On Marriage & Divorce
Marriage & Divorce
Elijah Chacko teaches that his principle of ‘biblical separation’ is more important than the bonds of marriage. Many within The Westminster Tradition have been counselled to divorce their heathen spouses, their Christian spouses (from other Protestant denominations) and even their spouses who are within his very own ministry. Elijah Chacko’s policy is helpfully summed up in the comments section below by one of his adherents (‘Silky’): ‘Divorce is better than to stay with a person who does not agrees with your belief…‘ He mocks the teaching of Jesus Himself, that fornication and adultery are the only scriptural grounds for divorce (Matt 5:31-32; Matt 19:9; Mark 10:9,11-12; Luke 16:17-18 – see below).
‘It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: but I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery (Matt 5:31-32).’
‘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 (Matt 19:9).’
‘What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder… And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery (Mark 10:9.11-12).’
‘And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery (Luke 16:17-18).’
‘Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers… shall inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor 6:9,10).’
‘…the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously (Mal 2:14-16).’
Summary
1: Fornication the only grounds for divorce (‘putting away’). 2: Wives to be subject to their own husbands in everything. 3: On divorce, Westminster Divines affirmed plain meaning of Scripture and anticipated the corruption of those like Elijah Chacko who add to Christ’s words. 4: To attack the institution of marriage is to attack the church, which it represents. 5: Abigail faithful in marriage. 6: Wives, not to depart from unbelieving husbands. 7: The husband, and none other, head of his wife. 8: Wedding vows binding.
- Jesus said, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder… 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 (Matt 19:6b,9).” But in The Westminster Tradition, it is declared contrary to God’s Word that there are other and ‘spiritual’ reasons for a husband or wife to leave their spouse. Such separations have been recommended by Elijah Chacko himself.
- Paul said, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing (Eph 5:22-24).” After my open letter in which I refuted the teaching that there shall be a second Elijah, I was not only called a ‘bloody snake’ and a ‘demonic bastard’ by some, but these sentiments and many others of like kind were forwarded to my wife from Elijah Chacko’s personal WhatsApp account. Such actions were deliberately calculated to discourage her from ‘being subject to her own husband in every thing‘.
- The Westminster Divines uphold the words of Christ (WCOF 1646, ChXXIV, Sec 5) in teaching that divorce is only to be permitted for adultery (fornication), saying: ‘Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments, unduly to put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage; yet nothing but adultery, or such willful desertion as can no way be remedied by the church or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage…‘ Elijah Chacko’s teaching that biblical separation from an unbelieving (but maritally faithful) spouse justifies divorce is one such studied argument put forth by a corrupt man who wishes to unduly put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage. To Elijah Chacko, marriage and divorce are but means by which a person can be tied into and ejected from his cult.
- To weaken and undermine the marriages of those who resist certain teachings of The Westminster Tradition is to attack Christ and His church, for ‘This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church (Eph 5:32).’
- When Nabal wickedly oppressed his wife and mocked God’s anointed (1 Sam 25:10-11), Abigail (that great woman of faith) did not encourage David to take bloody vengeance and thereby emancipate her from her husband’s oppression. Instead she interceded for her husband (v24) and meekly submitted herself to the providence of God (v26). Likewise David did not put asunder those whom God had joined, but rejoiced that he had been kept from shedding blood (v33) and sent Abigail in peace again to her house [and husband] (v35). Abigail’s disobedience (if it be so, for it is not recorded that Nabal forbad her) in bringing David a blessing was an act of faith and obedience to Christ (Matt 25:34-35). Neverthelesss, she was not absolved from the duties of marriage, neither did she long seek to conceal her deeds (1 Sam 25:37).
- If husbands ‘obey not the word’, their wives are not to rebel against their husbands, but rather to be in subjection to them in order to win them: ‘Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear (1 Pet 3:1-2).’ With this Paul agrees, for ‘unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: but and if she depart [not by way of permission, for in the Lord’s Name he has just forbidden this], let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife (1 Cor 7:10-11).’
- No man has authority over another man’s wife. For wives are repeatedly commanded to be obedient, subject and submissive to their own husbands (Eph 5:22,24; Col 3:18; Tit 2:5; 1 Pet 3:1,5) and none other. In The Westminster Tradition, a wife’s obedience, subjection and submission to Elijah Chacko takes precedence over that to her own husband.
- Wedding vows, though not a scriptural requirement, are as binding as any other lawful oath or vow. The Westminster Confession of Faith (Ch XXII; Sec 4) states that an oath ‘…cannot oblige to sin: but in anything not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man’s own hurt. Nor is it to be violated, although made to heretics, or infidels.‘ The vows traditionally used in the Church of England (as found in the Book of Common Prayer dated AD 1549 and a little updated subsequently) include the following words: ‘I M. take thee N. to my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish [‘and to obey‘ is added to the woman’s vow], till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.‘ Breaking of such a vow is taking the Lord’s Name in vain in clear violation of the third commandment. But Elijah Chacko scorns wedding vows and does not view them as binding.
“We need not labor to prove that divorce is lawful if the cause be adultery. Since adultery is the one exception explicitly allowed by Christ, while otherwise it is a sin to put away a wife, it can hardly be argued that there is no such exception (Matt. 5:31-32; 19:9)…
But what if the other person (the unbeliever) determines to disrupt the marriage bond? What if it is his (or her) will to desert the marriage, to secure a divorce and to go free (even without immediate prospect of remarriage)? Paul says, “If the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases” (v. 15). Since, in the context, to be “bound” means to be bound to a person in the institution of marriage, to be “not bound” can only mean to be free from the same institution. Thus we see no alternative than to believe that willful desertion of a believer by an unbeliever (which cannot be remedied by Church or civil authority) is just cause for divorce. And a Christian who has secured a divorce on such a ground, or who has been divorced for such a reason, is free to remarry.
Our study of the depravity of man fully supports the Confession when it says that sinners are apt to study ways to circumvent the limitations of God’s laws. Even Christians, by reason of the sinful propensities remaining in them, are apt to invent arguments to justify divorce for other than these two reasons only. For example, when fidelity to the marriage requirements entails heartache and suffering, many Christians have tried to justify separation and divorce on such grounds as “extreme abuse,” “mental suffering,” and “incompatibility.” Others have secured divorces from spouses who were imprisoned or hospitalized. But as in the case with other laws of God, so in this, the path of obedience is often the way of self-denial and the bearing of reproach and suffering for the glory of God. And no legitimate divorce can ever be secured on other grounds than these two: (1) adultery, and (2) willful and irremediable desertion of a believer by an unbeliever.”
Williamson, G. (2004). The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes. 2nd ed. Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing Company, pp240-242.
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Jesus Christ‘s teachings are so clear that the only lawful reason for divorce is fornication.But Why Silky covered her eyes and claimed “Ezra and Nehemiah’s principles”?This just reminds me that I was taught to use the examples in the OT to explain the doctrines in the NT when I was under”Elijah Thomas Chacko’ s ministry”.They say that the examples are vivid and easy to understand while the concepts in the NT are abstract.But actually they forsake the clear teachings of the NT. It’s clearly seen from silly’s comments .Divorce is lawful at the reason of “Biblical separation ” .chacko debunks… Read more »
Divorce is better than to stay with a person who does not agrees with your belief esp with the doctrines from the Scriptures. Worse is throwing up allegations and accusations to the one enlightens you with the Word of God. Does not Moses endorse this? on Ezra and Nehemiah’s time they advise the Jews to separate from their strange wives and children. Why? Mainly because they are one who led them to worship another gods. I think you would know this. You just wanted to show off to others that Elijah endorse divorcement because your wife wanted to divorce with… Read more »
are you.sure about that he supports to devorce？ or i would like you to describe detsils, cause only evidence makes me believe you.