TEV - 10 For married people I have a command which is not my own but the Lord's: a wife must not leave her husband; 11 but if she does, she must remain single or else be reconciled to her husband; and a husband must not divorce his wife. 12 To the others I say (I, myself, not the Lord): if a Christian man has a wife who is an unbeliever and she agrees to go on living with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a Christian woman is married to a man who is an unbeliever and he agrees to go on living with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made acceptable to God by being united to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made acceptable to God by being united to her Christian husband. If this were not so, their children would be like pagan children; but as it is, they are acceptable to God. 15 However, if the one who is not a believer wishes to leave the Christian partner, let it be so. In such cases the Christian partner, whether husband or wife, is free to act. God has called you to live in peace. 16 How can you be sure, Christian wife, that you will not save your husband? Or how can you be sure, Christian husband, that you will not save your wife?

• 1Co 7:10 - the Lord
• In this verse the phrase, "the Lord", specifically refers to "the Lord Jesus Christ." (See also S&H 590:15) Paul here is referring to Jesus' teachings about divorce, which later were recorded in the first gospel (Mark), about 15 years after Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians. (See Mar 10:2-12, Mat 19:3-9, Mat 5:32, and Luke 16.18.)

(1.2) Mar 10:2-12 - written about 70 A.D. (See also Matthew 19:3-9, Mat 5:32, Luke 16.18.)

TEV - 2 Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him. "Tell us," they asked, "does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife?" 3 Jesus answered with a question, "What law did Moses give you?" 4 Their answer was, "Moses gave permission for a man to write a divorce notice and send his wife away." 5 Jesus said to them, "Moses wrote this law for you because you are so hard to teach. 6 But in the beginning, at the time of creation, 'God made them male and female,' as the scripture says. 7 'And for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, 8 and the two will become one.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9 Man must not separate, then, what God has joined together." 10 When they went back into the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter. 11 He said to them, "A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife. 12 In the same way, a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man commits adultery."

• Mar 10:2-12 - divorce
• Note: For a much more thorough look at the three forms of adultery as described by Jesus, browse "Adultery: the physical act, the thought, and divorcing one's spouse -- the three forms of adultery described by Jesus in the gospels -- and one's means of defense against, rescue from, and salvation from adultery" at http://www.bibletexts.com/terms/adultery.htm.

(1.3) Mat 19:3-9 - written about 80 A.D. (See also Mar 10:2-12, Mat 5:32, Luk 16:18.)

TEV - 3 Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him by asking, "Does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?" 4 Jesus answered, "Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? 5 And God said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.' 6 So they are no longer two, but one. Man must not separate, then, what God has joined together." 7 The Pharisees asked him, "Why, then, did Moses give the law for a man to hand his wife a divorce notice and send her away?" 8 Jesus answered, "Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because you are so hard to teach. But it was not like that at the time of creation. 9 I tell you, then, that any man who divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, commits adultery if he marries some other woman."

KJV - 3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

• Mat 19:9 - omit KJV wording: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery - (based on the original text's correction of KJV's Greek text)
• Note: The Greek wording that should have been omitted from this verse in the Greek text used by the KJV translators was very similar to the wording in the original Greek text of Mat 5:32. It should be pointed out that this teaching is only found in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke. This teaching ("whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery") is not found in Paul's writings or in Mark, both of which preceded Matthew.

(1.4) Mat 5:32 - written about 80 A.D.

TEV - 32 But now I tell you: if a man divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery if she marries again; and the man who marries her commits adultery also.

NAB - 32 But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

KJV - 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

• Mat 5:32 - unchastity, unfaithfulness, fornication, unlawful marriage, or illicit marriage
• Referring to the Greek word porneia <Strongs #4202> that is commonly translated as "unchastity," "unfaithfulness," "fornication," "unlawful marriage," or "illicit marriage," Newman and Stine's excellent commentary on Matthew provides a very helpful explanation. (Barkley M. Newman and Philip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, NY: United Bible Societies, 1988, page 141):

Unchastity (so also NEB, Mft, TNT) was translated "fornication" by JB and "lewd conduct" by NAB, since the Greek word may refer to any illicit sexual relations, although it would be assumed to mean adultery here. TEV and GECL have "unfaithful" (Phps, AT "unfaithfulness"). However, sociological studies of New Testament times have led some scholars to suggest that a better rendering would be "an unlawful marriage," as for example between people of certain blood or legal relationships who were forbidden to marry each other by Mosaic Law, NJB and TOB, for example, have "except for the case of an illicit marriage," and the revised New Testament of NAB has "unless the marriage is unlawful."

Translations which follow the first interpretation can have "unless she had committed adultery," "unless she had been unfaithful," or "unless she had slept with other men." Those who follow the second will have a sentence similar to NJB, TOB, or revised NAB, cited above.

• The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB, page 1153) has this brief footnote to explain its translation, "except for the case of an illicit marriage:"

Marriage with the Jewish forbidden degrees, allowed by the Romans but not in Christianity.

(1.5) Luk 16:18 - written about 90 A.D.

TEV - 18 "Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery; and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

KJV - 18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

 

2. LEAVE SPOUSE TO FOLLOW CHRIST? (The section below includes significant corrections to some of the KJV wording.)

(2.1) Mar 10:28-30 - written about 70 A.D.

TEV - 28 Then Peter spoke up, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." 29 "Yes," Jesus said to them, "and I tell you that anyone who leaves home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and for the gospel, 30 will receive much more in this present age. He will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields--and persecutions as well; and in the age to come he will receive eternal life.

KJV - 28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. 29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

• Mar 10:29 - omit KJV wording: or wife - (based on the original text's correction of KJV's Greek text)
• Not only was "or wife" not in the original texts of Mar 10:29, the KJV's (and Textus Receptus') teaching to 'leave wife' to follow Jesus, is clearly a misrepresentation of Jesus' genuine teachings as found in the gospels and as witnessed in Paul's letter to the Corinthians (1 Co 7:10-16).
• The Greek words translated "or wife" were in the Textus Receptus Greek text that the KJV translators used in their 1611 translation of the Bible; however, these words ("or wife") were added to the Greek texts of Mar 10:29 and Mat 19:29 by a later copiest. This is further attested by the fact that these words "or wife" do not appear in similar passages in the Gospel According to Thomas (Thomas 55:1,2, and Thomas 101:1-3. Though the Gospel According to Thomas is not part of the generally accepted canonical writings of Christians, it does provide another very early witness to some of Jesus' sayings.) "Or wife" has so little manuscript support that it is not even mentioned in the extensive footnotes of the United Bible Society's definitive Greek New Testament, Fourth Revised Edition (1994) or in Bruce Metzger's A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Second Edition (1993).
• According to Mat 19:27, Mar 10:28, and Luk 18:28, Peter "left all" to follow Christ Jesus. By implication, "all" would include those houses and people listed in Mat 19:29, Mar 10:29, and Luk 18:29. According to the synoptic gospels (Mat 8:14; Mar 1:30; Luk 4:38) and according Paul (1Co 9:5), Peter continued to be married and to take his wife with him when he traveled, so "wife" clearly was not included in the "all" that Christians were expected to leave behind in their spiritual (or human) journey.
• See also "Did the original text of Mat 19:29 justify leaving one's 'wife' for Christ's sake?" at http://www.bibletexts.com/qa/qa135.htm.

(2.2) Mat 19:27-29 - written about 80 A.D.

TEV - 27 Then Peter spoke up. "Look," he said, "we have left everything and followed you. What will we have?" 28 Jesus said to them, "You can be sure that when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the New Age, then you twelve followers of mine will also sit on thrones, to rule the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life.

KJV - 27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

• Mat 19:29 - omit KJV wording: OR <2228> WIFE <1135> - (based on the original text's correction of KJV's Greek text)
• Not only was "or wife" not in the original texts of Mat 19:29, the KJV's (and Textus Receptus') teaching to 'leave wife' to follow Jesus, is clearly a misrepresentation of Jesus' genuine teachings as found in the gospels and as witnessed in Paul's letter to the Corinthians (1 Co 7:10-16).
• The Greek words translated "or wife" were in the Textus Receptus Greek text that the KJV translators used in their 1611 translation of the Bible; however, these words ("or wife") were added to the Greek texts of Mar 10:29 and Mat 19:29 by a later copiest. This is further attested by the fact that these words "or wife" do not appear in similar passages in the Gospel According to Thomas (Thomas 55:1,2, and Thomas 101:1-3. Though the Gospel According to Thomas is not part of the generally accepted canonical writings of Christians, it does provide another very early witness to some of Jesus' sayings.) "Or wife" has so little manuscript support that it is not even mentioned in the extensive footnotes of the United Bible Society's definitive Greek New Testament, Fourth Revised Edition (1994) or in Bruce Metzger's A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Second Edition (1993).
• According to Mat 19:27, Mar 10:28, and Luk 18:28, Peter "left all" to follow Christ Jesus. By implication, "all" would include those houses and people listed in Mat 19:29, Mar 10:29, and Luk 18:29. According to the synoptic gospels (Mat 8:14; Mar 1:30; Luk 4:38) and according Paul (1Co 9:5), Peter continued to be married and to take his wife with him when he traveled, so "wife" clearly was not included in the "all" that Christians were expected to leave behind in their spiritual (or human) journey.
• See also "Did the original text of Mat 19:29 justify leaving one's 'wife' for Christ's sake?" at http://www.bibletexts.com/qa/qa135.htm.

(2.3) Luk 18:28-30 - written about 90 A.D.

TEV - 28 Then Peter said, "Look! We have left our homes to follow you." 29 "Yes," Jesus said to them, "and I assure you that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God 30 will receive much more in this present age and eternal life in the age to come."

• Luk 18:29 - not part of Jesus' original teaching nor part of original Luke: or <2228> wife <1135>
• The Greek words translated "or wife" were in the Textus Receptus Greek text that the KJV translators used in their 1611 translation of the Bible; however, these words ("or wife") were added to the Greek texts of Mar 10:29 and Mat 19:29 by a later copiest. That the teaching to 'leave wife' is a misrepresentation of Jesus' genuine teachings is consistently attested in the gospels, in Paul's letter to the Corinthians (1 Co 7:10-16), and in similar passages in the Gospel According to Thomas. "Or wife" in Mar 10:29 and Mat 19:29 has so little manuscript support that it is not even mentioned in the extensive footnotes of the United Bible Society's definitive Greek New Testament, Fourth Revised Edition (1994) or in Bruce Metzger's A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Second Edition (1993).
• According to Mat 19:27, Mar 10:28, and Luk 18:28, Peter "left all" to follow Christ Jesus. By implication, "all" would include those houses and people listed in Mat 19:29, Mar 10:29, and Luk 18:29. According to the synoptic gospels (Mat 8:14; Mar 1:30; Luk 4:38) and according Paul (1Co 9:5), Peter continued to be married and to take his wife with him when he traveled, so "wife" clearly was not included in the "all" that Christians were expected to leave behind in their spiritual (or human) journey.

• Ante-Nicene Fathers attest to original Luke not including "or wife" - Around 180 A.D., Irenaeus (130-202 A.D.) (Against Heresies) quoted what appears to be an earlier version of Luk 18:29,30:

  Whosoever shall have left lands, or houses, or parents, or brethren, or children because of me, he shall receive in this world an hundredfold, and in that to come he shall inherit eternal life. (ANF 1:562)

  "Or wife" was not included in Irenaeus' quote of Jesus. Around 195 A.D. Clement of Alexandria (150-215 A.D.) (The Stromata, or Miscellanies) quoted Jesus from Mat 19:29:

  The Lord says in the Gospel, "Whosoever shall leave father, or mother, or brethren," and so forth, "for the sake of the Gospel and my name," he is blessed... (ANF 2:412)

  Both Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria did not include "or wife."

  I have checked the entire Ante-Nicene Fathers and all New Testament apocrypha, including the Nag Hammadi writings. The only other similar quotes are all from Cyprian (?-258 A.D.), where around 250 A.D. he quoted from Luk 18:29,30:

  There is no man that hath left house, or land, or parents, or brethren, or sisters, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive seven-fold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." (The Epistles of Cyprian, ANF Vol 5:348; The Treatises of Cyprian, ANF 5:440, 506, 538)

  The fact is that the wording of Irenaeus and Cyprian are both most similar to Luk 18:29,30, except that Irenaeus did not include "or wife" - nor did Clement of Alexandria in his quote from Mat 19:29. This leads to the conclusion that the original version of Luk 18:29 also did not include "or wife" but that "or wife" was added to a text of Luke 18:29 sometime during the 70 years between the time of Irenaeus and Cyprian (between 180-250 A.D.) Then sometime between the time of Clement of Alexandria and Cyprian (between 195-250 A.D.), "or wife" began to be added to some texts of Mark and Matthew, assimilating the wording that had begun to be added to Luke sometime between 180-250 A.D.

(2.4) Luk 14:26 - written about 90 A.D.

TEV - 26 Those who come to me cannot be my disciples unless they love me more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and themselves as well.

KJV - 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

• Luk 14:26 - hate not - or rather - love not me more than

• G.B. Caird, in his very insightful commentary, Saint Luke (Wesminster Pelican Commentaries, Philadelphia: Westminster, 1963), comments:

To hate father and mother did not mean on the lips of Jesus what it conveys to the Western reader (cf. Mar 7:9-13). The semitic mind is comfortable only with extremes - light and darkness, truth and falsehood, love and hate - primary colours with no half-shades of compromise in between. The semitic way of saying 'I prefer this to that is 'I like this and hate that' (cf. Gen. 29:30-31, Deut.21:15-17). Thus for the followers of Jesus to hate their families meant giving the family second place in their affections. Ties of kinship must not be allowed to interfere with their absolute commitment to the kingdom. As commonly happens with Q sayings, the conservative Luke has kept the stark, semitic form, while Matthew has substituted an accurate paraphrase which was more readily intelligible to his Gentile readers (Matt. 10:37).

• Also note Jesus' question to Peter in John 21:15-17, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He was not requiring Peter to abandon his fellow disciples. He was only asking confirmation of the priority of Peter's love for God's Messiah (Christ). It should also be noted that this teaching is found only in Luke, which was written years after Paul's writings, Mark, and Matthew, which did not include such a teaching.

 

Note: Understood in today's terms, being "the husband of one wife" or "the wife of one man" refers to either (a) a Christian who has been married only once or (b) a Christian who does not have two spouses (i.e., who does not practice polygamy).

(3.1) 1Ti 3:2-5,12 - commonly believed to have been written in Paul's name early about 115 A.D.

TEV - 2 A church leader must be without fault; he must have only one wife, be sober, self-controlled, and orderly; he must welcome strangers in his home; he must be able to teach; 3 he must not be a drunkard or a violent man, but gentle and peaceful; he must not love money; 4 he must be able to manage his own family well and make his children obey him with all respect. 5 For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?... 12 A church helper must have only one wife, and be able to manage his children and family well.

(3.2) 1Ti 5:9 - commonly believed to have been written in Paul's honor and name about 115 A.D.

TEV - 9 Do not add any widow to the list of widows unless she is over sixty years of age. In addition, she must have been married only once

(3.3) Tit 1:5,6 - commonly believed to have been written in Paul's honor and name about 115 A.D.

TEV - 5 I left you in Crete, so that you could put in order the things that still needed doing and appoint church elders in every town. Remember my instructions: 6 an elder must be without fault; he must have only one wife, and his children must be believers and not have the reputation of being wild or disobedient.

 

(4.1) John 4:7-24 - commonly believed to have been written sometime between 70 and 95 A.D.

TEV - 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw some water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink of water."... 9 The woman answered, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan--so how can you ask me for a drink?" (Jews will not use the same cups and bowls that Samaritans use.) 10 Jesus answered, "If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water."... 13 "Whoever drinks this water will get thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring which will provide him with life-giving water and give him eternal life." 15 "Sir," the woman said, "give me that water! Then I will never be thirsty again, nor will I have to come here to draw water." 16 "Go and call your husband," Jesus told her, "and come back." 17 "I don't have a husband," she answered. Jesus replied, "You are right when you say you don't have a husband. 18 You have been married to five men, and the man you live with now is not really your husband. You have told me the truth." 19 "I see you are a prophet, sir," the woman said. 20 "My Samaritan ancestors worshiped God on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where we should worship God." 21 Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the time will come when people will not worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans do not really know whom you worship; but we Jews know whom we worship, because it is from the Jews that salvation comes. 23 But the time is coming and is already here, when by the power of God's Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is, offering him the true worship that he wants. 24 God is Spirit, and only by the power of his Spirit can people worship him as he really is."

KJV - 5 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink... 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water... 13 Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, 16 Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

• Joh 4:24 - omit KJV wording: A - (based on correction of KJV translation)

 

In what is known as "the Sermon on the Mount," Jesus tells us,

Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it. (Mat 7:13, 14, TEV)

In "the Sermon on the Mount" and elsewhere, Jesus deals with the subject of divorce (see Mat 5:32), but neither Jesus nor Paul was attempting to establish new human codes to which Christians or others were additionally bound or by which we should judge each other. Jesus and Paul were teaching (and illustrating with their lives) the most direct way of experiencing one's relationship with God. Jesus' love-inspired teachings and life show us the way of freedom.

Consistent with the New Testament writings that genuinely represent Christian practices in the first twenty to forty years after Jesus' resurrection and ascension, a married Christian would not have initiated a divorce (see 1Co 7:15), except maybe in the case of the unfaithfulness or unlawfulness, as described above regarding Mat 5:32 and Mat 19:9.

Though not specifically mentioned in the New Testament in the context of divorce, spouse-abuse or child-abuse could also be considered a form of "unfaithfulness" or "unlawfulness," which are the two different possible meanings of the Greek word porneia in Mat 5:32.

See commentary above on Mat 5:32. See also Dibelius and Conzelmann's The Pastoral Epistles (Hermeneia commentary series, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1972, page 52), J.N.D. Kelly's The Pastoral Epistles (Black's New Testament Commentaries, London: Adam & Charles Black, 1963, pages 75-65), and Fred D. Gealy's exegesis in "The First and Second Epistles to Timothy and The Epistle to Titus" in the Interpreter's Bible, Volume 11 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1955, page 410-412).

Note: The Pastoral Epistles (I & II Timothy and Titus), which are widely believed not to have been written by Paul, reflect the increasingly human-codes-oriented position of the early-Second-Century church, as it struggled to take organizational shape.

Paul had originally persecuted Christians, but through God's grace he found "the Way" to salvation through the life and teachings of Christ Jesus. Even Peter, who was one of the first whom Jesus chose to be among the twelve Apostles, lost his way several times, but eventually, repentantly he came back and faithfully served the cause of Christ.

The books of the New Testament were not written for the purpose of enabling us to self-righteously judge each other on this or any other issue. Nor should they ever be used in that way. They were written to help each of us find 'the narrow way' in Christ and to help us experience the liberating and healing influence of God's unconditional love -- as we progressively learn to live that unconditional love. God's Word as expressed in the original texts of the New Testament unite us all in loving fellowship in Christ, to the praise and glory of God. As Paul put it so well in his letter to his church family in Rome:

There is no condemnation now for those who live in union with Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit, which brings us life in union with Christ Jesus, has set me free from the law of sin and death. (Rom 8:1, 2, TEV)

 

OTHER LINKS

"Christian love" at http://www.bibletexts.com/topics/christianlove.htm

"Marriage" at http://www.bibletexts.com/topics/marriage.htm

See also:

• S&H 59:27
• S&H 66:21
• Mis 236:15
• Mis 287:22-11
• Mis 290:1-3
• Mis 290:4
• My 268:3-4,11-17