1 Corinthians 13:4-8
PASSAGE: Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
QUESTION: I’m in love with a man who tells me his marriage is no longer viable. We have reunited after 22 years to find that we are still in love with each other. He is conflicted with Bible scripture that says a man must stay by his wife and love her no matter what. However, in the last 3-5 years she has emasculated him, turned his oldest son, age 17, against him. She demeans him in every way possible. He says they share no love and generally feels neglected and hates his life. He feels he must stay in that marriage and endure it all because of what the Bible says and what he believes is therefore God’s instruction of him. I’ve told him that I believe Jesus said it is the love in the relationship that we must honor, and that when that disappears, you follow the love wherever it is. I provided him with the Corinthians verse above. Is there anything in the Bible that would make him feel less conflicted about leaving that painful, unhealthy marriage and to honor his own heart?
COMMENT: First of all, this passage (from the well-known chapter on love) does not refer specifically to marriage. Paul is writing about love as the energy of all of life, the underpinning of every relationship—marriage, family, friendship, etc.
The biblical passage most commonly cited by those who believe every marriage must be maintained is Matthew 19:6: “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one put asunder.” The question here, I think, is whether God has, in fact, joined every marriage. I would say no. There are marriages that are entered into for reasons that are not related to the divine power of love. There are marriages in which God—understood as our individual spiritual guidance and support—is choosing to lovingly dissolve the marital commitment so that both individuals can continue on the individual paths that they are called to explore. The idea that God has joined together every couple who choose to marry seems inconsistent with our spiritual path and purpose.
And it is our own spiritual guidance that makes that distinction for us. We can’t make it for someone else, however much and however sincerely we may wish we could. Your friend is not here to obey the Bible; he’s here to obey his own sense of spiritual guidance. As with every choice and challenge, there is a loving answer and a fear-based answer. We can only know the difference for ourselves and support in prayer those others who are called to the same discernment.
Blessings!
Rev. Ed
Login
Blog
Interpret This with Rev. Ed
Have you ever wondered how a specific Bible verse might be interpreted metaphysically? Interpret This provides greater insight into the hidden meanings of the Bible.
To Request Scripture Interpretation:
1. Review the previous interpretations below for previous interpretations.
2. Please provide a specific chapter and verse(s). If chosen for interpretation, our Bible expert, Rev. Ed Townley, will provide his insight and the response will post on this site. Requests for entire books of the Bible are not possible.
3. Click the link below to complete the online request form. References are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise indicated.
Request a Bible verse interpretation.
4. Check back often to see if your request has posted and to read what others have requested.
To Request Scripture Interpretation:
1. Review the previous interpretations below for previous interpretations.
2. Please provide a specific chapter and verse(s). If chosen for interpretation, our Bible expert, Rev. Ed Townley, will provide his insight and the response will post on this site. Requests for entire books of the Bible are not possible.
3. Click the link below to complete the online request form. References are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise indicated.
Request a Bible verse interpretation.
4. Check back often to see if your request has posted and to read what others have requested.
Jun
20
12:15 PM
0 Comments
topics:
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Search
About the Blogger
Rev. Ed Townley was licensed and ordained as a Unity minister in 1991. He has served as senior minister in Beaverton OR , Chicago IL and Dallas TX. Author of The Secret According to Jesus, a metaphysical exploration of the Sermon on the Mount.
Rev. Ed is known as one of the top Bible teachers in the Unity movement.
In 1992 he founded Spirit Expressing, a non church ministry dedicated to the creative process. The Spirit Expressing ministry sponsors Higher Ground, a weekly Dallas group that explores spiritual principles through the challenges and adventures of life. Weekly talks and other materials are at www.spiritexpressing.org.
Rev. Ed is known as one of the top Bible teachers in the Unity movement.
In 1992 he founded Spirit Expressing, a non church ministry dedicated to the creative process. The Spirit Expressing ministry sponsors Higher Ground, a weekly Dallas group that explores spiritual principles through the challenges and adventures of life. Weekly talks and other materials are at www.spiritexpressing.org.
Recent posts from other blogs
--Paula Coppel, One Voice
--Paula Coppel, One Voice
--Paula Coppel, One Voice