Unlawful Marriages #2308

17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18 Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mark 6:17–18, NKJV).

Marriage is a stabilizing force of society. Any society cannot long endure when it devalues and distorts the marriage relationship between man and woman. God inaugurated marriage as a blessing for humanity in Eden (Gen. 2:18-25). It is not the product of the cultural development of societies through the ages. Jesus acknowledged the abiding truth that marriage is from God and for life (Mark 10:6-8). The divine arrangement of marriage is one man and one woman for life (Matt. 19:4-5; Rom. 7:2-3). History records marriage’s disfigurement and destruction by such sins as polygamy, concubinage, divorce for every cause, and cohabiting without marriage (Gen. 4:19; Mal. 2:13-16; Matt. 19:3, 6-8; Rom. 1:24-29). Today’s passage reminds us that not every marriage is lawful and good in God’s sight. Herod’s marriage to Herodias (his brother Philip’s wife) was unlawful. Herod and Herodias had divorced their spouses to enter this unholy union (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 18.5.1; 18.5.4). John would be beheaded because he rebuked their sin (Mark 6:19-29). Marriage is a commitment for life (Rom. 7:2-3). God gives one cause for ending a marriage with approval to remarry (Matt. 19:9). Let us uphold God-approved marriages but never approve relationships God’s word defines as sin (Matt. 5:32; Heb. 13:4).

The Godly Use of Our LIberties #2181

23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. (1 Corinthians 10:23–24, NKJV)

Paul is discussing liberties, freedoms that are approved by God’s law. “All things” must be understood in this light, since “all things” does not include sinful things (sin is hurtful, not “helpful”). Even when God’s word shows something is lawful, doing it may not help or expedite the other person’s well-being. (See 1 Cor. 8-10 for a full discussion of this subject.) When we demand our approved “right” or “liberty” at the expense of another brother’s conscience, we do not edify them; we become a stumbling block to them (1 Cor. 8:9-12). Paul considered whether using his liberty would aid and strengthen others’ spiritual welfare (v. 24). It will not do for us to discount others by demanding our lawful liberty. We are to “give no offense” (be no occasion of stumbling) to others (1 Cor. 10:32). We are always to use our liberties to bring glory to God (1 Cor. 10:31). Sometimes this will mean not using our liberty for the sake of those who are weak in conscience so “they may be saved” (1 Cor. 10:33). Sacrificing our liberty for others’ salvation is imitating Christ and His apostle (1 Cor. 11:1). Something is not our liberty or right unless it is first lawful. If it is, we must ascertain whether using it will help build up or hinder and tear down.