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.
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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.
The Queen of Sheba
60-0401E §1
[Pastor introduces Brother Lamsa.] ... he speaks the language and can read the language and read the original documents in which the New Testament was written. So with him, it is so wonderful that he can read directly from the original script the very words that Jesus and the disciples spoke and wrote. He felt that these translations that we have are not always correct and true. And that's where the criticism comes in, because he criticizes the King James version, and some people think that St. Paul preached from t...
Questions and Answers, Part 4
64-0830E §85
QUESTION: Brother Branham, we have two children that go to church that is controlled by a woman preacher. We know she's off the Word. Our children are under this strong influence. How should we go about telling them this is error? I told you before. I answered that. And handle it gently. What would you say if I ... I know that person's setting here. What do you say if I believe I know who the woman is and can tell you?
Questions and Answers, Part 2
64-0823E §98
QUESTION: Brother Branham, what is the meaning of a annulment? Are people free to marry or is this just another word for divorce? I would like some information on this. Sure they're married. As long as they take that vow, they're married. Just like a boy, if a boy promises a girl to marry her under good faith, he's obligated to that girl. He's just as good as married her. The only thing the law does, is give you a bill of rights to live together to keep from being common-law husband and wife. But when a man tells a...
Questions and Answers
62-0527 §17
If they're willing, say "Now, you go on to church. If you want to go down there, that's your business. You want to go to your church, you go ahead. For me, I don't believe it. And I'll do anything for you, I'll not stand in your way, you go ahead." Then you just remain there, knowing not that your sanctified life will sanctify that believer, cause them to believe, see. Either side, man or woman, see. But now just to say, "Brother Branham, I got married and my wife's an unbeliever, and here's a sister over here I ca...
The Evening Messenger
63-0116 §123
Now, brethren. Oh, my! Let me say one thing to the men. Mister, my brother, if you will let your wife do a thing like that, I'm ashamed of you, and claim to be a Spirit-filled man. Shame on you, let your wife go on the street. And you're dressed all sexy and everything like that, and do you know the Bible said, Jesus said, "Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her"? You say, "Now wait a minute, my brother, I'm innocent." I believe you are too, my sister, you're innocent in t...