THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Beyond the Jordan at the Sea of Galilee. Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19
- Chapter 255 -
The prohibition of divorce.
When we had risen from our beds in the morning, well-rested and strengthened, and gone out into the open air, our innkeeper was already up and about, and both of Peter's servants were also already on the ship to sail away immediately. But we called them to wait for breakfast, which our innkeeper immediately had brought. Then they sailed away, since we would not need the ship for a long time now.
2
Then we also went to breakfast at our host's invitation. We had hardly finished it when other people came to see and to speak to Me, the miracle man, as they said. But among them were Jews and Greeks, and they told one another everything that I had performed through My pure will.
3
But, as already mentioned, since Pharisees were also staying in this very house, they also soon learned everything that had happened yesterday evening, and soon worked out that I must be the son of the carpenter from Nazareth already known to them. They then came into our room and began to test Me with all sorts of questions, which I constantly answered in the certainly most competent way and that way closed their mouths.
4
But there were living here several people who were unhappy with their wives. These sought divorce from the Pharisees present.
5
Then one of the Pharisees asked Me, "Listen, you wonderful and all-wise Master! Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?" (Matt. 19:3)
6
Then I looked at him firmly and said, "Why are you asking Me about this now? Have you not read in the Scriptures that He who created men in the beginning made them so that they were only one male and one female?! (Matt. 19:4)
7
And when the first human couple stood before Him who had made them, and He saw well that the man liked his beautiful wife very much, this One whom you have never yet known said: For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh! (Matt. 19:5) If things are then according to the word of God, consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate!" (Matt. 19:6)
8
Then the Pharisees spoke, "If you are such an expert in the Scriptures, you will then know well that the very same Moses who described the creation of man as good as fully left behind a formal certificate of divorce and commanded that one divorce oneself from one's wife for a well-founded reason." (Matt. 19:7)
9
To this I answered, "Moses indeed gave you a certificate of divorce, according to which you can divorce yourselves from your wives; but he only did such because of the hardness of your hearts. From the very beginning of humanity on this Earth it has not been this way, but instead as I have just told you all. (Matt. 19:8)
10
But further I say to you: Whoever divorces his wife, even because of immorality, and marries another commits adultery. (Matt. 19:9) But you already know what sort of sin adultery is, and I do not need to give you any further enlightenment about it."
11
At this the Pharisees left Me without a further word.