Mark 10:6

But from the beginning of the creation, Male and female made he them. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh: so that they are no more two, but one flesh.

Thus, God's ideal for humanity is "monogamy, which rules out both polygamy and divorce."[9] People have no problem at all in knowing what is the will of God; their problems stem from efforts to make what they do bear the light of it! There is an extreme view, however, which should be avoided, and that is making a violation in this sector to be the unpardonable sin. As Taylor said, "The seventh commandment has no uncommon sanctity; and the guilt of the transgression does not surpass the provisions of grace."[10]

One flesh ... "This is Semitic, or Biblical, idiom for `one,' as in RSV; and thus not only rules out polygamy but divorce also."[11] God's purpose, from the beginning, was clearly that of making the home a permanent institution; and, in keeping with that purpose, marriage is final and permanent.

Without that finality, the security of the home is gone, the social fabric is torn, and the finest school on earth for the discipline and growth of character is on the way out.[12]

By this appeal to Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 5:2, Christ bypassed Moses altogether, founding his teaching on this subject in the eternal and invariable purpose of the Almighty, and not upon the accommodative regulations which had been laid down out of considerations of man's sin. Thus, our Lord triumphed over his enemies. He had not condoned divorce; and, at the same time, he had not contradicted Moses. For further comment regarding the questions raised by these verses, see my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 19.

[9] A. Elwood Sanner, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1964), p. 354.

[10] J. J. Taylor, The Gospel according to Mark (Nashville: Southern Baptist Convention, 1911), p. 132.

[11] Frederick C. Grant, Interpreter's Bible (New York: Abingdon Press, 1951), p. 796.

[12] Halford E. Luccock, Interpreter's Bible (New York: Abingdon Press, 1951), p. 796.