Troublesome Topic: OPTION #1 FOLLOW THE PRINCIPLES AND THE TEACHING METHODS

This may seem like a very long road to walk, but that only proves how far we are from God’s standard.

Authority Issues In Option #1

Who was the authority figure of plan #1?

The best I can say about the question above is this: the way to fully live by God’s design would be to for a biological grandfather to become the authority figure once again.

This requires grandparents and grown children who are willing to do this.

According to the Law, a divorced man would move back to his parent’s house and be subject to his father’s authority. In this way God’s authority structure is not destroyed. He should not consider remarriage as an option.

If that is true for the man, it is even more true for a divorced woman because God did not design her to protect herself against all the dangers in this world. God’s line of authority is through a father or a husband.

Authority and protection go together. Protection comes from being submissive to authority; someone who is not subject to authority is on their own and must protect themselves. No submission to authority means no protection from authority.

Should we be content to let women fend for themselves? Our culture would say, “yes,” the Bible says, “no.” Another male relative should stand in for the father figure. I understand that such a solution is seen today as impractical, chauvinistic, disrespecting of women, or just ridiculous, but that is the biblical pattern.

What did Grandpa’s authority over his divorced son look like?

Gandpa had authority over his divorce son, but he must seek a balance between exercising authority and respecting the authority of his son over his children. However, the son would not have quite as much freedom to lead his partial home as when he had a complete home where he was both a husband and a father.

The lines of authority were clear for the divorced father. His father held the authority of the final word, but he was still the primary authority for his children. The decisions he previously made with his wife, he now had to make with his parents.

Returning to the authority of his parents was an indication that he needed help; he was incomplete without a wife, so he needed someone to help fill that gap.

What about the children?

I believe that, in the Old Testament era, the children stayed with the father if there was a divorce. His mom and sisters helped raise the children. Thus they were part of a family, and the lines of authority were clear.

For the children, the lines of authority were clear – the father was their primary authority, Grandpa and Grandma were secondary authorities, and aunts and uncles were tertiary authority figures.

Jesus and Paul thought this was the best way to apply the principles about marriage and divorce.

The next lesson is: Option #2 Follow the Principles