say... all
right... so there's a husband
00:16:28.42\00:16:33.15
and then there is a woman
00:16:33.19\00:16:35.26
and then
there's a second husband
00:16:35.29\00:16:37.13
right? Yvonne: Right.
00:16:37.16\00:16:38.66
Who is the first
husband and who is the...
00:16:38.69\00:16:40.86
and who is the woman
and... so, first they'll say...
00:16:40.90\00:16:43.67
"Well, the first
husband is the law...
00:16:43.70\00:16:45.23
and the woman is us
00:16:45.27\00:16:46.60
and then the second
husband is Jesus... right?"
00:16:46.63\00:16:48.34
Yvonne: Hmmm... Tom:
That's what they'll say.
00:16:48.37\00:16:50.27
But the problem is...
when you get down to verse 4,
00:16:50.31\00:16:53.78
Paul says,
"Likewise my brothers,
00:16:53.81\00:16:55.54
you also have died to the law
through the body of Christ. "
00:16:55.58\00:16:59.65
It wasn't the law
that died, it was you...
00:16:59.68\00:17:02.05
it was you who
died... not the law...
00:17:02.08\00:17:04.29
Yvonne: Yes. So,
he's actually kind of
00:17:04.32\00:17:06.45
linking back into chapter 6
00:17:06.49\00:17:07.82
and some people who look at this
00:17:07.86\00:17:09.19
metaphor... this
example... and they'll say,
00:17:09.22\00:17:10.79
"You know... an illustration is
supposed to make things clearer"
00:17:10.83\00:17:14.90
and they'd feel like...
00:17:14.93\00:17:17.57
"Ah... he didn't make
it clearer, really... "
00:17:17.60\00:17:19.93
so... they kind
of fault him a bit
00:17:19.97\00:17:22.74
but if you follow
the way he's writing,
00:17:22.77\00:17:25.07
and you listen to what he
says, clearly what he says
00:17:25.11\00:17:27.54
and you remember that those
are the things he talked about
00:17:27.58\00:17:29.94
in chapter 6... it's okay...
00:17:29.98\00:17:31.55
Yvonne: It's line upon
line... precept upon precept.
00:17:31.58\00:17:33.75
Yeah, it's a good illustration,
00:17:33.78\00:17:35.12
all right... but, of course,
we're talking about marriage,
00:17:35.15\00:17:37.95
and so we want to notice here,
that there are certain terms
00:17:37.99\00:17:41.02
he doesn't use
exactly the same words
00:17:41.06\00:17:42.86
that he does in
1st Corinthians...
00:17:42.89\00:17:44.59
but he uses many terms
that are quite parallel to this,
00:17:44.66\00:17:50.23
okay, so, here's the
thing... he uses the term
00:17:50.27\00:17:54.07
"being bound," he
uses the term "being free"
00:17:54.10\00:17:57.91
he uses the term
"being enslaved" or...
00:17:57.94\00:18:01.14
you know...
serving... in another marriage,
00:18:01.18\00:18:04.35
so it seems most
likely, from this...
00:18:04.41\00:18:07.45
the way Paul describes things
here in Romans 7 when he says,
00:18:07.52\00:18:12.92
"The law is binding on a
person as long as they live,
00:18:12.95\00:18:15.82
for a married person...
00:18:15.86\00:18:17.19
the woman is bound by
the law to her husband
00:18:17.23\00:18:19.26
but if her husband dies,
00:18:19.29\00:18:20.70
she is released
from the law of marriage,
00:18:20.73\00:18:23.43
okay, so, he's
giving this kind of example,
00:18:23.47\00:18:26.10
the terminology he uses is
so parallel to what is happening
00:18:26.13\00:18:30.37
in 1st
Corinthians 7 than verse 15
00:18:30.41\00:18:34.18
that when Paul says that
the person is no longer bound,
00:18:34.21\00:18:41.15
he's probably indicating
00:18:41.18\00:18:44.19
that the person
is no longer married
00:18:44.22\00:18:47.19
and the former
unbelieving spouse,
00:18:47.22\00:18:49.99
is... you know... has left...
00:18:50.03\00:18:52.59
and therefore, the
divorce has taken place
00:18:52.63\00:18:55.73
and since that...
00:18:55.76\00:18:57.20
you know, if you
go back to Romans 7...
00:18:57.27\00:18:58.63
in that case,
00:18:58.67\00:19:00.00
the believing spouse who
did not initiate the divorce...
00:19:00.04\00:19:04.34
the other person
just left... and departed
00:19:04.37\00:19:07.31
they are now
free to remarry, okay.
00:19:07.34\00:19:11.41
Now you can imagine
that that kind of idea
00:19:11.45\00:19:15.12
raises a lot of questions.
00:19:15.15\00:19:17.42
Yvonne: Yes, yes...
00:19:17.49\00:19:18.82
Because Jesus said that you
can marry if the other person
00:19:18.85\00:19:24.13
commits adultery,
00:19:24.16\00:19:25.53
but Paul doesn't
mention adultery,
00:19:25.56\00:19:28.10
he just talks about
the unbeliever leaving
00:19:28.13\00:19:31.43
okay, so that's some of the
kinds of questions raised here,
00:19:31.47\00:19:35.27
is Paul opening the
door to something more
00:19:35.30\00:19:39.27
and that's why they call
this "the Pauline privilege"
00:19:39.31\00:19:43.31
there's the question
of the unbelieving spouse
00:19:43.35\00:19:46.82
and is this a situation
that Jesus had not described.
00:19:46.85\00:19:49.45
Hmmm... hmmm...
00:19:49.48\00:19:50.99
Because Jesus is
describing... it seems like...
00:19:51.02\00:19:52.95
He's always
talking about believers
00:19:52.99\00:19:54.42
who are married to
one another, all right?
00:19:54.46\00:19:56.49
Yvonne: Yes...
Tom: So Paul says...
00:19:56.52\00:19:57.86
"Well, now, what
about... with the unbeliever?"
00:19:57.89\00:19:59.23
And his counsel is:
00:19:59.26\00:20:00.60
"Look, if the
unbeliever wants to stay,
00:20:00.63\00:20:02.36
good... don't leave...
00:20:02.43\00:20:04.83
don't try to break up the
marriage... you're the Christian
00:20:04.87\00:20:07.70
you're the one that's supposed
to help solidify marriage. "
00:20:07.74\00:20:10.54
But what if you
do all that you can
00:20:10.57\00:20:13.34
and this other
person just deserts you?
00:20:13.38\00:20:16.08
Are you stuck single
for the rest of your life?
00:20:16.14\00:20:20.28
I would think...
00:20:20.32\00:20:22.05
Paul has presented his
argument about marriage...
00:20:22.08\00:20:24.35
the married
Christian in three steps,
00:20:24.39\00:20:26.49
the first step is:
00:20:26.52\00:20:27.86
two Christians who
are married to each other.
00:20:27.89\00:20:29.36
He says, very much like
Jesus' words... "stay together,"
00:20:29.39\00:20:32.69
you know, "if you depart...
00:20:32.73\00:20:34.30
if you separate from
one another... stay single"
00:20:34.33\00:20:37.13
that's his kind of counsel...
we talked about that before...
00:20:37.17\00:20:40.27
"The Christian married to
the willing unbeliever... "
00:20:40.30\00:20:43.24
you're again...
supposed to build the marriage
00:20:43.27\00:20:44.84
and not try to depart...
00:20:44.87\00:20:46.21
but now the Christian
married to an unbeliever
00:20:46.24\00:20:48.74
who has departed
or divorced them...
00:20:48.78\00:20:50.35
it's the third
thing that he talks about,
00:20:50.41\00:20:52.08
it's this third or final
scenario that gets our attention
00:20:52.11\00:20:56.85
in relation to
the teaching of Jesus,
00:20:56.89\00:20:58.45
perhaps the phrase that
Paul uses may help to explain
00:20:58.49\00:21:02.16
how these things fit together
00:21:02.19\00:21:04.53
and that's where we come to
the question of these words,
00:21:04.59\00:21:07.70
"we are called to
peace. " Yvonne: Hmmm...
00:21:07.76\00:21:10.60
It seems in this context
that before the separation,
00:21:10.63\00:21:15.24
there was no peace,
00:21:15.27\00:21:16.74
or the peace was disrupted...
00:21:16.77\00:21:19.84
or the peace was
under oppression, you know,
00:21:19.87\00:21:22.41
it was... it was... it was...
it was... there was strife...
00:21:22.44\00:21:26.11
And, I think you know how
some of these things can happen
00:21:26.15\00:21:29.78
in people's homes.
Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm...
00:21:29.82\00:21:31.22
It's interesting that both
the terms, "enslaved and called"
00:21:31.25\00:21:36.02
the person is
no longer enslaved,
00:21:36.06\00:21:38.13
we are called in peace...
are both in the Perfect Tense,
00:21:38.16\00:21:41.33
now, you need to understand
00:21:41.36\00:21:42.70
the Perfect Tense
in Greek a little bit,
00:21:42.73\00:21:44.17
it goes like this, the
Perfect Tense has two ideas,
00:21:44.20\00:21:48.20
a past action came to completion
00:21:48.24\00:21:52.37
it actually came to
completion in the past,
00:21:52.41\00:21:55.18
but there are ongoing
results from that action...
00:21:55.21\00:21:59.05
that's the Perfect
Tense, right... and...
00:21:59.08\00:22:01.92
actually in translating it,
00:22:01.95\00:22:03.89
you can either focus on
00:22:03.92\00:22:05.29
this past action
coming to a completion,
00:22:05.32\00:22:07.89
or to the ongoing results...
the consummate of "perfect"
00:22:07.92\00:22:11.53
or "insensitive perfect"
if you like the terminology
00:22:11.56\00:22:15.13
so this is a... a
person is no longer enslaved
00:22:15.16\00:22:20.54
they were... they were bound...
00:22:20.57\00:22:22.14
but now that's changed
and there's an ongoing result,
00:22:22.17\00:22:27.14
they are no longer enslaved,
they're called to peace,
00:22:27.18\00:22:32.11
and the call... now,
let me put it this way...
00:22:32.15\00:22:35.68
which happened first?
00:22:35.72\00:22:37.85
The divorce or
the call to peace?
00:22:37.89\00:22:41.06
That's a trick
question, maybe...
00:22:41.09\00:22:44.13
but if we look
at the text, okay,
00:22:44.16\00:22:46.39
let's just read the text again,
00:22:46.43\00:22:48.66
verse 15, "But
if the unbelieving
00:22:48.70\00:22:51.27
partner separates, let it be so,
00:22:51.30\00:22:54.10
in such cases, the brother
or sister is not enslaved,
00:22:54.14\00:22:57.61
God has called you to peace. "
00:22:57.64\00:23:00.21
Did God call you to peace
before that person divorced you?
00:23:00.24\00:23:06.21
Yes, yeah, "the call to
peace" preceded the divorce.
00:23:06.25\00:23:14.26
Right? the call to peace is
when you became a Christian,
00:23:14.29\00:23:17.53
that's when
you're called to peace.
00:23:17.56\00:23:19.13
All right, and interestingly
that "call to peace"
00:23:19.16\00:23:22.90
for this unbeliever
who... for whatever reason
00:23:22.93\00:23:26.57
was unwilling to
accept the gospel,
00:23:26.63\00:23:29.34
that person made strife,
00:23:29.37\00:23:31.84
so the "call to
peace" in their life
00:23:31.87\00:23:34.14
ended up creating
strife for everybody.
00:23:34.18\00:23:36.38
Yvonne: right...
00:23:36.41\00:23:37.75
Yeah, so, when they
left... when they left...
00:23:37.78\00:23:40.65
the unbelievers
came back to peace,
00:23:40.68\00:23:43.52
the true brightness of peace
could shine forth in their life,
00:23:43.55\00:23:46.92
okay, so this,
this new state of peace
00:23:46.96\00:23:49.79
is really the proper
state for the Christian,
00:23:49.82\00:23:51.43
that's the one
that God called you for.
00:23:51.46\00:23:53.63
It's kind of like
the default setting.
00:23:53.66\00:23:55.30
The default
setting... that's right.
00:23:55.33\00:23:56.93
Now I believe that this speaks
00:23:56.97\00:23:58.70
very strongly to the question
of abuse... physical abuse.
00:23:58.73\00:24:01.34
Physical abuse is
breaking the peace,
00:24:01.37\00:24:04.14
the Christian is not called
to stay in an abusive situation,
00:24:04.17\00:24:08.21
all right... Yvonne:
I'm glad you said that.
00:24:08.24\00:24:10.15
Yeah, they're not
called... and pastors, teachers,
00:24:10.18\00:24:12.01
Christian
friends are actually...
00:24:12.05\00:24:13.85
have a responsibility
to step in and help
00:24:13.88\00:24:15.58
so the people
will not face this.
00:24:15.62\00:24:17.92
Now, we kind of running
out of time here in this Series
00:24:17.95\00:24:20.46
so, I guess we'd better rush on,
00:24:20.52\00:24:22.12
could you read verse
16 for us one more time.
00:24:22.16\00:24:24.46
Sure, sure, "For
how do you know O wife
00:24:24.49\00:24:26.73
whether you will
save your husband
00:24:26.80\00:24:28.26
or how do you know O husband
00:24:28.30\00:24:29.90
whether you
will save your wife?"
00:24:29.96\00:24:31.87
So what does that mean?
00:24:31.90\00:24:33.23
Well, there's really...
kind of... two different ways
00:24:33.27\00:24:35.44
that this is
taken, in some ways,
00:24:35.47\00:24:36.91
it's taken pessimistically
or optimistically.
00:24:36.97\00:24:39.04
The pessimistic view is,
"You are not likely to save them
00:24:39.07\00:24:42.58
you should stay away from them
00:24:42.61\00:24:44.28
and not expect
them to be converted. "
00:24:44.31\00:24:46.05
All right, that's
the pessimistic view.
00:24:46.08\00:24:47.85
How do you know?
"There's not much hope. "
00:24:47.88\00:24:50.42
The optimistic
view is "Don't give up,
00:24:50.45\00:24:53.56
how do you know?
They may come back
00:24:53.59\00:24:56.66
and they may be saved. "
00:24:56.69\00:24:58.03
So, probably, the optimistic
view is the more likely one here
00:24:58.06\00:25:03.87
and the New Living
Translation helps to see this...
00:25:03.90\00:25:06.07
put this across, it
says, "Don't you wives realize
00:25:06.10\00:25:08.54
that you're husbands
might be saved because of you?
00:25:08.57\00:25:10.97
And don't you husbands realize
00:25:11.01\00:25:13.14
that your wives might
be saved because of you?
00:25:13.17\00:25:15.21
How wonderful to do that. "
00:25:15.24\00:25:17.31
So, let me summarize the
Pauline teaching about divorce.
00:25:17.35\00:25:23.22
First, Paul affirms
marriage, he affirms marriage,
00:25:23.25\00:25:28.42
Christians are to stay together
00:25:28.46\00:25:29.96
and they are to
seek reconciliation
00:25:29.99\00:25:32.99
if they have issues of
fighting with one another.
00:25:33.03\00:25:36.40
Christians are to remain
with a willing unbeliever
00:25:36.46\00:25:39.83
and Christians are not
bound by the unbeliever
00:25:39.87\00:25:42.84
who is divorcing,
00:25:42.87\00:25:44.21
Christians are to be
redemptive in their work,
00:25:44.24\00:25:46.47
this is Paul's... kind
of... overall teaching...
00:25:46.51\00:25:49.01
so, we see when we put together
00:25:49.04\00:25:50.55
what Paul said
and what Jesus said,
00:25:50.58\00:25:52.88
we end up with a
beautiful teaching
00:25:52.91\00:25:55.12
that's makes very clear...
gives clear lines about how...
00:25:55.15\00:25:58.52
how Christians are
supposed to relate to this, now,
00:25:58.55\00:26:01.16
we don't have time
to go into any details
00:26:01.19\00:26:04.13
but the Adventist
church has taken a position
00:26:04.16\00:26:07.00
on the question of divorce,
it's found in our Church Manual,
00:26:07.03\00:26:10.33
it's quite a nuanced statement
00:26:10.37\00:26:12.20
and it's in line with
the teachings of Scripture.
00:26:12.23\00:26:15.30
It says that we affirm
marriage and equality there
00:26:15.34\00:26:19.54
that sexual relations
with someone outside of your...
00:26:19.57\00:26:22.08
other than your
spouse is grounds for divorce
00:26:22.11\00:26:25.38
so are sexual
perversions like incest,
00:26:25.41\00:26:27.92
child sexual abuse
and homosexual practice
00:26:27.95\00:26:30.79
and abandonment of
the unbelieving spouse
00:26:30.82\00:26:33.59
is also a valid
reason for divorce
00:26:33.62\00:26:36.19
and the person who is unfaithful
is subject to church discipline.
00:26:36.22\00:26:41.33
Divorce is such a sad
and tragic perspective
00:26:41.36\00:26:46.53
that I hate to end on
that note in these programs,
00:26:46.57\00:26:50.24
so I want to kind
of recap briefly...
00:26:50.27\00:26:53.17
I'll start with divorce
and work my way backwards.
00:26:53.21\00:26:55.98
Okay... good...
00:26:56.01\00:26:57.75
Okay, first of
all, God hates divorce,
00:26:57.78\00:26:59.68
God hates divorce... the
only valid reasons for that
00:26:59.71\00:27:03.25
are very few for
divorce by a Christian...
00:27:03.28\00:27:05.45
and that's unfaithfulness.
00:27:05.49\00:27:06.82
Sex is only for marriage
and it's a blessing there
00:27:06.86\00:27:11.03
and it's meant to
enhance our relationships.
00:27:11.06\00:27:13.40
Marriage is
about mutual sacrifice.
00:27:13.43\00:27:16.43
About 100 percent... 100 percent
00:27:16.46\00:27:19.40
you are sacrificing
to help the other person
00:27:19.43\00:27:21.77
and love is this wonderful
teaching of the Scriptures
00:27:21.80\00:27:25.84
of God's love...
self-giving love...
00:27:25.87\00:27:28.64
that was just like the
love of God for our world,
00:27:28.68\00:27:31.08
the love of Jesus that builds
and enhances marriages today.
00:27:31.11\00:27:35.42
That's some rich
stuff, that is rich.
00:27:35.45\00:27:40.32
Thank you so much for sharing
00:27:40.36\00:27:42.22
all of these
wonderful insights with us,
00:27:42.26\00:27:45.19
I know that our audiences
are going to be blessed
00:27:45.23\00:27:49.03
as a result of
all of these teachings
00:27:49.06\00:27:51.33
and so we thank you very much.
00:27:51.40\00:27:52.73
And that's certainly my prayer.
00:27:52.77\00:27:54.10
Yes... and we want you
to continue your study,
00:27:54.14\00:27:57.14
continue to study
what the Word says
00:27:57.17\00:27:59.91
about these relationships
00:27:59.94\00:28:01.31
so that your relationships
can reflect the character
00:28:01.34\00:28:05.51
of our wonderful
loving Savior Jesus Christ.
00:28:05.55\00:28:08.58
Thank you for joining us.
00:28:08.62\00:28:09.95