What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "What is the biblical view on separation and divorce after a Christian marriage?"
Answer
The biblical view teaches that marriage is a lifelong bond that, according to God's will, should be indissoluble. There is only one biblical reason that justifies divorce and subsequent remarriage before God: adultery. A purely legal divorce under civil law does not automatically mean, by biblical standards, that the marital bond is dissolved before God.
The only biblical reason for divorce
»A woman may, according to the laws of the land, be legally divorced from her husband and yet not be divorced in the eyes of God and according to the higher law. There is only one sin, namely adultery, that can place the husband or wife in a situation where they are free from the marriage vow in God's eyes. Although the laws of the land may grant a divorce, in the light of the Bible, according to God's laws, they remain husband and wife.«
Marriage as a lifelong institution
»God instituted marriage and ordered that the “woman is bound to her husband by law as long as he lives.” ... Christ, in His discussion of principles, referred back to the beginning. Divorces and polygamy were permitted, but at the beginning “it was not so.”«
Correction of false views by Christ
»People became so hard‑hearted that they separated from their wives for the most trivial reasons or, if they wished, from their children. This was regarded as a great shame and was often accompanied by acute suffering on the part of the rejected. Christ came to correct these evils, and His first miracle was performed on the occasion of a wedding.«
Marriage as a symbol of the connection between Christ and the church
»Marriage, a lifelong union, is a symbol of the connection between Christ and His church. The spirit that Christ reveals to the church is the spirit that husband and wife are to reveal to each other. Neither husband nor wife should claim authority.«
No divorce because of differences in belief
»Should we say to this wife: “You should leave your husband because he does not keep the Sabbath”? No, certainly not. If she was a faithful wife before she accepted the truth, ... she will strive to fulfill her duties with even greater fidelity after she has accepted the truth, in order to lead him, if possible, to the light.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
