Marriage and Divorce

The Original Teachings of Jesus Christ / Marriage and Divorce

Marriage and Divorce

If one understands the previous chapter, then the reason of seemingly contradictory statements of Jesus about the allowance of divorce is also clear. In some cases, He advised against it (Matt 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18), in others — on the contrary, He blessed divorce when one of the spouses could proceed on the Way to God, to the Perfection, while another could not and did not want to go, but only impeded the partner (Mark 10:29-30; Luke 18:29-30).

“Do you suppose that I have come to give peace on the Earth? I tell you, no, but rather division…” (Luke 12:51).

Why it is so? Because two people, after joining in marriage, do not necessarily develop with the same speed. They walked a certain part of the path together, learning from each other. But from a certain moment, this program may end, and then the programs of their studies with God have to be different… God joined them and He may part them… If people try to oppose it by referring to the Bible…, then they set themselves against God. It happens that the church assumes the right to decide the affairs of joining and separating people. Yet, God did not assign this right to anyone: “The Great Creator has not shared His Power with any living being” (The Life of Saint Issa, 5:17).

Family life is also lessons in the School of God called on the Earth. Two people were in the same grade in the school, and they were in love with each other. But after leaving the school, they do not necessarily enter the same university for continuing education; their paths may become different, and they also may be different — different in the ability to comprehend the information from God. In such a case, their joint family life will be… adultery: “… Every act of sexual intercourse between unlike partners is adultery” (The Gospel of Philip, 42).

… On this example we may see that the “rules of conduct” that God gives to people of different levels of development may be directly opposite.

“When the blind and the sighted are together in darkness, they are no different from one another. (But) when light appears, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness.” (The Gospel of Philip, 56).