Jesus, Divorce, and Remarriage by Gordon J. Wenham: A Book Review
Divorce and Remarriage is a sensitive topic and you have to be careful writing about it. I would even say you have to be careful reviewing a book on the subject. Gordan J. Wenham, the author of Jesus, Divorce, and Remarriage recognizes this too and writes very carefully as he argues for what he sees to be the biblical teaching on this topic. He reminds the reader in the Preface, "Above all, one must remember that divorcees have often been deeply wounded in the process and that Jesus came 'to bind up the brokenhearted' (Isa 61:1), not to rub salt in their wounds" (XI).
Gordon is very thorough in examining this topic. Not only does he look to what the Scripture says, but he does a deep-dive exploration into extra-biblical writings in this time period to help the reader understand how the culture viewed divorce and remarriage. One weak thing about this book is that he does not apply this information for our current culture or help pastors know what to do with the information he lays out. He says, "This book is not about what his (Jesus) teaching means today for the church and for individual Christians. It does, of course, have major implications for all those who want to be Christ's disciples, but applying his teaching to today's issues is beyond the scope of this work" (pg. 3). I think Wenham should have done the hard work of application because if he convinces someone that his position is correct, it could be very dangerous to not have applied it correctly for them.
Wenham starts with the Old Testament law and the relevant extra-biblical texts of the time. He does this in order that the reader can have a proper framework for understanding what is being said by Jesus and those around him in the New Testament. This is very important as some prominent pastors are advocating that we "unhitch" ourselves from the Old Testament. Wenham shows us a specific example of why it is so necessary for us to give importance to both testaments as the Word of God.
Wenham takes a very unpopular position in this book arguing that Jesus does not permit divorce, only separation. He also argues that Jesus did not allow remarriage after divorce for any reason aside from one of the spouses dying. It is up to you to read his arguments and decide for yourself if you find them convincing. Many people will feel triggered just by knowing that is what he is arguing for. They won't even want to give what he's saying a fair chance. I will say that I think he is worth hearing out even if you wind up disagreeing with him. He is making an argument that is rare, but he handles it in a very thorough and gentle way. He even makes just a little application at the end.
That being said, this is a short read and I do think it's worth reading even if it's only for someone to see what good research looks like and how to properly examine a biblical topic in a thorough way. I do think he would have taken this book to the next level if he had a section on pastoral application. This is certainly a sensitive topic, but I think it's an important one and Wenham has done a great job of laying out an argument gently and in a way that will make his readers think.
You can pick up your copy of Jesus, Divorce, and Remarriage on Amazon. (affiliate)
Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Lexham Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.
