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RESPONSE
TO HARRY OSBORNE
By
Jeff Belknap
I want to thank brother
Smith for allowing this MDR issue to be publicly discussed in Gospel
Truths. Having been allowed roughly 500 words with which to reply, I must
quickly get to the reason for writing my original article and to where brother
Osborne and I disagree. (For documentation of any of the claims made / materials
mentioned, you may e-mail me at JeffBelknap@Charter.net).
The
“application” I was referring to in my March article teaches that if a man
(civilly) puts away his unwilling, innocent spouse and fornicates with another
(whether before or after
he wrongfully divorces his wife), his divinely-bound “mate” has
scriptural grounds to put him away. While Harry has denied belief in that doctrine, does he
also deny that we can fellowship it? If so, he should have no disagreement with
my initial article, for that was its point of focus.
My disagreement with Harry
stems from his denial that all civil
putting away is indeed (or really) putting away. He makes this case in this
issue of Gospel Truths, as well as the
one in Gospel Anchor (posted 5-25-01)
and in a sermon Harry preached on Tuesday (5-29-01) in Lakeland, FL (at a
meeting to discuss “putting away”).
Such teaching is not in
agreement with Matthew 19:6, which commands man not to put asunder
what God joined together, necessarily
inferring that man has the ability to do so. Matthew 5:32, 19:9, and Luke 16:18
also prove that man is capable of doing what revelation itself calls, “put
away,” even in violation of the Lord’s prohibition.
While it is obvious that
Jesus did not specify the procedure
for divorce (for all nations), He did
specify that we honor the authority He delegated to the rulers over each society! To resist the authorities is to resist
God (
Rom.
13:2). Their failure to act in accordance with His will does not authorize us
to disregard their dictates (I Pet.
chapters 2-3). While it is clear we cannot sin
in order to follow the powers that be, nonetheless, we are commanded to allow
ourselves to be wronged at their hands
(I Pet.
2:16
-20)!
This
new-fangled “application” which some are advocating, only circumvents what we have commonly known and accepted
as divorce for years. It will allow
for various oppositions to the Biblical
principle (Mt.
5:32
; 19:9) that says, “and whosoever shall marry her that is
divorced committeth adultery” (barring scriptural exceptions;
Rom.
7:2-3; I Cor.
7:10
-11). This error (which makes “the word of God of none effect”) is
destructive and leads to disastrous consequences. It justifies adultery
and will cause precious souls to be eternally lost. Brethren, do not be
deceived! Please educate yourselves on this vital issue by serious study of the
following materials:
Divorce
& Remarriage; What Does The Text Say?,
by Donnie Rader,
Is
It Lawful?
A Comprehensive Study of Divorce
By Dennis G. Allan and Gary Fisher,
-
Chapter
13 What Constitutes Divorce? (by
Bob Waldron);
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Chapter
38 Can You Put Away the Put-Away?
(by Gary Fisher);
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Chapter
39 The rights of an Innocent
Put-Away Person (by Kevin S. Kay).
Mental
Marriages and Mental Divorces
(by Gene Frost).
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