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As if there is not enough confusion regarding divorce and marriage in the brotherhood, Timothy Sparks, has begun a campaign to teach that only death ends marriage.
Perhaps Tim is an idealist, i.e., he sees marriage as God would like it to be—permanent, and therefore he has set out to help God. But God does not need nor want the kind of help Tim is seeking to give. To help God realize his ideal one might become a marriage counselor and help couples work out their problems, but one must never lose sight of the fact that people make mistakes in their choice for a spouse, especially when young, and sometimes it is impossible to make it work. Yet when it does not work the need for a marriage partner continues to exist (1 Cor. 7:1-2). Sometimes, people find themselves divorced even though they gave their all and did not sin. In this situation, a preacher’s duty is to present the teaching of the apostle Paul—not what the Catholic Church teaches which is basically what Tim is doing. With this in mind let’s compare what Tim’s doctrine says with what the Bible says. Here is a link to his article: https://timothysparks.wordpress.com/2015/06/22/bound-for-life-released-only-by-death/
There are a few passages that at first glance seem to support Tim’s position. But he breaks a cardinal rule of hermeneutics: “Do not interpret a passage so as to contradict other clear teachings.” Tim practices this rule himself in studying and teaching the question “What must I do to be saved?” He knows we must get all of what is said on the subject and draw a conclusion that allows the Bible to harmonize. All who are determined to use good hermeneutics in handling the word of God will do nothing less, even when studying the question, “Who may marry?”
Tim misuses three passages that he thinks support his doctrine: Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:39 and 7:27-28. The first two passages speak of the woman being bound to the husband as long as he lives, while the last one actually clearly defeats his doctrine. Instead of dealing with the first two passages as we do Romans 10:10, (“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”) Tim ignores other teachings and camps on what he asserts Paul is teaching. Gospel preachers accept the truth in the above passage, but we recognize and teach the plan of salvation that includes hearing, repentance, baptism and the need to “walk in the light”, and we do not see a contradiction. Should gospel preachers endeavor to help God increase the number of the saved by emphasizing Romans 10:10 while disregarding the numerous passages that teach repentance, baptism and right living? Of course not, because good hermeneutics will not allow it. But this is exactly what Tim does in teaching that “only death ends a marriage.”
Let’s now look at the first two texts noted above:
Romans 7:2
For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
The above text is true, but it is also true that divorce ends the marriage. God gave the divorce law (Deut. 24:1-4) and confirmed it by following it himself when he divorced Israel (Jer. 3:8). Israel was then not just put away but also given the certificate of divorce, and therefore actually divorced (loosed) and no longer “bound”. Perhaps Tim has not considered verse 4 that tells us Jesus married Israel, whom God divorced. The following link is to an article that deals exclusively with Romans 7:1-4). http://www.totalhealth.bz/divorce-and-remarriage-romans-7-exegesis.htm
1 Cor. 7:39
A wife is bound for as long a time as her husband lives. But if the husband dies, she is free to marry whom she wishes, only in the Lord.
The question of whether divorced persons (both men and women) could marry had been previously answered by the apostle (verses 1-2; 8-9; 27-28). He now addresses other questions likely similar to the following: “If a woman’s husband dies is she still bound to him and if not may she marry who she wishes?” The answer given is that she is only bound as long as he lives and that if he dies she must marry “only in the Lord” which can only mean she must marry a Christian.
The above text only addresses questions that pertain to women, therefore is cannot be used to teach that only death ends a marriage. Death ends a marriage, but the word ONLY is neither explicit nor implied.
1 Cor. 7:27-28
If you have been bound to a wife, do not seek to be loosed; if you have been loosed from a wife, do not seek a wife. But if you might have married, you did not sin, and if the virgin might have married, she did not sin.
The above is quoted from Tim’s post on Facebook. It is HIS version of the text. It appears he seeks to gain support from this passage after first changing the text to apply to what one might do in the future to what might have been done in the past. Let us study the text from a version we can trust: “But shouldest thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned” (ASV). Who is being told they do not sin if they marry? Tim explains, “A person who has been loosed is one whose spouse has died.” This is a truism for no one denies that death ends a marriage. But Tim applies the text to both virgins and widows and denies it applies to the divorced, whether a man or woman. We have to wonder how this is possible in view of the fact that neither virgins nor widows have “been bound to a wife.” The text is obviously speaking of men who “have been bound to a wife” and these are told that if “loosed” (divorced) they do not sin if they marry. But Tim perverts the term “loosed” in effort to gain support for his doctrine. Clearly Paul addresses a different situation here. The word “loosed” is in contrast to “bound” (married) and simply means no longer bound, which is exactly what divorce does. A mere sending away would not result in being loosed, but when one follows God’s definition of divorce he can be assured that he is loosed.
Here is a quote from Tim’s Facebook page: “1 Corinthians 7:25-39 is addressed to the virgins and widows/widowers and does not include those who are separated (or divorced).” This assertion is nonsense and the blatant disregard for good hermeneutics is inexcusable. The start of this section is, “Art thou bound unto a wife?” Since neither virgins nor widowers can be bound to a wife this obviously is not addressed to them. Verse 28a, [“But shouldest thou marry, thou hast not sinned…” (ASV)], is addressed to and applies to any man bound to a wife. Verse 28b, “and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned” is evidently Paul’s response to a specific question regarding virgins, to which he advises: “Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you” (verse 28c).
Conclusion
In his teaching, Tim denies the fact that God saw the need for divorce, gave the law, and even used it himself. His efforts to deny marriage for the divorced puts him in the category of those that Paul noted would be guilty of “forbidding to marry,” that he said is “doctrines of devils”. In addition, he perverts Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7 to try to make it appear Paul taught the opposite of what is the gist of his message.
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