Covenant Reformed News – August 2006 • Volume XI, Issue 4
This article defends the Reformed position that desertion does not constitute grounds for remarriage, arguing instead that only death dissolves the marriage covenant. The author traces this interpretation through church history and contrasts the covenantal understanding of marriage (as a one-flesh bond) with the contractual view held by some Reformers, demonstrating support from various biblical commentators and theological traditions.
Desertion (2) Having seen in the last News that I Corinthians 7:15 does not teach that a deserted believer is free to remarry, we turn to the tradition of the interpretation of this verse. Here we acknowledge that we differ from the Reformers. However, we are far from alone in our position. Amongst the commentators on I Corinthians who agree with us are men of various theological persuasions: Bengel and Weiss (German), Godet (Swiss), Grosheide (Dutch; NICNT), Albert Barnes and A. T. Robertson...