Martyn McGeown
Camilla Parker-Bowles (now the Duchess of Cornwall) is “bound” to Andrew Parker-Bowles as long as he lives (I Cor. 7:39; Rom. 7:2-3). It is sinful for her to remarry while Andrew is living. Moreover, not only may man not put asunder what God has joined together, he cannot. Camilla and Andrew are one flesh until God parts them at death.
I would invite the reader to substitute the names of Prince Charles, Camilla Parker-Bowles/the Duchess of Cornwall and Andrew Parker-Bowles at the appropriate places in the following texts:
Genesis 2:24: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
I Corinthians 7:39: “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.”
Romans 7:2-3: “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”
Matthew 5:32: “But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”
Mark 10:11-12: “And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.”
Luke 16:18: “Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.”
John 4:18: “For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband.”
Now that Prince Charles and Camilla (the Duchess of Cornwall) have “married,” they have entered into a life-long adulterous union. Camilla is committing continuous adultery against her original husband, Andrew. Prince Charles (by having another man’s wife) is committing continuous adultery. This is no better than the adultery they committed in the years leading up to their “marriage” or the adultery they committed when Princess Diana was alive.
“It is better to marry than to burn” (I Cor. 7:2) is directed to singles, not divorcees. If Camilla cannot contain, she should seek reconciliation with Andrew Parker-Bowles. I Corinthians 7:11 gives Camilla two options: remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. There is no third option: remarriage.
What about repentance? If, at the time of conversion, a person is living in a sinful relationship, conversion does not sanctify the relationship. One cannot say, “I am sorry,” and then continue in adultery.
I Corinthians 6:9-10 declares that adulterers (including persons married to a second spouse while the original spouse lives, whose second “marriage” may even be sanctioned by the Church of England) will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
