What does the Bible say about remarriage after divorce?

1 Corinthians 7:10-16

¹⁰ To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.

¹¹ But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

¹² To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

¹³ And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.

¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

¹⁵ But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.

¹⁶ How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

New International Version (NIV)

The answer

The Bible’s clear rule is that remarriage after divorce is adultery while the other spouse is living, except in the case Jesus names—sexual immorality; a believer who separates without that ground must remain unmarried or be reconciled (Matthew 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11). Paul also says that a believer deserted by an unbelieving spouse is “not under bondage” (1 Corinthians 7:15), a statement whose precise bearing on remarriage requires care. Death plainly ends the marriage bond and frees the survivor to marry again, “only in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39).

Jesus’ rule: marriage is not ended merely by paperwork

Jesus grounds marriage in God’s work at creation: the two become one flesh, and no one should tear apart what God has joined (Matthew 19:4-6). Moses’ permission for divorce was given because of hard hearts, not because divorce belonged to God’s original design (Matthew 19:8).

Consequently, Jesus says that a man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he gives the same verdict when a woman divorces her husband and marries another (Mark 10:11-12). Luke 16:18 also condemns marrying a woman who has been divorced. A civil decree may change a person’s legal status, but it cannot by itself make another marriage righteous before God.

The exception Jesus expressly gives

Matthew 19:9 records Jesus’ full statement: “I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery.”

Jesus is judging divorce and subsequent remarriage together. His words “except for sexual immorality” exempt that particular case from the adultery verdict. This exception permits divorce where sexual immorality has violated the marriage; it does not command divorce, nor does it create permission for remarriage after divorce based merely on incompatibility, disappointment, or a no-fault legal procedure.

Paul’s instructions about separation and desertion

• When separation occurs without that ground: The Lord commands married believers not to leave one another. If a wife does depart, her two stated options are to “remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband” (1 Corinthians 7:10-11).
• When an unbelieving spouse is willing to remain: The believing husband or wife must not initiate divorce (1 Corinthians 7:12-13).
• When the unbelieving spouse departs: “Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace” (1 Corinthians 7:15). The abandoned believer is not required to prevent the separation or remain enslaved to restoring life with the deserter.

The disputed point is whether “not under bondage” also permits remarriage. One reading understands it as release from the marriage bond itself. The other understands it as release from maintaining or restoring the deserted household, but not release to remarry, since 1 Corinthians 7:11 gives only remaining unmarried or reconciliation, and Romans 7:2-3 says that death breaks the marriage bond. What the verse explicitly establishes is freedom to let the unbeliever depart and to live in peace. It concerns an unbeliever who actually departs, not a believer choosing to leave or an unhappy marriage being relabelled as abandonment.

Serious sin, real forgiveness

Adultery is sin, not merely an unfortunate marital history. First Corinthians 6:9-11 warns that adulterers will not inherit God’s kingdom, but then says of washed and justified believers, “Some of you were such.” Christ’s grace therefore offers real hope without weakening the command. First John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Grace is never permission to plan disobedience, but no past divorce or adultery places a repentant sinner beyond Christ’s forgiveness and cleansing.

Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 11, 2026

Scripture treats marriage as a lifelong, sacred covenant established by God, meaning that the bond normally dissolves only upon physical death. When divorce occurs, God permits remarriage under strict, defined conditions—specifically following sexual immorality or desertion by an unbelieving spouse—while forbidding it where the original covenant still binds the parties before Him.

Creation Design

God Designed Marriage as a Lifelong Union

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Genesis 2:24 (NIV)

This foundational verse establishes marriage as a permanent, one-flesh union that frames all biblical teaching on divorce and remarriage.

The foundational truth governing the entire biblical discussion of marriage appears in Genesis 2:24, where a man leaves his father and mother and holds fast to his wife, and they become one flesh. From the beginning, Scripture presents marriage not merely as a social convenience or human contract, but as an unbreakable divine institution. In Genesis 1:27, God made humanity distinctly male and female in His own image, establishing complementary partners designed for fellowship and fruitful multiplication. When the woman is brought to Adam in Genesis 2:23, he exclaims with pure joy that she is bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh, marking an organic unity that runs far deeper than legal convenience.

Because God Himself joins husband and wife, the marriage bond is fundamentally sacred and permanent. Proverbs 2:17 laments the treacherous individual who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God, demonstrating that marital fidelity is a duty owed directly to the Creator. Malachi 2:14 underscores this solemn reality by reminding the people of Israel that the Lord acted as a divine witness to the marriage covenant established in their youth. In Malachi 2:15, the prophet declares that God made the two one in order to seek godly offspring, calling on men to guard their spirits and remain faithful. Malachi 2:16 delivers God's stark verdict against marital betrayal, proclaiming that the Lord hates divorce because it covers one's garment with cruelty and violence. Every biblical regulation that follows builds entirely upon this original, unalterable creation standard.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Genesis 1:27	God created humanity male and female in His own image to complement one another.
Genesis 2:23	Adam rejoices in the woman formed from his bone and flesh.
Genesis 2:24	A man leaves his parents, cleaves to his wife, and becomes one flesh with her.
Proverbs 2:17	Describes an unfaithful spouse who forsakes her companion and forgets God's covenant.
Malachi 2:14	The Lord stands as witness to the covenant made with the wife of one's youth.
Malachi 2:15	God sought godly offspring by making husband and wife one in spirit and flesh.
Malachi 2:16	The Lord declares He hates divorce because it covers a man's garment with violence.

Mosaic Regulation

The Law Regulated Divorce Due to Human Hardness

If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD. Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 (NIV)

Moses prescribed a formal certificate to restrain marital abuse and forbid returning to a first husband after intervening remarriage.

The law of Moses did not institute divorce as a divine ideal, but stepped in to limit the collateral damage of human sin, centering upon Deuteronomy 24:1-4. In this pivotal passage, Moses required a formal written certificate of divorce and strictly prohibited remarriage to the original husband after an intervening marriage. This statute protected the repudiated woman from slander, clearly documented her change in status, and prevented cynical cycles of abandonment and repossession. Mosaic law also provided economic protections elsewhere, as in Exodus 21:10-11, where neglecting food, clothing, or conjugal rights granted an enslaved wife her freedom without monetary penalty.

Similarly, civil laws eliminated the right to divorce altogether in cases of severe marital slander or assault, as shown in Deuteronomy 22:19 and Deuteronomy 22:28-29. Numbers 30:9 affirms that vows made by a divorced woman or widow stand firmly upon her own head, recognizing her personal legal accountability. In priestly regulations, higher standards of ceremonial purity were maintained: Leviticus 21:7 and Ezekiel 44:22 forbid priests from marrying a divorced woman, while Leviticus 21:14 barred the high priest even from marrying a widow, reserving him solely for a virgin. Leviticus 22:13 protected a priest's divorced daughter by permitting her return to her father's table for sustenance. When the prophets examined Israel's unfaithfulness, they drew directly upon these legal precedents. Jeremiah 3:1 quotes Deuteronomy to show how impossible it was to return after defilement, while Jeremiah 3:8 pictures God giving unfaithful Israel a bill of divorce because of her rampant spiritual adulteries, exposing the profound tragedy of covenantal brokenness.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Exodus 21:10-11	Commands provision of food, clothing, and marital rights, granting freedom if neglected.
Leviticus 21:7	Priests are forbidden to marry a divorced woman because they are holy to God.
Leviticus 21:14	The high priest must not marry a widow, divorced woman, or defiled woman.
Deuteronomy 22:19	A man who falsely accuses his bride of premarital unchastity may never divorce her.
Deuteronomy 22:28-29	A man who violates an unbetrothed virgin must marry her without right of divorce.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4	Requires a written certificate of divorce and forbids remarriage to the first husband after another marriage.
Jeremiah 3:1	Cites the law of Deuteronomy to illustrate Israel's spiritual adultery against God.
Jeremiah 3:8	God describes giving backsliding Israel a decree of divorce due to her rampant adulteries.
Leviticus 22:13	A priest's daughter who is divorced without children may return to her father's house and eat of his food.
Numbers 30:9	Every vow of a widow or divorced woman remains binding upon her personal responsibility.
Ezekiel 44:22	Priests in the restored temple must not marry a divorced woman, only a virgin or a priest's widow.

Jesus on Divorce

Christ Reaffirms One Flesh and Exposes Adultery

I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

Matthew 19:9 (NIV)

Jesus clarifies that divorcing and remarrying constitutes adultery, identifying sexual immorality as the sole stated exception.

When the Pharisees questioned Jesus regarding divorce, the Lord cut through rabbinic debates by re-establishing the creation order, declaring in Matthew 19:9 that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. In Matthew 5:31-32, during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned that unwarranted divorce exposes the rejected spouse and her subsequent husband to adultery. Confronting the religious leaders in Matthew 19:3-6 and Mark 10:2-9, Christ quoted Genesis directly, asserting that husband and wife are no longer two but one, and issuing the solemn command: what God has joined together, let not man separate.

When His challengers cited Deuteronomy, Jesus explained in Matthew 19:7-8 that Moses permitted divorce solely because of the hardness of human hearts, but from the beginning it was not so. Mark 10:11-12 and Luke 16:18 make this absolute standard plain across both genders: anyone who divorces a spouse to marry another commits adultery against the original partner, because in God's sight the covenantal bond remains unbroken. Only the exception of porneia—unrepentant sexual immorality—is stated in Matthew 5:32 and Matthew 19:9, where the very substance of the one-flesh union has been violated. Hearing how strictly Jesus guarded the covenant, the disciples observed in Matthew 19:10-12 that it might be better not to marry at all, prompting Jesus to speak of celibacy and those who freely make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Matthew 5:31-32	Divorcing a wife except for sexual immorality causes her and her future spouse to commit adultery.
Matthew 19:3-6	Jesus appeals to creation, declaring that what God joined together, man must not separate.
Matthew 19:7-8	Moses permitted divorce strictly because of hardened hearts, not God's original creation design.
Matthew 19:9	Remarriage after divorcing a spouse without sexual immorality constitutes the ongoing act of adultery.
Mark 10:2-9	Jesus reaffirms Genesis against Pharisaic attempts to legitimize divorce for any cause.
Mark 10:11-12	Whoever divorces a spouse and marries another commits adultery against that original partner.
Luke 16:18	Anyone divorcing his wife to marry another, or marrying a divorcee, commits adultery.
Matthew 19:10-12	Jesus addresses the disciples' hesitation regarding marriage by discussing celibacy and those who make themselves eunuchs for the kingdom.

Apostolic Guidance

Paul Addresses Separation, Desertion, and Death

But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.

1 Corinthians 7:15 (NIV)

Paul introduces the principle that a deserted believer is no longer bound when an unbelieving spouse departs.

Apostolic instruction applies Christ's teaching to the life of the early church, identifying clear boundaries for marital separation and remarriage, encapsulated in 1 Corinthians 7:15 where a Christian brother or sister is not bound if an unbelieving spouse insists on departing. In Romans 7:2-3, Paul explains the basic principle of covenant law: a wife is legally bound to her husband as long as he lives, but physical death dissolves the bond completely, freeing her to remarry without committing adultery. In 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, Paul echoes the Lord's direct command: a wife should not depart from her husband, but if separation happens, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to him.

Addressing mixed marriages in 1 Corinthians 7:12-14, Paul instructs believers to remain with an unbelieving spouse who is willing to stay, because the family is sanctified through that union. However, when desertion occurs, 1 Corinthians 7:15 releases the abandoned believer to live in peace. In 1 Corinthians 7:27-28, Paul reassures those loosed from a marriage that they do not sin if they remarry, even while warning of worldly troubles. 1 Corinthians 7:39 reaffirms that a widow is entirely free to remarry whomever she wishes, provided her new husband belongs to the Lord. Consistent with this freedom, 1 Timothy 5:14 encourages younger widows to remarry and manage their homes honorably. Finally, when outlining qualifications for elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 3:12, and Titus 1:6, the Apostle mandates that a church leader must be the husband of one wife, setting an unmistakable standard of lifelong marital fidelity for the entire household of faith.

The passages

Passage	What it says
Romans 7:2-3	A wife is bound to her husband while he lives, but death dissolves the bond completely.
1 Corinthians 7:10-11	A wife must not depart, but if she does, she must remain unmarried or reconcile.
1 Corinthians 7:12-14	Believers should remain with willing unbelieving spouses, who are sanctified by the union.
1 Corinthians 7:15	If an unbelieving partner leaves, the Christian brother or sister is not bound.
1 Corinthians 7:27-28	Those loosed from a wife do not sin if they marry, though hardship follows.
1 Corinthians 7:39	A widow is entirely free to remarry anyone she wishes, provided it is in the Lord.
1 Timothy 5:14	Younger widows are encouraged to remarry, manage households, and give no cause for reproach.
1 Timothy 3:2	An overseer must be the husband of one wife, setting a standard of marital fidelity for church leaders.
1 Timothy 3:12	Deacons likewise must be husbands of one wife, managing their children and households well.
Titus 1:6	An elder must be blameless and the husband of one wife.

Where marriage covenants have been fractured, Scripture extends both clear moral boundaries and lavish redemptive grace. Believers seeking remarriage are called to test their circumstances against the plain teaching of Christ and His apostles, pursuing reconciliation wherever possible and honoring the Lord in holiness.

36 passages, each cited once.

How the major Christian traditions read this

All major Christian traditions confess that holy matrimony is established by God as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, so that divorce contradicts His original design (Matthew 19:4-6; Malachi 2:14-16).

Catholic

We hold that a valid, consummated sacramental marriage between baptized persons can never be dissolved by any human power, ending only at death (Mark 10:9; Romans 7:2-3). Our Lord plainly teaches that whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery (Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18). A legal divorce cannot sever the real sacramental bond. Separation of spouses may sometimes be necessary for safety, but neither party is free to marry another while the spouse lives (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). Unless a marriage tribunal determines that the union was fundamentally null from its inception, civil remarriage while the true spouse lives is objective adultery.

Scripture: Mark 10:9, Mark 10:11-12, Romans 7:2-3, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, Luke 16:18

Orthodox

We confess marriage as an eternal mystery and icon of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32), intended by God to endure forever. Yet because of human fallenness and hardness of heart, our Lord acknowledged that marital unfaithfulness shatters the covenant (Matthew 19:9). When a marriage dies spiritually through adultery, severe abuse, or abandonment, the Church exercises pastoral oikonomia (economy and mercy), recognizing that the union has ceased to exist. While the ideal is lifelong fidelity, the Church grants ecclesiastical divorce and permits a second or third marriage through a penitential rite, calling the couple to repentance while extending Christ's healing mercy.

Scripture: Matthew 19:9, Ephesians 5:31-32

Lutheran

We teach that marriage is an estate ordained by God for this earthly life, joining husband and wife in one flesh (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). While divorce grieves God and breaks His holy commandment, Christ specifically names sexual immorality as a ground that violates the bond (Matthew 19:9), and the Apostle Paul teaches that an innocent believer abandoned by an unbeliever is not bound (1 Corinthians 7:15). In such tragic cases where the covenant has already been destroyed, the innocent, injured party is released and free to marry another in the Lord, receiving God's comforting absolution and grace.

Scripture: Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6, Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:15

Reformed & Presbyterian

We affirm, in accordance with the Westminster Confession (24.5-6), that marriage is a binding covenant before God (Malachi 2:14). Yet Scripture provides two explicit grounds that dissolve the marriage bond: sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9) and willful desertion by an unbelieving spouse that cannot be remedied (1 Corinthians 7:15). When a marriage is lawfully dissolved on these biblical grounds, the innocent party is entirely freed from the covenant obligation and may lawfully marry another in the Lord, as though the offending spouse were dead (1 Corinthians 7:39). Remarriage without these biblical warrants, however, constitutes adultery.

Scripture: Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:15, 1 Corinthians 7:39, Malachi 2:14

Anglican & Episcopal

We uphold marriage as a lifelong union instituted by God, patterned on the love between Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:25). Historically, classical Anglican canons prohibited remarriage while a former spouse was living, permitting only legal separation (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). Over the past century, however, provinces across our communion have revisited Christ's exception clause regarding marital unfaithfulness (Matthew 19:9) and Paul's counsel on abandonment (1 Corinthians 7:15). Today, bishops and clergy prayerfully exercise pastoral care, permitting remarriage in church after careful discernment of repentance, past failure, and the genuine breakdown of the former union.

Scripture: Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 1 Corinthians 7:15, Ephesians 5:25

Baptist

We look solely to the authority of Scripture regarding marriage. God designed the union of man and woman to be lifelong (Matthew 19:4-6). However, Jesus clearly grants an exception allowing divorce in cases of sexual immorality (porneia), where the covenant has been broken by physical unfaithfulness (Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:9). Likewise, the Apostle Paul declares that a believer deserted by an unbeliever is not under bondage (1 Corinthians 7:15). In these biblical circumstances, the innocent believer is free to remarry. Where divorce occurs on unbiblical grounds, Scripture commands individuals to remain single or seek reconciliation (1 Corinthians 7:11).

Scripture: Matthew 5:32, Matthew 19:4-6, Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:11, 1 Corinthians 7:15

Methodist & Wesleyan

We proclaim God's holy standard that marriage is a sacred, lifelong covenant (Mark 10:6-9). Yet we also preach the fullness of God's redemptive grace for broken lives. While divorce is always the tragic result of human sin and fallenness, Christ recognizes marital infidelity as destroying the bond (Matthew 19:9), and Scripture allows separation when an unbelieving partner departs (1 Corinthians 7:15). Where genuine repentance, healing, and forgiveness have taken place after a failed marriage, God's grace makes all things new, and the church may solemnize a new Christian marriage dedicated to holiness and mutual love.

Scripture: Mark 10:6-9, Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:15

Pentecostal & Charismatic

We preach the clear Word of God: marriage is a sacred covenant joined by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 19:6). Jesus gives an explicit exception for sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9), and Paul teaches that abandonment releases the believer (1 Corinthians 7:15). While divorce is never God's perfect will, Christ's blood cleanses every past failure when people repent (1 John 1:9). Pastors walk closely with believers to discern whether past covenants were shattered by biblical grounds or redeemed by grace, holding high the sanctity of the home while ministering the Spirit's healing power through a fresh start.

Scripture: Matthew 19:6, Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:15, 1 John 1:9

Non-denominational & Evangelical

We hold firmly to the text of Scripture as our ultimate guide. God created marriage to be permanent (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). At the same time, Jesus explicitly provides an exception for sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9), and Paul provides an exception for desertion by an unbelieving partner (1 Corinthians 7:15). In these situations, the innocent believer is biblically released and permitted to remarry another believer in the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:39). Where divorces occurred outside these biblical parameters prior to salvation, we preach that Christ's grace forgives the past and calls believers to walk forward in purity.

Scripture: Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6, Matthew 19:9, 1 Corinthians 7:15, 1 Corinthians 7:39

Where they differ

The indissolubility of the marital bond

Catholic

A valid, consummated sacramental marriage cannot be dissolved until physical death.

Orthodox

The bond can die through sin, allowing dissolution by pastoral economy.

Lutheran

The bond is dissolved by death or by specific scriptural violations.

Reformed & Presbyterian

Adultery or willful desertion truly dissolves the marriage bond.

Anglican & Episcopal

The bond may be ended when the marital union has irretrievably collapsed.

Baptist

Biblical exceptions genuinely break the marriage covenant, ending the bond.

Methodist & Wesleyan

Marital breakdown severs the covenant, opening the door to redemptive restoration.

Pentecostal & Charismatic

Adultery or desertion breaks the spiritual covenant of marriage.

Non-denominational & Evangelical

The bond is dissolved upon scriptural grounds of adultery or desertion.

Scripture: Matthew 19:6, Romans 7:2-3, 1 Corinthians 7:15

Permissibility of remarriage after divorce

Catholic

Prohibited while the former spouse lives, unless the marriage was declared null.

Orthodox

Permitted up to three times through an economy of repentance.

Lutheran

Permitted for the innocent party following adultery or desertion.

Reformed & Presbyterian

Permitted solely for the innocent party on explicit biblical grounds.

Anglican & Episcopal

Permitted with pastoral and episcopal approval after examining the past union.

Baptist

Permitted for the innocent party following sexual immorality or desertion.

Methodist & Wesleyan

Permitted when marked by repentance, grace, and commitment to new covenant.

Pentecostal & Charismatic

Permitted on biblical grounds and redeemed through Christ's cleansing blood.

Non-denominational & Evangelical

Permitted strictly according to the biblical exceptions or following genuine conversion.

Scripture: Matthew 19:9, Mark 10:11-12, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 1 Corinthians 7:39

Your pastor can tell you where your church stands.

Scripture cited

• 1 Corinthians 7:10-16
• Luke 16:18
• Matthew 19:3-9
• Mark 10:11-12
• Mark 10:2-12
• Romans 7:1-3
• 1 Corinthians 7:27-28
• 1 Corinthians 7:39-40
• 1 Corinthians 7:8-9
• 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
• 1 John 1:9