- What Does the Bible Teach About Divorce, Remarriage, and Ministry?
- How to Serve After Divorce in Ministry
What Does the Bible Teach About Divorce, Remarriage, and Ministry? #
Divorce and Christian ministry raises hard questions for pastors and churches. Many ask how to serve after divorce in ministry with faithfulness and integrity. This is especially true for divorced ministers in pastoral ministry.
Divorce and Christian ministry has been a topic of great confusion among believers. It is our goal here to address the position the National Association of Christian Ministers holds regarding ordination and divorce. We do not seek to address the topic exhaustively but rather to offer a straightforward approach with simplicity and with Scripture as our guide.
Perhaps it is fitting to first address divorce as a whole, including all Christians whether they are ministers or not. See our ordination requirements for related guidance, and read Matthew 5 ESV for Jesus teaching in context.
A) Reading the Old Testament, God Permitted Divorce and Remarriage #
Old Testament witness. Reading the OT, one would quickly conclude that God permitted divorce and remarriage within a regulated framework.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4
(1) When a man has taken a wife and married her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her, then let him write her a bill of divorce and put it in her hand and send her out of his house.
(2) And when she has departed from his house, she goes and becomes another man’s.
(3) and the latter husband hates her and writes her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house; or if the latter husband dies, he who took her to be his wife
(4) her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she is defiled. For that is hateful before the Lord. And you shall not cause the land to sin, which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance.
The above demonstrates that a letter must be issued to free the woman to marry another, even if she is deemed unclean under the law’s categories.
B) Where Confusion Often Begins in the New Testament #
Jesus words and the law. Jesus preaches His most famous sermon in Matthew 5. During that message He made this very important distinction:
Matthew 5:17-18
(17) Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.
(18) For truly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.
Because of this statement many get lost debating whether Christians are under the law. Yet to do so can miss Jesus point. In simple terms, Jesus is saying, listen, I am about to say some things that sound contrary to the law. However, do not think that I have come to change the law. If you think that I am changing the law, you have misinterpreted My words.
The bottom line is that Jesus told us not to think that the things He was about to say were changes to the law.
Then thirteen verses later He says:
Matthew 5:31-32
(31) It was also said, Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce.
(32) But I say to you that whoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever shall marry her who is put away commits adultery.
From verse 31 we can be sure that Jesus is referencing Deuteronomy 24:1-4. However, the things He says sound contrary to what the law states. He seems to say that divorce is forbidden except for sexual sin, and that it is forbidden to marry a divorced person. Yet the law clearly states that divorce is permissible and that it is acceptable for the divorced to remarry, hence the certificate of divorce that declared the separated person free to be joined with another.
In light of these things, we know that the law was given to Moses from God. Therefore, the law is holy and good. Jesus affirms this, saying that not one jot or tittle will pass from the law. Additionally, if we interpret His words as overriding the law, Jesus has already told us that interpretation is wrong. Remember, He clearly said, do not think that I have come to destroy the law.
How to Read the Sermon on the Mount Without Contradiction #
If we analyze the whole sermon we find other extreme statements about plucking out eyes, cutting off hands, permitting people to wrong us, unjust anger equated with murder, instructions not to resist the one who is evil, and the call to be perfect. If we take each statement literally in a wooden way, we would be obligated to pluck out eyes and cut off hands. Yet Christians rightly recognize a teaching device at work.
Hyperbole explained. In these sections Jesus uses deliberate hyperbole to press the seriousness of sin and the priority of heart righteousness. We speak this way too. We say, I am so hungry I could eat a horse, or, Mom will be so angry she will have a cow. No one imagines literal outcomes. Likewise, one should not lift serpents, drink poison, speak to mountains as a norm, or take self-maiming as a command. To take such instructions literally across the board is to think like children with black or white categories.
Therefore, Is Divorce Permissible for Christians: Yes #
How to Serve After Divorce in Ministry #
This section connects the theology of grace to practical ministry service. It explains how believers, including divorced ministers, can serve after divorce in ministry when walking in repentance and integrity before God.
Conclusion on permissibility. We conclude that Christ was not revising the law, and while divorce is not the preferred decision, it is permissible in specific circumstances recognized in Scripture, such as sexual immorality. Other passages, such as 1 Corinthians 7, introduce questions about abandonment and peace in the home, which require pastoral wisdom and careful exegesis.
Now Prepared to Address the Question of Divorced Ministers #
The pastoral question. The question has been raised, can a divorced person serve as a pastor or minister. There are two passages in the New Testament that are commonly raised.
1 Timothy 3:2
(2) Then it behooves the overseer to be above reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, well ordered, hospitable, able to teach.
Titus 1:6
(6) If anyone is blameless, husband of one wife, having believing children, not accused of dissipation or disobedience.
In both of these passages the Greek construction for one wife communicates the idea of a one-woman man. The emphasis is moral faithfulness and public reputation, not a ban on a man who has ever been divorced under legitimate biblical grounds. In other words, overseers should not be polygamists, adulterers, playboys, or men lacking self control.
If We Press a Rigid Literalism, Absurdities Follow #
Absurdity 1. It states that overseers must be the husband of one wife. Therefore, all ministers must be male. Yet Scripture recognizes women serving in significant teaching and ministry roles under local church authority, and the gifts of the Spirit are poured out on sons and daughters.
Absurdity 2. It states that overseers must be the husband of one wife. Therefore, every minister must be married. This excludes the single, including the Apostle Paul himself at the time of writing, which is untenable.
Absurdity 3. If remarriage after a divorce under any circumstance necessarily equals ongoing adultery, then remarried believers live in perpetual sin with no path of repentance while remaining married. Yet 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 places adultery among sins that can be forgiven and from which people can be washed and sanctified. The gospel provides real cleansing and new obedience.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
(9) Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor abusers, nor homosexuals,
(10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Yet we have a further problem if we demand that remarried believers must divorce to end supposed ongoing adultery. According to Deuteronomy 24 they cannot return to the first spouse. So in one line of thought they are adulterers because they are still bound to the first spouse, yet Deuteronomy does not permit them to return to that first marriage. This reveals the inconsistency of the rigid reading.
Jesus Recognizes Divorce and Remarriage as Realities #
In His conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus acknowledges multiple marriages without treating her as beyond grace. He exposes sin truthfully and reveals Himself as Messiah.
John 4:16-18
(16) Jesus said to her, Go, call your husband and come here.
(17) The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have well said, I have no husband.
(18) For you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. In that you spoke truly.
NACM Position on Divorce and Ministry #
Our conviction. From these things we conclude that the subject of divorce is often confusing in the church. Some interpretations deny the power of God to forgive sin and lack sound reasoning. It is the position of the National Association of Christian Ministers that God permits divorce in limited cases, that He forgives sin, and that divorced ministers who have been called by His grace may continue to serve Him according to their callings when they walk in repentance, fidelity, and exemplary character.
Practical Guidance for Churches and Candidates #
- Document biblical grounds. When divorce has occurred, document the biblical grounds and any civil protections needed. Shepherd with clarity and care.
- Assess present character. Evaluate Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3 qualities today, including marital fidelity, temperance, hospitality, and ability to teach.
- Prioritize reconciliation where possible. Where safety and conscience allow, seek peace. Where reconciliation is impossible, pursue holiness in the current state.
- Guard the flock. Trauma, abuse, and abandonment require trauma informed care and appropriate boundaries. Churches must protect the vulnerable.
- Train and restore. Where repentance and healing are evident, create intentional pathways for restoration and appropriate service.
The Church Mission Is Outward Focused #
The Church mission is outward focused, grounded in the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20. Believers are called to extend grace and truth, making disciples in everyday life, in workplaces, homes, and communities. Restoration after divorce can become a powerful testimony of the Lord’s redeeming love as we go and make disciples.
FAQs #
Does Divorce Automatically Disqualify Someone from Pastoral Ministry #
No. The qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 emphasize present character and fidelity. A past divorce, especially under biblical grounds with repentance and restoration, does not in itself disqualify a person.
What Does Husband of One Wife Mean #
The phrase points to faithful monogamy, a one woman man. It confronts polygamy, adultery, and unfaithfulness. It is about covenant fidelity and public reputation.
Is Remarriage Always Adultery #
No. Jesus recognizes legitimate grounds for divorce in Matthew 5 and Matthew 19, and Paul addresses complex marital situations in 1 Corinthians 7. Pastoral application requires careful exegesis and wise shepherding.
How Should a Church Evaluate a Divorced Candidate for Ministry #
Confirm biblical grounds as applicable, review the candidates present character per 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, seek testimonies of reconciliation where appropriate, and ensure accountability and transparency with the congregation.
Where Can I Read More in Scripture #
Study Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Matthew 5:17-32, Matthew 19:1-12, 1 Corinthians 7, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and Titus 1:5-9 in the ESV. Consider trusted Evangelical commentaries and doctrinal works for historical grammatical interpretation.
References #
- The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
- Boyce, James P. 1887. Abstract of Systematic Theology. Louisville.
- Kittel, Gerhard, ed. 1964. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids.
- Scofield, C. I. 1909. Scofield Reference Bible Notes. New York.
- National Association of Christian Ministers. Ordination Policy Manual. Current edition.
