Jesus' Teaching Concerning Divorce
             "To have and to hold from this day forward; for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part"
             As I sit and reflect on these powerful words, I think forward to my upcoming marriage in three short weeks. These simple, yet incredibly strong
             words are the cornerstone of Christian marriages; the terms of the marriage contract drawn up by God, who is the creator of man and author of
             the institution of marriage. " 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together,
             let no man separate." (Matthew 19:5-6) So many before me have recited these words with the utmost conviction and the purest of intentions, but then after years of challenges and trying times these words end up being hollow and meaningless too many people. It amazes me to research and find that in "Canada we had a divorce rate at 45.1 % in 1998" (Stats Canada 2000) and what is even more appalling is that this number is no different whether you are outside or inside the local church. So what does Jesus say about this? Well we might have thought that on such a vital matter, the passages of Scripture, which deal with the subject, would be simple and clear; but the controversies that have been waged throughout the centuries make it evident that the issue is neither simple nor clear. In this paper I will examine the Scriptures in the New Testament that mention
             divorce, and discuss them while considering not only Jesus' teaching but also the
             geographical and historical context behind that teaching.
             The geographical background is crucial to our understanding of this encounter between Christ and the Pharisees. Jesus has concluded His work in Galilee ...