Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: January 8, 2006
DOES BAPTISM SANCTIFY AN ADULTEROUS MARRIAGE?
Ben Justice
The Lord’s teachings on marriage, divorce, and remarriage are really quite clear.
Man, unfortunately, has confused and perverted these teachings. Sometimes,
situations arise that involve great difficulties. However, when correctly applying
God’s truths, even the most difficult of situations can be resolved. One situation
that often arises is the case of when a person marries before becoming a
Christian. They divorce and remarry and have children. Later on, they learn the
truth and are baptized into Christ. It is usually after one obeys the gospel that
they learn the Lord’s teachings concerning MDR. They discover that they didn’t
have the right to divorce the first spouse, because such wasn’t for the cause of
fornication (Matt. 19:9). However, this question is raised quite often? “What about
my baptism? Will it take care of an unscriptural divorce and remarriage? In other
words, can I, now that have been baptized, stay in my current marriage?” The issue
boils down to this, “Does baptism sanctify an adulterous marriage?” Please note
the following points:
1.) People are not exempt from God’s marriage laws before becoming Christians.
Notice the universality of the language Jesus used in Matt. 19:9. He said, “And I
say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall
marry another, committeth (lit. keeps on committing) adultery: and whoso marrieth her
which is put away doth commit adultery.” The term “whosoever” is universal in
scope. It is the same “whosoever” as found in John 3:16 — “For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.”
2.) Some liberal brethren have sought to redefine the meaning of “adultery” to refer
to the one-time act of breaking the marriage bond in divorce. Since this one-time
act can’t be repeated, one can be baptized in their current marriage and be all right
with God. In other words, it is claimed that adultery is not an on-going thing. This
is false to the core. Even modern day English dictionaries do not state this. The
American Heritage Dictionary defines “adultery” as, “sexual intercourse between a
married person and one other than the lawful spouse.” In John 8:3-4, we read of
the woman “taken in adultery” (v. 3). Verse 4 states, “They say unto him, Master, this
woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.” Hence, adultery is an on-going
relationship that is illicit in nature. I realize we use the terminology “adulterous
marriage” accommodatively, but really, there is no such thing as an adulterous
marriage. If it is a marriage (as viewed in the eyes of God), then it is not
adulterous. However, if it is adulterous (as viewed in the eyes of God), then it is
not a marriage. Technically speaking, it is an adulterous union or relationship.
Also, the phrase “committeth adultery” in Matt. 19:9 is present tense in the Greek,
which indicates continuous, on-going action. If adultery was an one-time act of
breaking the marriage covenant in divorce, then Jesus would not have used the
present tense, but the aorist tense, indicating past or point action.
Here is the vitally important point: If one is in an adulterous union before being
baptized, they are in an adulterous union after being baptized (provided, of course,
that the union was not dissolved before being baptized).
3.) Before one can be scripturally baptized, they must repent. To repent means to
change one’s mind about living in sin on purpose. Once that change of mind has
occurred, their habitual sinful actions will cease. Therefore, if one is in an
adulterous relationship and desires to be baptized, they must repent, which means
to get out of the unscriptural marriage. The Corinthians’ are perfect examples of
this. Paul stated concerning them in I Cor. 6:9-11 — “Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
(10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit
the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God.” Note that some of the Corinthians were “adulterers.” Note the phrase in v.
11, “And such were some of you.” This is past tense, which indicates that they
were no longer adulterers. What happened? They were “washed, sanctified, and
justified” (v. 11). In other words, they had obeyed the gospel. In obeying the
gospel, one ceases the practice of sin. This is what the Corinthians’ had done, and
it is what people must do today.
4.) Suppose two homosexuals get married. Later on, they learn the truth about
salvation and necessity of water baptism. They get baptized. Question: Can they
stay in their homosexual “marriage?” No sane and reasonable person will answer
in the affirmative. They must cease the ungodly practice of homosexuality. The
same is true with the practice of adultery.
If one learns the truth relative to MDR and realizes that their present marriage
(relationship) is unscriptural, then they must sever that unscriptural relationship.
This may be extremely painful and hard in some cases, but we must remember that
sin has serious consequences and often requires us to take drastic measures to
escape a devil’s hell. Remember the words of the wise man Solomon — “. . . the
way of transgressors is hard” (Pro. 13:15).