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.
Questions and Answers, Part 1
64-0823M §152
QUESTION: Dear Brother Branham: My wife and I were separated. She is suing me for a divorce. She is not a Christian, and I believe the message and want her to be saved (Isn't that nice? That's real Christian spirit, see.) and believe. What must I do? We also have two boys. (Signed their name.) Brother, look, let me tell you, she's going to sue you for a divorce; that's Satan, see. Shouldn't do that, but if you're a Christian and done nothing in the world to hinder that woman, then it's Satan doing that. He's only t...
Expectation
54-1206 §30
She said, "That's right." She said, "But I can't tell him." Said, "I've got three children, Brother Branham. It'd break my home up." She said, "My husband's a deacon down there in the church." And said, "If I'd ever tell him that," said, "it'd break our home up." I said, "Well, there..." She said, "Well, that isn't what's bothering me." I said, "Oh, yes, it is. It's way back in that subconscious there, still cut a streak." I said, "There's where it's at, right there. That's right." And she said, "Well, I ... I just...
Seals 9: Questions and Answers on the Seals
63-0324M §46
QUESTION: Now. Brother Branham, is there any scripture permitting marriage after divorce? This is very important. It says "important." Well, that's the reason it wasn't pertaining to this. As far as I can see, my brother or sister, whoever it may be, there isn't, unless your companion is dead, because the Bible said we're bound to them as long as they live. So, as far as being any scripture, that's what was asked here: "Is there scripture, see. Is there any scripture?" Not as I can find, see. Not as I can find, bec...
Do you now believe?
53-1206E §51
So it hadn't been but a little while, my wife said, "Look, coming up the steps." Here they come with their arms around one another, just a crying, the tears running down their cheeks. I opened the door. I said, "What about it?" He said, "Brother Branham," said, "my wife called me, and I got in the car," said, "she come confessing to me that a wrong that she had did. And then," said, "she come accused me of the same thing. And I said, 'Where you been?'" And then," said, "It's the truth, Brother Branham." Said, "I do...
Questions and Answers
61-1015M §83
I married a couple here not long ago that'd been married before, and they divorced and went away---old couple. Well, it was Brother and Sister Puckett. That's exactly who it was. They just couldn't get along and had a little spat between them. They divorced. She lived just as true and single as she could be, and he lived the same way. And after while, they seen how silly they was, and they come back and wanted to be married. I said, "Sure," see. "That's all right, that's what you should be." Well, they was married...