Equipped 2026: "Moses and Jesus on Marriage" by Denny Petrillo

April 24, 2026 - Equipped 2026 - Day 2 - 9:00 AM Session   Good morning, everyone. In this episode the Denny walks listeners through Matthew 19, using the first-century rabbinic debate (Hillel, Shammai, and Akabah) over Deuteronomy 24 as background to explain why the Pharisees’ question about divorce was a trap. The talk highlights how cultural interpretations opened the door to easy divorce and remarriage in Jesus’ day and draws parallels to similar challenges facing the modern church. The speaker outlines Jesus’ three-part response: (1) God’s original plan for marriage in the creation narrative (one man, one woman, for life), (2) the bond of becoming “one flesh,” which encompasses more than sexual union and implies an inseparable partnership, and (3) the declaration that what God has joined, no one should separate. The presentation emphasizes Jesus’ authority in reframing the discussion and redirects attention from permissive rabbinic readings to Genesis 2:24. Key doctrinal points include the meaning and limits of Deuteronomy 24 (Moses permitted divorce because of hardness of heart), and Jesus’ clear ruling in verse 9 that porneia (fornication/sexual unfaithfulness) is the sole biblically authorized ground for divorce and remarriage. The speaker also addresses the Apostle Paul’s related language and common attempts to reinterpret or soften Jesus’ words, clarifying that Jesus calls remarriage after unlawful divorce adultery. The episode closes with pastoral application: the need to prioritize repairing and protecting marriages rather than seeking easy exits, the continuing pastoral and cultural challenge of divorce and remarriage in the church, and the call to align practice with Scripture’s original intent for marriage.   Duration 36:38