Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 8
Theodoret is quoted: Moses permitted divorce “because of hardness of heart,” but creation established one man/one woman; how does that early Christian reasoning affect how you read “permissions” in Scripture—what do you do with commands that God allows but does not love?
Another way to ask: Theodoret says Moses allowed divorce because people were hard-hearted, even though God’s design was one man and one woman. How should that shape how you read parts of the Bible where God allows something He doesn’t really want?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the Theodoret quote the speaker uses, some biblical permissions may be concessions to human hardness rather than God’s ideal; therefore, Christians should interpret such allowances through Jesus’ appeal to creation as the higher standard.
- The speaker quotes Theodoret: Paul knew “the law gave permission… to dissolve a marriage.”
- Theodoret grounds the permission in Jesus’ explanation: Moses gave it “on account of the hardness of the heart of the Jews.”
- He contrasts that with a deeper norm: “the law of nature had added no such provision.”
- Theodoret appeals to creation: “God made one man and one woman establishing the law concerning marriage in the very manner of creation.”
- The speaker ties this to Jesus “restoring” that earlier law, not merely repeating Mosaic allowances.