If a person divorces and remarries, is it always going to be adulterous?

from the old testament

• Deuteronomy 24:1-4 permits a man to divorce his wife and allows the divorced woman to marry another man. However, if her second husband divorces her or dies, her first husband is forbidden from remarrying her. This shows remarriage after divorce was allowed but returning to the first spouse after remarriage was prohibited. It implies remarriage itself is not inherently adulterous. Later, Jesus clarifies that this part of the Mosaic Law was a concession God made because the peoples’ hearts were so hard, not because God finds divorce acceptable (cf. Matthew 5:31-31).
• Malachi 2:16 emphasizes that God hates divorce because it breaks faithfulness in marriage, reflecting God’s ideal of lifelong, faithful marriage. While divorce is allowed, it’s not encouraged, highlighting the seriousness of breaking the marital covenant.

from the new testament

• Jesus talks about remarriage and adultery in Matthew 5:31-32. He says that anyone who divorces his faithful wife causes her to commit adultery (presumably when she remarries). Similarly, anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
• In Mark 10:11-12, He explains that anyone who divorces a faithful spouse and remarries also commits adultery.
• Remarrying is not adultery if the divorce occurred because of adultery and the faithful spouse remarries (Matthew 5:32).
• Remarriage is not considered adultery if a person remarries after the death of a spouse who had divorced that person unbiblically. Death releases the innocent party (1 Corinthians 7:39).
• Finally, if a divorced couple, who did not remarry other people, reconcile their own relationship (1 Corinthians 7:11).

implications for today

Divorce and remarriage are serious matters that require careful reflection on God’s standards and grace. While the Bible teaches that remarriage after an unbiblical divorce is adultery, it also shows that remarriage itself is not always sinful—especially when the divorce is biblically justified, such as in cases of adultery or when a spouse dies. This reminds us that God’s ideal is lifelong faithfulness, but He also understands human brokenness and provides specific allowances. Decisions about marriage and remarriage require us to seek God’s truth, not simply operate out of fear of loneliness or societal expectations.

If a divorced person remarries unbiblically, the sin is in the decision and act of remarrying; being in a marriage that was formed against the teaching of Scripture is not a state of sin. Despite the origin of the marriage, God still joined the two together. The couple should not divorce, which would be adding sin to sin (Matthew 19:6); they should not let anyone compel them to consider divorce. The adultery occurred between the decision to marry and the wedding day; it does not continue every time the couple consummates their marriage or in their day-to-day married lives.

Furthermore, knowing that a remarried couple joined by God is called to remain faithful regardless of past mistakes challenges us to practice grace and commitment toward others. Even if the beginning of a marriage was complicated or marked by past sin, the ongoing relationship is not defined by that initial sin but by faithfulness moving forward. This encourages us as believers to support others who have faced divorce and remarriage with compassion and point them to faithfulness. We’re to remind them—and ourselves—that God’s forgiveness and restoration can bring new life and hope, as long as we commit to walking obediently with Him.