Can a man remarry in this situation?
Question:
Please give me the biblical answer to the following situation: A man and woman get married (neither one is a Christian). It is his first marriage and her second marriage. They started dating (and having a sexual relationship) while she was still married to her first husband. They eventually married but later divorced. Is the man free to marry again since his first marriage was adulterous? (He says their divorce was due to her having an affair. She says it was due to his abuse. The divorce papers say they are incompatible.)
Answer:
The man was committing adultery with the woman because they were having sex while she was still married. Thus, her first marriage ended because of her adultery. Even though he was the willing participant in her adultery, he (and any other man) had no right to marry her. "But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery" (Matthew 5:32). His marriage to her was a continuation of their adultery.
She continued to follow the same pattern and started cheating on her second husband. Thus, the marriage that should not have existed ended anyway. Regardless of the reason for the end of the second marriage, she has no right to another marriage (not that she'll pay attention to this).
He has not had a valid marriage and could marry again. However, he needs to do a much better job in selecting a wife that mets the Lord's requirements.
