What is the meaning of Mark 10:12? And • “And” links verse 12 directly to Jesus’ words in verse 11, where He speaks to husbands: “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her” (Mark 10:11). • The connector makes clear that Jesus’ standard is not gender-biased; it applies equally to men and women, completing a unified teaching on marriage faithfulness (see Matthew 19:4-9; Mark 10:6-9). • By tying both statements together, Jesus underlines that the permanence of the one-flesh covenant (Genesis 2:24) transcends cultural customs that might favor one spouse over the other. If a woman divorces her husband • Jesus acknowledges the legal possibility—though not the divine approval—of a wife initiating divorce. – 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 urges husbands and wives alike not to separate; if they do, they are to remain unmarried or be reconciled. – Malachi 2:16 reveals God’s heart: “For I hate divorce,” declaring that severing the covenant is a betrayal. • By framing it as a hypothetical “if,” Jesus signals that divorce is outside God’s original design, even when civil law permits it (Mark 10:5-8). • The statement calls listeners—then and now—to examine motives and resist treating marriage vows as disposable. And marries another man • The remarriage clause sharpens the issue: the sin arises not merely from the legal act of divorce but from entering a new union while the first covenant still stands. – Romans 7:2-3 illustrates this principle: a woman is “bound by law to her husband as long as he lives… if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she will be called an adulteress.” – Luke 16:18 restates Jesus’ words with identical force for both genders. • Jesus teaches that civil paperwork does not dissolve what God joined together; remarriage, in such a case, is tantamount to adultery against the original spouse. She commits adultery • Adultery is a direct violation of the seventh commandment (Exodus 20:14). Jesus’ declaration leaves no moral gray area: the act is sin, regardless of cultural acceptance. • Hebrews 13:4 reinforces the seriousness: “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.” • The blunt wording aims to protect the sanctity of marriage, warn against relational shortcuts, and call disciples to covenant faithfulness that mirrors Christ’s unwavering love for His Church (Ephesians 5:25-32). summary Mark 10:12 extends Jesus’ teaching on divorce to wives, affirming that the marriage covenant is binding on both husband and wife for life. If a woman dissolves her marriage through civil means and then marries another man while her first husband still lives, God still sees the original covenant as intact, making the new union adulterous. The verse upholds the sacred, lifelong nature of marriage, urges believers to honor their vows, and calls for repentance and reconciliation where covenant faithfulness has been broken. |
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