TEACHING NOTES ON DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE
Rules of approach: 1. Rule of Unity/ Preponderance of the evidence a. This rule says that in order to come to the proper conclusion, as in a court of law, the preponderance of the evidence must point to the natural conclusion. This is scripturally based in Isaiah 28:9-10 which says "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line; here a little, and there a little." So how is doctrine learned in a mature fashion? By building it line upon line, verse upon verse, or interpreting it in light of what the entire Bible says about it. This means looking at the whole picture in context. 2. Rule of Qualification a. This rule says that verses in scripture must be qualified by other scriptures. In other words, the Bible must be interpreted by the Bible. Examples of this include Matthew 12:49 in which Jesus stretches his hands toward his disciples and says "Behold my mother and my brethren!" Well, we don’t fully know what this means until it is "qualified" in the very next verse: verse 50 "For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Also, in John 6, where Jesus commands us to eat his flesh, and drink his blood. Also in Mark 16, where Jesus speaks of handling serpents. There are many other examples of scriptures whose meanings cannot be understood without being explained in other parts of the text. 3. Rule of Definition/ Semantics a. The definition of Semantics is: The study of meanings; Esp: The historical and psychological study and the classification of changes in the meaning of ords or forms viewed as factors in linguistic development. Simply put, the definition of a word cannot be properly obtained, unless it is taken in context with the culture, the way they understood it, and the context in which it is used. Words change, and their meanings change all of the time. Examples of the importance of Semantics comes in when we look at certain terms in scripture such as "Born-again", "Son of God", and so on. Here is where much confusion enters. For example, we know that being born-again means to receive new life. It is a supernatural occurrence. However, the Jehovah’s Witnesses say that being born again is only the realization that there is a new life to be had in their church. One man said that Jesus was the Son of God, I am a son of God, so I am THE son of God. So there again, the true meaning of the "Unique" Son of God is lost. Actually the term Son of Man that Jesus used more, was a more referencing Himself as the Messiah, than the term Son of God.