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For: Paul here extends Jesus' exception clause in Matthew 19:9 beyond simple sexual unfaithfulness. Paul suggests that abandonment is tantamount to immorality in impact. He therefore says that desertion severs the marital bond.

This article originally appeared in the December 14, 1992 issue of Christianity Today.

H. Wayne Houseis Professor of Biblical Studies and Apologetics at Faith Seminary in Tacoma, Washington, and editor of Divorce and Remarriage (InterVarsity).

Other stories from the 1992 CT Institute on divorce and remarriage include:CT Institute: Divorce and Remarriage | An introduction to our 1992 series on what divorce means for families, churches, and our country. A Marriage Counterculture | In addressing divorce, the church must adopt the strategies of the missionary. By David Seamands Sex, Marriage, and Divorce | Results from a 1992 Christianity Today reader's survey. By Haddon Robinson Divorce and Remarriage from Augustine to Zwingli | How Christian understanding about marriage has changed—and stayed the same—through history. By Michael Gorman Remarriage: Two Views | Two New Testament professors debate whether remarriage is acceptable for Christians. By Craig Keener and William A. Heth How Not to Fail Hurting Couples | We need a kind of shock therapy to become alert to missed opportunities. By Thomas Needham Becoming a Healing Community | How the church can develop a climate of help to the hurting.

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

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August (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44