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 §19
Now, it may be a little lengthy. I don't want you to be in any hurry and I... Just take your time (all of us) and study the Word of God truly and thoroughly as we know how to study it. Let's begin with St. Matthew, the nineteenth chapter, and beginning, I think, with the eighth verse of the nineteenth chapter, I wish to start. I might start also with the first and read down through the eighth verse of the nineteenth chapter. Now, remember, these things that I say must come from the Word of God. It can't be my own o...
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §18
And now, in this time, whatever the Lord has... If this isn't the thing that He prophesied of, of Malachi 4 and also of Luke 17, and many other Scriptures that's to happen in this last day---may I say this in closing---it's laid the foundation for the man when he will come. So, I am very thankful that God Almighty, if it be that way, has let me do a little something in my uneducated condition to show my appreciation of His love to me, my love to Him, and our love to the people. Therefore, in sincerity, I approach t...
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §75
Now, let us, in view of these vindicated truths of God, search a little further, if you want to. All right. Now, this may hurt just a little bit till we get down to the bottom of it. I'm just going to show you the truth of it. There is no minister that can marry a widow. Did you know that? You want to read that? All right, you get in Leviticus 21:7 and Ezekiel 44:22 and it will show you that the priesthood was not to marry a woman that's been touched by man. This type is of the virgin bride of Jesus Christ, because...
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §78
Now, you notice in I Corinthians 7:10, notice, Paul commands the wife that is ... that divorces her husband to remain single or be reconciled, not to remarry. She must remain single or to be reconciled back to her husband. She cannot remarry; she must remain single. But notice, he never said about the man. See, you can't make the Word lie. From the beginning, the sex law by polygamy. Now, the Word of God runs true with nature of God, runs in continuity. See how there is one school went east and the other one went w...
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §62
That's why God forbids her to teach His Word. That's right. I Timothy 2:9-15: "I suffer not a woman to teach, or to have any authority..." See? And also I Corinthians 14:34: "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for it's not permitted to them to speak, for they are commanded to be in silent, also saith the law." But today, what does the church do? They make her pastors, evangelists, when the Bible completely forbids it! And the Bible said: "...as also saith the law," making it run in continuity, the whole th...