Early Christian Views on Divorce and Remarriage
Early Christian writers mostly taught that divorce was not God’s design and that marrying again after divorce was adultery. Justin Martyr, Hermas, Theophilus, Tertullian, and Origen all say this in different ways. Some also allow a narrow exception for sexual immorality and say a separated spouse should remain unmarried or be reconciled.
92 early-church witnesses · 151 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about divorce and remarriage?
Early Christian writers mostly taught that divorce was not God’s ideal and that marrying again after a divorce counted as adultery. Justin Martyr, Hermas, Theophilus, Tertullian, and Origen all repeat this hard line, while some also allow a narrow exception for sexual immorality and say a separated spouse should remain unmarried or be reconciled. Hermas also says a husband should take back a repentant wife, which adds a note of mercy alongside the ban on remarriage.
The Bible passages most often used are Matthew 5:32, Matthew 19:9, Mark 10:11-12, Luke 16:18, and 1 Corinthians 7:11, so the teaching is broad and early, though details about exceptions are a little mixed. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Most early Christian writers treated remarriage after divorce as adultery.
- A few writers allow a narrow exception tied to sexual immorality.
- Hermas says a divorced wife should be taken back if she repents.
- Jesus’ sayings in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the main Bible passages used.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did early Christians say remarriage after divorce was adultery?
These sources repeatedly quote Jesus as saying that a person who divorces and marries another commits adultery, and that marrying a divorced person also commits adultery. Several early writers use that wording directly and apply it in a strict way.
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Tertullian, On Monogamy Supporting witness
...ry. A divorced woman cannot even marry lawfully. And if she does any such thing without the name of marriage, does it not fall under the category of adultery, since adultery is a crime in the way of marriage? Such is God's verdict, within straiter limits than men's, that universally, whether through marriage or promiscuously, the admission of a second man to intercourse is pronounced by Him to be adultery. For let us see what marriage is in the eye of God; and thus we shall learn what adultery equally is. Marriage is this: when God joins two into one flesh; or else, finding them already joined in the same flesh, He has given His seal to the union. Adultery is this: when, after the two have been disjoined in whatever way, other—no, rather, alien—flesh is mingled with either one; flesh concerning which it cannot be said, "This is flesh out of my flesh, and this bone out of my bones." For this, once for all done and pronounced from the beginning, cannot now apply to other flesh. Accordingly, it will be without cause for you to say that God does not will a divorced woman to be joined to another man while her husband lives, as if He does will it when he is dead. Whereas if she is not
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Justin Martyr, The Second Apology Supporting witness
...as a wife with a husband who sought pleasure in ways contrary to natural and moral law and wanted a divorce. Though persuaded by friends to stay with him, believing he might change, she eventually gave up her own feelings and remained. But when her husband went to Alexandria and was reported to be acting worse, she, to avoid becoming a participant in his wickedness through marriage, gave him a bill of divorce and separated from him. However, her husband, instead of rejoicing that she had given up actions she once did with servants and indulging in drunkenness and vice and wanting him to do the same, accused her of being a Christian when she left without his consent. She presented a request to the Emperor, asking for permission to settle her affairs before defending against the accusation, which was granted. Unable to prosecute her, her husband targeted a man named Ptolemaeus, her teacher in Christian doctrines, with the help of a centurion who was friendly to him. The centurion took Ptolemaeus, interrogating him only on whether he was a Christian. Ptolemaeus, being truthful, confessed, was imprisoned, and later, when questioned by Urbicus, again affirmed his belief truthfully an
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Tertullian, On Monogamy Supporting witness
A divorced woman cannot even marry legitimately; and if she commit any such act without the name of marriage, does it not fall under the category of adultery, in that adultery is crime in the way of marriage?
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Justin Martyr, The Second Apology Direct teaching
But when her husband had gone into Alexandria, and was reported to be conducting himself worse than ever, she—that she might not, by continuing in matrimonial connection with him, and by sharing his table and his bed, become a partaker also in his wickednesses and impieties—gave him what you call a bill of divorce, and was separated from him.
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Direct teaching
Matthew 19:9b And whosoever marries 40 her that is divorced has committed adultery.
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Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus Direct teaching
Matthew 5:28 And he that marries, says [the Gospel], her that is divorced from her husband, commits adultery;
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Justin Martyr, The First Apology Direct teaching
...rning chastity, He expressed these views: “Whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart before God.” And, “If your right eye causes you to sin, remove it; for it is better for you to enter the kingdom of heaven with one eye than, having two eyes, to be cast into everlasting fire.” And, “Whoever marries a woman who is divorced from another husband commits adultery.” And, “There are some who have been made eunuchs by others, some who were born eunuchs, and some who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake; but not everyone can accept this saying.” Therefore, all who, by human law, marry twice are deemed sinners in the eyes of our Master, as well as those who look at a woman to lust after her. For He rejects not only those who commit adultery in action but also those who desire to commit adultery: since both our deeds and our thoughts are open before God. Many, both men and women, who have followed Christ from childhood, remain pure even at the age of sixty or seventy; and I boast that I could find such individuals from every race. What shall I say of the countless number of those who have reformed from intempe
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Direct teaching
Mark 10:11 And he said to them, Every one who puts away his wife, and 39 marries another, has exposed her to adultery.
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Direct teaching
Mark 10:12 And any woman that leaves her husband, and becomes another's, has committed adultery.
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Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians Direct teaching
For whosoever puts away his wife, says He, and marries another, commits adultery;
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Athenagoras, Connection to Matthew 19:9 Direct teaching
"For whosoever puts away his wife," says He, "and marries another, commits adultery; "
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Mark 10:12 Direct teaching
and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
More related quotations from this section 6 shown
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Luke 16:18 Direct teaching
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.
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Tertullian, To His Wife Supporting witness
admonished hereto by the examples of certain, who, when an opportunity for the practice of continence has been offered them, by divorce, or by the decease of the husband, have not only thrown away the opportunity of attaining so great a good, but not even in their remarriage have chosen to be mindful of the rule that above all they marry in the Lord.
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Tertullian, On Monogamy Supporting witness
Alike when divorce dissevers marriage as when death does, she will not be bound to him by whom the binding medium has been broken off.
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Origen, Commentary on Matthew Supporting witness
Yea, and even there might be written out from the second husband a bill of divorcement and it might be put into her hands from the last husband who sends her away from his dwelling.
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Origen, Commentary on Matthew Supporting witness
and bonds may be written out, as such are written, and a bill of divorcement be written and put into the hands of her who is cast out, so that she may no longer be familiar with her former guardian, when she is cast out from his dwelling.
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Justin Martyr, The Second Apology Supporting witness
For she, considering it wicked to live any longer as a wife with a husband who sought in every way means of indulging in pleasure contrary to the law of nature, and in violation of what is right, wished to be divorced from him.
Did early Christians mention any exception to the divorce rule?
A smaller set of sources explicitly mention the exception clause in Matthew, saying divorce may be allowed for fornication or sexual immorality. Origen and Theophilus are the clearest early witnesses here, and the Bible cards include Matthew 19:9 and Matthew 5:32.
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Direct teaching
Matthew 5:27 You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. Matthew 5:28 But I now say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:29 If your right eye injures you, put it out and throw it away from you. For it is preferable for you that one of your members should perish, and not your whole body go into the fire of hell. Matthew 5:30 And if your right hand injures you, cut it off and throw it away from you. And it is better for you that one of your members should perish, and not your whole body fall into Gehenna. Matthew 5:31 It was said that whoever puts away his wife should give her a certificate of divorce. Matthew 5:32 But I say to you that everyone who puts away his wife, except for the cause of adultery, has made it lawful for her to commit adultery. And whoever takes a woman who is put away commits adultery.
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Origen, Commentary on Matthew Direct teaching
...n that sense. For in the case of adultery, or any such great indecency, there is no need to write a bill of divorce and put it into the wife's hands. But perhaps Moses called every sin an unseemly thing. When the husband discovered it in his wife, and she no longer found favor in his eyes, the bill of divorce was written and the wife was sent away from her husband's house. But from the beginning it was not so, as Matthew 19:8 says. After this, our Savior speaks in a way that does not permit the breaking of marriages for any sin except fornication alone, when it is found in the wife: "Whoever puts away his own wife, except for the cause of fornication, makes her an adulteress," Matthew 5:32. But it could be asked whether, for this reason, He forbids a man to put away his wife for any cause other than fornication, even for poisoning, or for killing an infant born to them while her husband is away from home, or for any kind of murder at all. Further, if she were found stripping and plundering her husband's house, though she was not guilty of fornication, one might ask whether he would be right to cast away such a woman, since the Savior forbids anyone to put away his own wife excep
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Theophilus of Antioch, Connection to Luke 16:18 Direct teaching
"And he that marries," says [the Gospel], "her that is divorced from her husband, commits adultery; and whosoever puts away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery." [Matthew 5:32]
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Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus Direct teaching
and whosoever puts away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery.
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Direct teaching
Matthew 19:9a I say unto you, Whosoever puts away his wife without fornication, and marries another, has exposed 37 her to adultery.
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Matthew 5:32 Direct teaching
But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
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Matthew 19:9 Direct teaching
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
More related quotations from this section 5 shown
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Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians Direct teaching
Matthew 19:9 not permitting a man to send her away whose virginity he has brought to an end, nor to marry again.
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1 Corinthians 7:11 Direct teaching
But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
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Romans 7:3 Direct teaching
So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
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Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Supporting witness
...he husband to do, if his wife continues in her vicious practices?" And he said, "The husband should put her away, and remain by himself. But if he puts his wife away and marries another, he also commits adultery." And I said to him, "What if the woman who was put away should repent, and wish to return to her husband? Shall she not be taken back by her husband?" And he said to me, "Assuredly. If the husband does not take her back, he sins, and brings a great sin upon himself. For he ought to take back the sinner who has repented. But not frequently. For there is but one repentance for the servants of God. In case, therefore, that the divorced wife may repent, the husband ought not to marry another, when his wife has been put away. In this matter man and woman are to be treated exactly in the same way. Moreover, adultery is committed not only by those who pollute their flesh, but by those who imitate the heathen in their actions. Therefore if anyone persists in such deeds, and does not repent, withdraw from him, and cease to live with him. Otherwise you are a sharer in his sin. Therefore the injunction has been laid on you, that you should remain by yourselves, both man and woman,
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Hermas, The Shepherd (Pastor) Supporting witness
In case, therefore, that the divorced wife may repent, the husband ought not to marry another, when his wife has been put away.
Did early Christians require a separated spouse to stay unmarried or reconcile?
Hermas says a husband should not marry another if his wife has been put away, and that a divorced wife who repents should be taken back. 1 Corinthians 7:11 is also a direct Bible passage for remaining unmarried or being reconciled.
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Tertullian, Against Marcion Direct teaching
But Christ prohibits divorce, saying, "Whoever puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries a woman put away from her husband also commits adultery." Luke 16:18 To forbid divorce, He makes it unlawful to marry a woman who has been put away. Moses, however, permitted repudiation in Deuteronomy: "When a man has taken a wife, and has lived with her, and it comes to pass that she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found unchastity in her, then let him write her a bill of divorcement and give it in her hand, and send her away out of his house." Deuteronomy 24:1 You see, therefore, that there is a difference between the law and the gospel, between Moses and Christ. To be sure there is. But then you have rejected that other gospel which bears witness to the same truth and the same Christ. There, while prohibiting divorce, He has given us a solution to this special question about it: "Moses," He says, "because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to give a bill of divorcement; but from the beginning it was not so." Matthew 19:8 For this reason, because He who made them male and female had also said, "The two shall become one flesh." "Therefore
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Direct teaching
...s his custom. The Pharisees came to him to test him, and they asked him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He said, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed us, saying, Whoever wants to, let him write a certificate of divorce and divorce his wife." Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body'? So they are no longer two, but one body. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate." Those Pharisees said to him, "Why then did Moses allow a man to give a certificate of divorce and divorce her?" Jesus said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts, Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another, has exposed her to adultery." When he entered the house, his disciples asked him again about that. And he said to them, "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another has exposed her to adultery. And any woman wh
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Mark 10:4 Background
And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
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Matthew 5:31 Background
“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
More related quotations from this section 2 shown
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Tertullian, Against Marcion Background
then let him write her a bill of divorcement and give it in her hand, and send her away out of his house.
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Background
35 Matthew 19:8 Jesus said to them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts gave you leave 36 to divorce your wives;
Common Questions
Did early Christians allow remarriage after divorce?
Most early Christian writers said remarriage after divorce was adultery, though a few texts discuss a narrow exception for sexual immorality.
Did early Christians think divorce was ever allowed?
Some early writers accepted divorce in cases tied to sexual immorality or serious unfaithfulness, but they still often warned against remarriage.
Did early Christians expect a divorced spouse to stay single?
Yes, 1 Corinthians 7:11 and several early writers say a separated spouse should remain unmarried or be reconciled.
Source Index for Divorce and remarriage
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 139 ranked source links from 151 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 139 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 92
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
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Didache, Connection to Exodus 20:13-14
Bible Passages 59 included
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.
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