Guidance is needed both on what Scripture says about divorce and remarriage, and on how this should be applied to cases that arise. That is, guidance is needed both on the principles and on the application of the principles, on theory and practice.
A Difficult and Perplexing Situation
From my discussions with Christians of many vocations, denominations, and traditions from the USA and around the world, it is clear to me that cases on divorce and remarriage are among the most perplexing situations that Christians face, both due to the frequency of occurrence and the difficulty of applying biblical precepts to concrete situations. A plethora of books on divorce and remarriage say the same thing: Christians have not received sufficient instruction on what God’s Word says about this topic, and therefore they do not know what to do when these situations arise. …
Situations of divorce and remarriage are not hopeless. God is faithful. He has given us precious promises. For sinners, He says, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ez 33:11). For the church, struggling to be faithful, He says, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11). “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Pt 2:9–10). For pastors, bearing the weight of souls on their shoulders, He says, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tm 4:16).
Martin Luther on the Work of Pastors
Martin Luther consoles pastors and lay leaders in their mutual work for the kingdom:
To support or protect a poor, pious pastor is an act that makes no show and looks like a small thing. But to build a marble church, to give it golden ornaments, and to serve dead stone and wood—that makes a show that glitters! That is a virtue worthy of a king or prince! Well, let it make its show! Let it glitter! Meanwhile my pastor, who does not glitter, is practicing the virtue that increases God’s kingdom, fills heaven with saints, plunders hell, robs the devil, wards off death, represses sin, instructs and comforts every man in the world according to his station in life, preserves peace and unity, raises fine young folk, and plants all kinds of virtue in the people. In a word, he is making a new world! He builds not a poor, temporary house, but an eternal and beautiful Paradise, in which God Himself is glad to dwell. A pious prince or lord who supports or protects such a pastor can have a part in all this. Indeed, this whole work and all the fruits of it are his, as though he had done it all himself, because without his protection and support the pastor could not abide.(AE 13:52–53)
Our situation is not hopeless. God is on our side.
Discerning Cases on Divorce and Remarriage
With knowledge, Christians can act. Christian faith lives in repentance. Matters of sin and repentance are vital for Christians to know. We should and must teach God’s institution of marriage. We should and must deal with cases of divorce and remarriage. Without clear guidance, people will either live with a bad conscience or do whatever is right in their own eyes. Since the biblical principles on divorce and remarriage make distinctions between situations, Christians need to treat these situations distinctly. The church must maintain the full validity of God’s Word for our lives, as the Lord says, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:20). To this God calls us. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn 5:3). “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt 11:29–30). With knowledge, we can lead ourselves and our congregations toward Christian living, sincere faith, and fruits of repentance according to God’s Word, exercising ecclesiastical discernment and pastoral care in cases of divorce and remarriage.
Scripture: ESV®.
The quotation marked AE is from Luther’s Works, American Edition, vol. 13 © 1956 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Blog post adapted from Divorce and Remarriage: Ecclesiastical Discernment and Pastoral Care © 2026 Benjamin T. G. Mayes. Published by Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Learn more about the pastoral and scriptural understanding of divorce and remarriage in Benjamin T. G. Mayes’s book.
