The Bible NEVER contradicts itself. For that reason I would like to receive this truth in faith, doubting nothing... to attempt a little exercise to demonstrate this using the criteria that you have offered in message 21:

 

“The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? [4] And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, [5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? [6] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder”�?(Matthew 19:3-6)

 

 

WELCOME TO FULL BIBLE TRUTH

I find it interesting that Jesus' personal choice of example of a true, ordained, marriage, points back to the very beginning in the book of Genesis. I find it even more interesting that there is no marriage certificate involved here, neither any paper document of any sort, nor ring, or any physical objects that might lend themselves to the corruption of marriage by means of idolatry. Jesus has chosen the best example here, as He always does.

Amen?

(Matthew 19:3-6) (Mark 10:1-9) & GENESIS 2:14-25   

None of this scripture is in conflict. Unity appears to be the example.

What sort of unity?

What are the essentials?

1. God must be present in the marriage equation for it to be an authentic marriage. No God, no marriage. God created it.

2. A man must be present. Two or more women, other species, objects, idols, items, are not essential for it to be a marriage.

3. With respect to "one flesh" as evidenced in Matthew, Mark, and Genesis, a woman must be present. Two or more men do not comprise a marriage in this respect. A woman is essential to this sort of unity.

4. The flesh must "cleave" and "join".

5. Leaving also appears to be an essential factor.

6. God does the joining - not man.

7. Without a witness there is no marriage.

I see no contradictions here. It certainly appears to be a truly ordained marriage. It was Christ's example to the Pharisees. If it is good enough for Jesus it is good enough for me. This just might be enough to define BIBLICAL MARRIAGE by itself.

God made Adam and Eve �?two became one flesh.     

From this we can see that God did not intend divorce. 

 Amen

“Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because 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. [15] 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. [16] 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.�?nbsp; (Malachi 2:14-16)

This is a most excellent scripture. Notice how that the Lord is a witness between the man and the wife of his youth and not the other way around. There is a reason for this but I do not mean to digress. What is of the most essential importance in all of this scripture is the fact that the LORD is a WITNESS and that He hates putting away. Why? Could it possibly be that because PUTTING AWAY is treachery? (As opposed to "letting go"???) I especially love this OLD TESTAMENT scripture. I will use this as my queue to match this wonderful truth with even more of the OLD TESTAMENT scripture that is equal to it:

Deuteronomy 24

1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.

3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;

4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

5 When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.

So what did Jesus have to say on the subject of Divorce and Remarriage?

Well, Jesus said that the cause had to be for uncleanness and that a bill of divorcement had to be written by the husband and placed in the hand of the wife. At that point the husband could send her out of the house and that she was free to be another man's wife once she had departed. Jesus said that the husband was never to receive her back as his wife again and that it was an abomination for him to do so. Jesus also said that a man could take a "new wife". That is my take on the words of Jesus in Deuteronomy 24 in a nutshell.

"For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband." (Romans 7:2) 

This would explain why the husband had to decree her freedom with a bill of divorcement. He is still alive. He is required to grant her license because she is subject to his law. He is not permitted to deal treacherously with her either. No, he must truly find her "UNCLEAN" before he is permitted to decree her freedom. To lie would surely be treachery. To "put away" his wife and send her out of the house with no decree from her lawgiver would be equal treachery. If she turned to another man at that point, she could easily be stoned to death for committing adultery, seeing as how a wife who is "put away" is still the wife of the husband who puts her away without granting his law of freedom to her. There is also a difference between "putting away" a spouse and letting a spouse go.

Incidentally, this is where the paperwork comes into play. Notice that there is no such paperwork required in Christ's example of marriage. (See above) Nope. No contradiction here. The husband is the law and the authority of his wife without question. By loosing her with his law she ceases to be his wife and she is free to marry another. God is good.

What did Apostle Paul have to say about divorce and remarriage? 

"Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? [2] For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. [3] 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." (Romans 7:1-3) 

Deuteronomy 24:1

When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

 

Although there is an apparent contradiction here we know that the scripture NEVER contradicts itself. Firstly, Paul is not speaking specifically of marriage in the entire, Full Bible Truth context of this scripture. I invite you to read the whole of Romans 7 that you might more perfectly understand what Paul was speaking of. He was using the law of the husband as an example of how man was subject to the LAW OF GOD.

[1] "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?" This is Paul's opening statement before he introduces his analogy. No exceptions - read the entire chapter in context. The wife is bound by the law of her husband for as long as he is her husband and for as long as he lives. FULL BIBLE TRUTH. She is not bound to the law of a man who is no longer her husband - she is bound to the law of her existing husband for as long as he lives. No exceptions - No contradictions.

 Deuteronomy 24

1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.

Scripture NEVER contradicts itself!

The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord." (1 Cor. 7:39)

Deuteronomy 24: 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.   

Now this is important: Notice how by lining up scripture with scripture we see that there is a difference between the term "husband" and the term "former husband".

(1 Cor. 7:39) does NOT say the wife is bound to the law of her former husband for as long as her former husband liveth..." yet it is evident that the scripture RECOGNIZES that such a thing as a "former husband" DOES exist. FULL BIBLE TRUTH demands that her legal authority is actually her husband in spirit and in truth. In fact, FULL BIBLE TRUTH does not compromise with one, or the other, but actually requires the fullness of the truth: Firstly, he must indeed be her husband for her to be bound to his law. No, she cannot be bound to a man who was her former husband. Secondly, the husband must still be living. Thirdly, if she is to REMARRY (marry again) it must only be in the Lord. 

Scripture does not contradict scripture.  

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." (Romans 7:4)

Again. Paul is talking about the law here and how the saved are actually dead to GOD'S LAW OF SIN AND DEATH in an analogy of marriage. There is no contradiction here with respect to marriage either. The bretheren are dead to the death and they are alive unto the life. The Husbandman has decreed their liberty in life under the LAW OF LOVE. 

1 Cor. 7:27-28 Actually reads as follows: Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

I think that this is very sound guidance. If a man is bound to a wife why should he seek to find some uncleanness in her that he might thereby divorce her? Paul is addressing the SAVED here. A loving husband should already realize that if his wife is not saved he should be doing all that he can to see that she gets on track. If the loving husband has been loosed from his wife he should be faithful that God will provide. Period. He may never need the affections of a "new wife" but he still may. (See Deuteronomy 24:5)

To each their proper gift, amen?  In either case, God will provide. Hence Paul's words, "But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned". Also, if a virgin happens to marry him she has not sinned either. In fact if a virgin marries at all, she has not sinned.

Deuteronomy 24:

5 When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.

Nope. No contradictions and no exceptions. It all lines up with the word of truth.

"For I would that all men were even as I myself [unmarried]. But every man hath his proper gift of God, [there's that proper gift clause] one after this manner, and another after that. [8] I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn."             (1 Cor. 7:7-8)

I don't see how Deuteronomy 24 contradicts any of this. I can surely see how a merciful husband would not hold an unclean and fornicating wife to his law if she demanded he give her a bill of divorcement but that is not the same thing as the husband seeking to be loosed. After all, it is better to marry than to burn. She'll burn anyway if she doesn't get right with Jesus and so will he. Scripture does not contradict scripture. Jesus gave Moses Deuteronomy.

Why would Apostle Paul advocate remaining unmarried?

"But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: [33] But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. [34] There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction." (1 Cor. 7:32-35)

I would say that Deuteronomy chapter 24, verses 1 through 5 is in complete agreement with this scripture. I would also say that Genesis 2:14 through 25 are also in agreement. I find it fascinating to witness that the paper license part of it all does not actually originate in marriage but in divorce. This makes a whole lot of sense to me and bears witness to my heart. I am very pleased with this revelation in God's word. It answers a multitude of former questions.