We are just discussing this...
Because some have followed blindly... never once questioning why what appears to have been said doesn't make sense.
This is hermeneutics. Art, science, and a little common sense.
And
Susannah ,
MLK had some great quotes as well. One especially about "Content of his character".
Which is why people began to question this passage. It didn't make sense.
Jesus is God the son. God doesn't change. Why would he reverse himself in such a fashion? (He wouldn't) Why would He make life impossible? (He wouldn't) Where is the Godly compassion in this statement?
Today, plenty of good men have had their wives divorce them for child support checks. (Silly and selfish reasons) Men have divorced their wives for equally silly and selfish reasons.
Then this section of scripture has been used when there were King's and Queens ruling at the pleasure of the Church that ruled the world...The Roman Empire and the Catholic Church were one in the same. The Emporor wasn't the Pope but the two worked "hand in glove". Marriages, annulments and divorces on a Royal level were handled by the Pope.
When the Emporor's niece is a King's spouse and the King wants a divorce because he can't get an annulment (too many years) the Pope got suddenly too busy to hear from a King.
The King believed that he needed an heir and that it was her fault that she couldn't get pregnant. So the king tried to fix it by getting another wife. But first he had to do something with the first one. Polygamy wasn't allowed in the Roman Empire.
Politics was religion and religion was politics.
This is the setting for the first English translation of the Bible. King Henry was young, brash, and too self confident to not make the choice he made.
This one section, mishandled, has sent so many people in modern times away from the church it's unbelievable.
It's mishandling has kept good, compassionate men from being spiritual leaders.
And if by some miracle I can get people to see that the old standard of how this is translated is illogical and wrong...I've done a good thing.