Divorce ... Except It Be For Porneia

Have you ever been wounded or crushed by the unfaithfulness or sexual immorality of your spouse?

Author Dr. Chuck Swindoll uses the term "porneia" from Greek to describe it where we get the word "pornography." He addresses this issue in the context of divorce and remarriage in his book, "Strike The Original Match," where he quotes Jesus in Matthew 19:9.

Jesus said, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery" (Matthew 19:9).

According to Dr. Swindoll, Jesus clearly spells out in the passage His exception clause of "porneia" when divorce and remarriage would be acceptable or valid in God's eyes.  Dr. Swindoll interprets "porneia" to mean marital unfaithfulness and an immorality that suggests a sustained unwillingness to remain faithful and practice of adulterous or promiscuous relationship outside the bonds of marriage.

He writes, "When a spouse is guilty of immoral sexual conduct with another person and is unwilling to remain faithful to the innocent partner, the option is there for the faithful mate to divorce and remarry ... but such is not mandatory... How much better to look for ways to make the marriage work rather than anxiously anticipate evidence that is needed to break off the relationship. But there are occasions when every attempt has been made to keep the marriage together ... but sustained sexual infidelity won't allow it. It is in such cases our Lord grants freedom from that miserable and unbearable bond."