Among other things, marriage is a legal contract.
Supporting documentation of this is kept by the government. The validity of a marriage in our society is defined by the government. And the government has a necessary and proper role in changing that status. Read, “divorce.”
Government is involved in all sorts of record-keeping and association tracking. If you own property, that Deed is recorded. There’s a whole lot more to automobile licensing than the metal plate screwed to your trunk or back bumper.
This needn’t confuse Christians who read 1 Corinthians 6:1 as an exclamatory in the New Living Translation. “When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers!”
All Judgments of Divorce must be processed by a family court judge, permanently entered into the public record.
The important distinction here is in purpose. In writing to the early Christians of Corinth, Paul cautions against believers taking each other to secular courts “for judgment,” that is, rendering decisions on the underlying issues based on values that are not necessarily rooted in Christ Jesus. Consider a call to negotiate or mediate your divorce (if divorce must happen) according to Christian principles; report that to the court.
Jesus spoke directly to the question of obedience and accountability to governmental reporting requirements (eg, Matthew 22:15-21).
No inconsistency.
Off-Site Reference
“Additional thoughts on 1 Corinthians 6:1” / August 14, 2009 / Divorce Pastor (accessed August 10, 2024)