If two Christians are considering a divorce, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome advises them to stay together before signing the divorce papers.
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome explains whether a Christian person can marry someone who has gone through a divorce.
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, who is the founder and leader of the Nigerian church Christ Embassy, has a platform where believers can ask him questions about all life matters, including marriage and divorce.
Through this platform, he receives multiple questions from people all over the world who seek his guidance. A believer once asked him whether it is right for a Christian to marry a divorcee.
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome stated that, according to the Bible, it would depend on the situation. To elaborate, he read Matthew 19:7-11, which centers around remarriage and adultery.
“Jesus said something here that I think is very vital. He says: ‘…Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives.’ It is important that we put everything in the right perspective. Jesus was speaking to Jewish listeners, and they have a commandment from God that was given through Moses to them,” the Christ Embassy founder said.
The pastor then explained that God gave the Jews the commandment as they were His chosen people. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome underlined that Jews only had one priesthood and one law.
Pastor Chris on divorce: “One person cannot make it work”
In the continuation of his answer on whether it is right for a Christian to marry someone who was gone through a divorce, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome turned to 1 Corinthians 7:10-13.
According to that Bible verse, people should not get divorced, and if they choose to do so anyway, they should not remarry.
“What he is saying here is the same thing that the Lord had talked about. He is lifting his instructions to the church from what the Lord said here. So, we understand that the church is not the same with the Jewish nation,” Pastor Chris Oyakhilome stated.
He subsequently read 1 Corinthians 7:15. It explains that if a believer is married to a non-believer, then the believer does not have to stay with the non-believer.
“If the unbelieving departs, let him depart. I suppose that both of them were Christians, but if the unbelieving departs, and it says that a brother or a sister is not on the bondage in such cases, it means that the brother or sister cannot be married. Because it is not on the bondage in such cases. The all-believing has departed,” the pastor explained.
He then talked about what would be the right thing to do if both people in the marriage are Christians, and one of them has hurt the other and caused problems. The pastor explained that divorce often happens because of selfishness and that it takes two individuals to make a marriage work.
“One person cannot make it work,” the Christ Embassy founder said.
How it can be okay to divorce a non-believer
To finish off his answer on whether a Christian person can marry someone who is divorced, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome went through Matthew 18:15-17. The Bible verse explains that people should consult with the church if someone will not listen to them.
The pastor said that any two Christians, regardless of whether they are married or not, should seek help from a third party, if the two Christians have a problem and one of them declines to listen to the other one.
The third party should be the church, and if the individual who will not listen also refuses to hear the church out, then it becomes dangerous, according to Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.
He stated that such a case would mean that the person who will not listen is a non-believer and that it is therefore okay to divorce the person.
Despite giving the green light for a divorce, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome recommended people to try to stay together in peace before going for a divorce.
Pastor Chris: Reaching people all over the world
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome is a seasoned pastor, teacher and author who is known for his dynamic preaching style and his passion for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the founder and leader of Christ Embassy, which is also known as Believers’ LoveWorld Incorporated, a Christian ministry that has its headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.
Under Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s leadership, Christ Embassy has grown to be one of the largest and most influential churches in Nigeria, with a presence in multiple countries around the world.
The pastor is widely recognized for his contributions to Christian literature, having authored numerous books on faith, healing and prosperity. His most popular book, “Rhapsody of Realities,” is a daily devotional guide that is distributed globally and has helped millions of people to deepen their faith and grow in their relationship with God.
In addition to his ministry work, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome is also a philanthropist who has initiated several humanitarian programs to support the needy and underprivileged in various communities.
Through the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International (COFI), he has provided education, healthcare and other forms of assistance to thousands of people in Nigeria and other countries.
