On Matthew 5,19/"put away"/disciples reactions.

[MidnightRain]

Hello hello,

Got a question concerning the marriage/divorce/remarriage topic and interpretation I saw on the youtube video.

I've heard the argument before, that "put away" is referring to the "send her out of your house" part of the divorce law in Deut 24. It seems a little weak in some ways, but I do admit it does harmonize.

What I don't understand with this interpretation is the reactions the disciples gave Jesus and then Jesus' response to their reaction.

Here is the passage:

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3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
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If Jesus was basically reiterating Deut 24 saying that when you find uncleanness in your wife, make sure you give a divorce bill to her before you send her off, why would the disciples react that way saying it's not good to marry?

Also, the "exception clause" here doesn't fully make sense either with this interpretation because where in the law does it say that you CAN put her away/send her out of your house WITHOUT giving her a divorce bill IF she is unclean/porneia? This interpretation has Jesus saying just that.

If you interpret the "put away" not as a part of the divorce process, but rather as a condensed way of referring to the entire divorce process, then it harmonizes stronger with the Deut 24 passages, and it basically a reiteration of it. The problem with this is that you then run into problems with the Jesus' words on the topic contradicting in Mark, etc., and it still doesn't answer why the disciples reacted as they did, and Jesus saying after that that some have gone celibate for the kingdom's sake in light of whatever he meant in the preceding passages.

Any thoughts?

[Arjumand]

Brian, polygamy is biblically permitted, and I don't see anywhere that says the wife has to be consulted for a man to take another wife. It just says he's not to diminish her food, duty, etc.

In light of this, your view that it would lead to ruin is not necessarily true. Beyond that, the Bible talks about "finding" a wife, so your Godly lot in life can be increased, imo, and is not limited to your present lot.