You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
3 So then [ara][oun] if [ean], while her husband [aner] liveth [zao], she be married [ginomai] to another [heteros] man [aner], she shall be called [chrematizo] an adulteress [moichalis]: but [de] if [ean] her husband [aner] be dead [apothnesko], she is [esti] free [eleutheros] from [apo] that law [nomos]; so that she [autos] is [einai] no [me] adulteress [moichalis], though she be married [ginomai] to another [heteros] man [aner]. KJV-Interlinear
3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. ESV
The general concept of these first three verses, teaches that in all cases, death frees a person from the claims of human law, and in our specific example, the death of a husband frees the wife from the claims of marital law. This release allows the woman to legally and legitimately marry again.
The example that Paul presents, is that of the wife with respect to her marriage to her husband. But this principle applies to both man and woman with respect to the marriage contract, in which case either is released from the marriage contract when their spouse passes away.
If a married person, regardless of whether they are the husband or the wife, has a living spouse, and they take up with another person, in the intimate sense, they are guilty of committing adultery. This principle should be well understood and common knowledge.
However, when the married persons spouse dies, then the marriage contract terminates, and the living spouse is free to remarry.
Everything in this world, and in this life, portrays a spiritual concept.
And in the case of marriage, this principle we are studying teaches the concept of being married to someone we did not choose and turned out to be a very bad marriage, versus being married to someone of our own choosing, which will turn out to be the very best of marriages.
In the example humanity assumes the role of the wife, and Jesus Christ assumes the role of the husband. Our relationship with Christ, is of course the best choice, however when we enter into this world we are married to the law through the sin nature, and therefore come under the law of that sin contract.
That original contract demands a payment of death, in order to get out of that contract.
Jesus Christ, paid our debt, and in so doing prepared the way for dissolving our first marriage.
When we believe in Christ, that symbolically identifies us with His death on the cross, and that death is the element that dissolves our original and unwanted marriage by means of the Mosaic law.
The Mosaic law gives us no way out of that first marriage. Just as symbolically, the wife is obligated, and responsible, and subordinate to her husband, then so too we, all of humanity, were originally obligated, and responsible, and subordinate to the law through sin.
Having been freed from that first obligation, and by our choice of Christ through faith, we are now bound to be obedient, and obligated, and responsible, and subordinate to Christ.
And of course our relationship with Christ, is developed and enhanced by means of our learning Bible doctrine. Bible doctrine in our soul, is in effect Christ in our soul, which is in effect the intimacy of the relationship that we have with God by means of doctrine.
Note too, that ignoring Bible doctrine, and living out of fellowship and apart from Christ, we are in effect committing an adulterous act with the former carnal life. Just wanted to make that clear.
Note too, that unbelievers, remain with their marriage with the Law through their refusal to believe in Christ and therefore are not adulterous, but are worse off because of their eternal condemnation marriage with sin, which is like keeping a functional marriage with a dead spouse, which sort of sounds disgusting, as it were.
These studies, are a part of the massive daily study web site at DailyBibeStudy.Org, that is easily accessible, and are written, so that you can come to Christ if you have not done so already, and therefore not be lost forever.
And if you have already believed in Christ, then these studies are written so you can learn and understand and grow in your spiritual life, so that you can come to the full knowledge of Christ, so that you can fulfill your meaning and purpose in life as God intended for you, and so you can qualify for a phenomenal eternal reward which you will have forever.
To ignore this opportunity to pursue a daily study means you will be incomplete, unfulfilled and you will lose out, big time.
The Daily Bible Study is online, making it possible as never before in all of human history, to advance in ones relationship with God, through Christ, and to complete yourself beyond your imagination.
But you have to decide to make that commitment. No one else can study for you. You have to do that yourself.
