Under What Condition Does God Permit Divorce in the New Testament?
1) Direct answer
Only one condition: fornication. The Lord permits putting away “except it be for fornication.” Outside of that, from the beginning it was not so.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Jesus said, “Moses suffered you to put away… but from the beginning it was not so… whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery” (Matthew 19:8–9; see also Matthew 5:32).
- The Bible shows what that exception looks like: Joseph, being espoused to Mary and not yet come together, “was minded to put her away privily,” thinking she had been unchaste before they joined (Matthew 1:18–20). That’s the very setting—betrothal/at the start, before consummation.
- Once joined, the Word says a wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives (Romans 7:2–3). If she departs, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled; and the husband is not to put away his wife (1 Corinthians 7:10–11). If an unbeliever departs, the brother or sister is “not under bondage” to force the cohabitation, but this does not cancel the life‑bond (1 Corinthians 7:15 compared with 7:39).
3) Simple clarifying logic
- From the beginning God made them one flesh. You don’t break what God joined by later sin; you deal with it by repentance and forgiveness. That’s why Jesus did not say “except for adultery,” but “except for fornication”—uncleanness discovered at the start, which shows the union was not cleanly entered.
- So the only God‑given ground to put away is fornication discovered at the beginning. Otherwise, no divorce, and no remarriage while the spouse lives.
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice, the Bible says it plainly. One exception—fornication at the start. Beyond that, remain as you are or be reconciled.
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.
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §103
And in I Corinthians the seventh chapter, the twelfth and fifteenth verse, in the New Testament prophet, Paul, who met the same thing in the church, and spoke this: "This is I, not the Lord." Is that right? Because of the divorce condition. It wasn't so from the beginning. But Moses was permitted it, and God recognized it righteousness! And Paul also had a right when he found his church in that condition. Now, you believe this to be true and believe it to come from God. And by the vindication of His cloud and His m...
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §105
Lord God, we give You thanks. We give You praise. Thou art the same great Jehovah that suffered Moses. Moses, that servant, what would he tell his people? And God, You suffered him to give a writing of divorcement. Paul, the great apostle who was the writer of the New Testament as Moses was of the Old... Moses wrote the Laws, and a dispensation of Laws. Many of the prophets, their words was injected into it, but Moses wrote the Laws. And You suffered him a writing---to write them a writing of divorcement because of...
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §96
This is an awful strong thing. I didn't know how to bring it out! What will I do when I got men and women sitting in my congregation, some that's been married twice or three times? Good men, good women, all mixed up! What done it? False teaching. Exactly. Not waiting on the Lord. "What God has joined together, let no man put asunder..." Not what man joined together, what God joined together. When you got a direct revelation from God that's your wife, and the same thing, that's yours the rest of your life. See? But...
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §104
It wasn't so from the beginning. That is right. It wasn't so, and it will not be at the end! But under modern conditions, as God's servant---I won't call myself His prophet, but I believe that if I wouldn't be sent for that, I'm laying a ground for him when he does come---so under the modern conditions, I command you to go to your home with your wife now. If you are happy with her, live with her, raise your children in the admonition of God; but God be merciful to you if you ever do that again! You teach your child...
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §102
Friend (and then I'm closing, you can go from this), that's when this was being revealed to me what I'm going to tell you right now. So don't miss it. Now, I'm speaking to our followers only, who's following me and this message only, not the outside. Bear me record of this before God: just to this group only. Now, we are found in this mess because of misinterpreted theology. Is that right? That's why you women married the second time and you men, because misinterpreted theology. Now, I want to show you something th...