To many, the New Testaments teaching on divorce and remarriage
seems to be both impractical and unfair. The plain meaning of the
texts allows for divorce only in cases of adultery or desertion,
and it does not permit remarriage until the death of ones former
spouse. But are these proscriptions the final word for Christians
today? Are we correctly reading the scriptures that address these
issues?
By looking closely at the biblical texts on divorce and
remarriage in light of the first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman
world, this book shows that the original audience of the New
Testament heard these teachings differently. Through a careful
exploration of the background literature of the Old Testament, the
ancient Near East, and especially ancient Judaism, David
Instone-Brewer constructs a biblical view of divorce and remarriage
that is wider in scope than present-day readings.
Among the important findings of the book are that both Jesus and
Paul condemned divorce without valid grounds and discouraged
divorce even for valid grounds; that both Jesus and Paul affirmed
the Old Testament grounds for divorce; that the Old Testament
allowed divorce for adultery and for neglect or abuse; and that
both Jesus and Paul condemned remarriage after an invalid divorce
but not after a valid divorce. Instone-Brewer shows that these
principles are not only different from the traditional church
interpretation of the New Testament but also directly relevant to
modern relationships.
Enhanced with pastoral advice on how to apply the biblical
teaching in todays context, this volume will be a valuable resource
for anyone seeking serious answers about married life.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!