What does GCJ believe about MARRIAGE? Essentially, we believe the same thing that GCI believes, as summarized in their statement, which is posted below:
- God loves us with a perfect, freely given and eternally faithful love, establishing marriage as an exclusive and sacred union between one man and one woman to be a unique living witness that reflects and honors God’s covenant relationship with his people in Jesus Christ.
Our belief is based on a number of passages in the Bible, including the ones listed below:
- (Genesis 2:18-22; Ephesians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5; Romans 1:24-27)
To find our more about what we believe on this topic, please visit our page on MARRIAGE.
If someone is married before and he get divorced, now he becomes Christian in GCI would you tell him to bring back his wife or?
Greetings! Sorry for taking so long to respond to your question, but it deals with a very complex subject and we have to be careful how we respond.
That said, I’ve decided to post a portion of an article that was published on the GCI website. According to the article …
“Although Paul was aware of the Lord’s teaching about divorce, he did not consider the Mark/Luke version final. Nor did he consider porneia the only legitimate exception, so Matthew’s statements are not the complete description of God’s will, either. Jesus’ statements did not cover every possible situation that might arise within the church. Paul, recognizing that he faced a new situation, permitted divorce and remarriage in cases of desertion. Paul’s statement isn’t complete, either, since he does not specifically mention porneia. Paul did not intend to provide an exhaustive list of exceptions (just as none of his lists of spiritual gifts, virtues or vices is complete).
“Even if we combine all the New Testament statements, resulting in a prohibition with two exceptions, it would seem unlikely that we have a complete statement of God’s will on the subject. Situations arise that were not addressed by either Jesus or Paul. New situations may call for new exceptions, and new judgments. Paul indicates one way the church can judge: the principle of peace, which he deemed more important than a law-based prohibition. This suggests that Christians today may also use the principle of peace to release people from the bondage of certain marriage vows.
“Ethical principles are more important than strict rules.20 Satisfying hunger is more important than keeping Sabbath rules (Mark 2:27-28); justice, mercy and faith are more important than scrupulous tithing (Matt 23:23). Principles are sometimes even more important than the exercise of specific freedoms: Although a Christian may eat meat, it is better to abstain if eating might offend another believer (Rom 14). These examples show that principles are more important than narrowly defined laws.
“In a bad marriage, principles must be weighed. Commitment within marriage is an important principle; peace, unity and love are important, too. If the unity and love are so lacking that the marriage threatens Christian peace and joy, perhaps the principle of peace outweighs the principle of commitment. The marriage may in fact be an oppressive relationship that opposes God.
“Let’s briefly address some tangential issues. Divorce may be permitted for adultery. But isn’t a Christian obligated to forgive without limit? Yes — but that doesn’t mean that the marriage itself has to stay intact. In financial terms, forgiving a debt does not necessarily imply an obligation to make a new loan. A Christian could forgive an adulterous spouse, having no desire for vengeance, and also have the wisdom not to stay with a person with a life-threatening character flaw. But reconciliation should be attempted. “The believer is never compelled to seek a divorce, not even when the spouse is guilty of adultery” (Scott, p. 193).
“May the guilty party remarry? Davis (p. 103) says yes, “if the guilty party has truly repented and attempted to make restitution for personal and financial obligations that may have been forsaken during the dissolution of the marriage.” “As Clinton Gardner has observed, remarriage should be permitted for the repentant and only for the repentant” (Scott, p. 197). Admittedly, this can create awkward situations: There may be a divorce, the church may permit one person to remarry, and later accept the repentance of the other person and in effect allow spouse-swapping within the church.21 Such situations may be inevitable in an age containing both sin and grace, and they cry out for caution by all involved. Time and counseling need to be involved before divorce.”
Hopefully, that will help. Thanks for your question.
Best regards.