If a Wife Was a Divorcee and Lied to a Brother About It and They Wedded and Already Have Children, What Should Be Done After the Brother Discovers?
1) Direct answer
It all turns on one fact: Is her first husband still living? If he is living, this union was never a lawful marriage before God and must cease; if he is not living, the present marriage stands and they must remain together, repent of the lie, and walk faithfully.
2) Scriptural explanation
- The Bible says a wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; only death looses the bond (Romans 7:2–3; 1 Corinthians 7:39).
- Jesus said, “Whoever marries a woman put away from her husband commits adultery” (Luke 16:18; see also Matthew 5:32; Mark 10:11–12). So if she had a living covenant spouse, the later union is adultery, not a marriage God joined.
- If the first husband is dead, she is “at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39). The deception is sin (Ephesians 4:25), but the marriage itself is valid and binding for life (Matthew 19:6).
- If separation becomes necessary in an unlawful union, Scripture requires sexual relations to cease and no remarriage while a living covenant spouse remains (1 Corinthians 7:10–11).
- Regardless of civil papers or past sins, we “remain in the calling” only if the union itself is lawful before God (1 Corinthians 7:17–24). God does not recognize what His Word forbids.
- Children must be cared for; a man must provide for his own (1 Timothy 5:8). The children are not at fault.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- God joins only what His Word permits. A civil document cannot make lawful what Scripture declares adultery.
- Therefore:
- If her first husband was alive when she married this brother, there was no valid marriage from the start. This is not a divorce; it is an annulment in truth—the recognition that no biblical marriage existed. They must cease marital relations and separate. He is not bound to her as a wife. He should repent and, after putting away the unlawful union, is free to marry “only in the Lord” in due season. She remains bound to her first husband as long as he lives; if reconciliation is possible lawfully, do so; if not, she must remain unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:10–11).
- If her first husband was already dead at the time of this wedding, the present marriage is valid. Do not separate. Confess the lie, seek forgiveness, and live together in holiness and truth for life (Ephesians 4:25; Matthew 19:6).
- If the first husband dies after this discovery while they were in an unlawful union, they must first cease the adulterous relationship, repent, and then—now that death has loosed the former bond—may lawfully enter a true marriage covenant going forward.
4) Final, unambiguous biblical conclusion
Now notice, the decisive question is whether a living covenant spouse exists. If her former husband is alive, this union was never a marriage and must be ended; if he is not alive, the marriage stands—repent of the deception and remain together in faithfulness, caring well for the children.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Expectation
54-1206 §16
Sometimes in the meetings ... I say this: Someone said to me, "Brother Branham, why don't you...?" I got a little letter here not long ago, and it said good criticism. Said, "Brother Branham," said, "your meeting is head and shoulders above anything I've ever seen. But," said, "the thing of it is, that you're just so lazy, and won't pray for God's sick children. He had to raise up Oral Roberts to pray for His children." Said, "Oral will pray for about five hundred while you're praying for one." I said, "That's true...
His unfailing words of promise
64-0120 §22
Paul's wife had just give birth to a baby. A fine people, Armenian, and they called down there and asked... The wife was sick and wanted to bring her down. I said, "All right, come on down." So, they brought her down there. And that night... She, and my wife and I, and it might've been Brother Sharrit. I'm not sure. Is Brother Sharrit here? If he was... Was that right, Brother Sharrit, was you there that night? That's right. There is the witness. I was looking to see Brother John, and see if he was here. Now she la...
Questions and Answers, Part 2
64-0823E §139
My Brother Jackson returns now, way back down into South Africa. Go with him and his wife; be with them, Lord. Guide them on their journey. Here's Brother Lee Vayle writing, putting every word that I say down, trying to make the book. Oh, God, help Brother Vayle and Sister Vayle. Here's these brothers from down in Arkansas, and the Martin brothers, and---all of these other brothers. I pray that You'll be with each and every one of them. Be with Brother Neville, Brother Capps, Brother Ruddell, Brother Jackson, all....
Works is faith expressed
65-1126 §3
I can remember coming across the desert the other day. I told my wife back there, I said, "Here's where Brother Jack sat in the back of this little Chevrolet." Brother Brown and he argued all about the original creation, whether it was done in six days or whether it was done in six million. That was a good one. They get so arguing, they get out and get a handful of rocks, and one get behind one pole, and one another, and throw rocks at one another just as hard as they could. They couldn't settle it that way, so, "I...
Speak to this Rock
60-0612 §12
There's so many things I could say. Many of my friends from Jeffersonville is here, and from different parts. The Downings are here from down in Tennessee. I've never seen them, but waved at them. Brother Welch Evans, his wife, and family is here somewhere. I couldn't find them now. Brother Banks Wood, his father, and mother, and brother, and all are converted Jehovah Witnesses, and they're here in the meeting. And oh, I hear that Brother Hickerson received the Holy Ghost last night. Oh, praise be to God. Him and h...