The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 71 -
Behavioural tips for married couples and judges.
Cyrenius says, "Yes, Lord and Master from above! But there is something else, and just a little word about it, and everything which concerns marriage is then exhausted.
2
You see, if any man, who otherwise keeps a good order in everything, had a wife who was of a very fleshly sensual nature - as there are unfortunately very many such never satisfied wives. Such a randy woman demands even very often the satisfaction and calming of their flesh from their man in the day. The man says to the wife openly: You have received and now need for the time that was decided by God rest, so that you in your blessed condition do not draw any damage and any unnecessary suffering to yourself through the useless satisfaction of your flesh.
3
The sensual wife however does not want to hear or know anything about such a good lesson and demands with impetuousness that her husband fulfil her demands. If the husband fulfils his wife"s will, he does the same with obvious lack of decency and in this way commits a sin against the divine order according to your words, but if he holds her back he sins against his wife"s will and prompts her to all sorts of unnatural satisfactions or to adultery and whoring with other men.
4
On the other hand there are also types of randy bucks of men who will not give their poor demure wives any rest often even few hours before birth. There are often loud complaints; but what should a wise judge do for a correct valid claim before God and before all the better world?
5
If the normal man or the demure wife demands a divorce because of the order and the Kingdom of God, should it be given or not?"
6
I say, "Yes, according to demand a divorce can be given to one or the other party, however not completely, but nonetheless more than a separation, instead also from the mutual responsibility to care and from right to inheritance, two things which dissolve in a lesser reason for divorce only when one party distances himself completely from the other party for more than three years without any consistent reason and has no longer taken care of the party left behind, but has acted according to its own pleasure.
7
But with divorce which should follow at the demand of the good party in your mentioned case, every further usual natural claim for rights dissolves also at the same time.
8
But it can be plainly seen that the divorce is only to be given when it is demanded by the good party and the bad party agrees to it; if the latter does not agree and promises to improve, divorce is not to be given to the good party, instead a simple remark should be made and he will be recommended to have patience.
9
But if in this case the divorced spouses want to get together again in good consideration, they need no new marriage bond, but according to the will of both parties the old bond comes into full strength and a casual divorce demanded for the second time can not divide them any longer, except a separation in emergency situations.
10
But if a man has a very desiring wife and keeps his wife"s demand with soberness of his heart, his power permitting, he does not commit too great a sin against the order of God; for such a nature of a woman resembles a dry ground which the gardener must water in the hot summer time often, if he wants to keep his plants. But if then comes the damp autumn, every ground will have dampness in abundance, but the sober man should work on his wife industriously and educate her spiritually and she will bring him good fruit.
11
But patience is constantly better than the very best right.
12
However a demure wife has more right to desire a divorce because of the too great lasciviousness of her husband than a man because of the great lasciviousness of his wife; for the once blessed [pregnant] wife needs rest for the time which God has decided in the nature of the woman. No time has been decided for the man however, and therefore he needs less rest of his nature than the blessed woman; thus a blessed wife rather than a sober man is to be listened to in court.
13
With a man it can still be seen what sort of life he led before the marriage, whether a riotous youth hasn't made him sober and incompetent through much sinning. But with a woman who desires much, this question is almost not to be considered. For if she already as a girl threw herself into an indecent life for the sake of gain, her nature is already very blunted and if she should become the proper wife of a man, his desire will seem very icy; but if a woman as a virgin has been held very chaste with her hot blood, afterwards the certainly punishable reason is not to be sought in her virginity, instead in the nature of the wife, for which reason in this case the court hardly needs to be considered.
14
But against the power of nature every such wise judgmental saying is useless and if the corresponding means were to be used for a hot-blooded wife in the field of nature and a corresponding teaching of the heart of the wife, it might be better for them. You see, in this case this is how we should act. But if you have another concern, let us hear it!"