Marriage is a Spiritual Act
F irst, we must understand that marriage is a spiritual act. Two specific references in the Old Testament gives us proof that Israel was portrayed as God’s wife; see Jeremiah 2-3 and Hosea 1-3. Also, the Church is referenced heavily in the New Testament scriptures as the bride of Christ; see Ephesians 5:25-27 and Revelations 19:7-9, 21:1-2. Review these scriptures and view the spiritual act of marriage. Learn how God viewed Israel as His bride, how He treated His bride, and the expectations He had from His bride.
Marriage is An Example to a Dying World
S econd, we must realize we are to model the spiritual act for a dying world; see Ephesians 5:25-27. The current world we live in is filled with despair, confusion, isolation, independence, and hurt. The world is filled with hurting people all seeking an answer to their grief. The biblical marriage union shows to a dying world the best example of love. The entire concept of a biblical marriage – a union created by God and not dissolved until death, willingly from both parties, shows the world something they so greatly desire but continue to sin against God to obtain. The biblical marriage shows the world HOW Jesus loves the Church. Does your marriage reflect this example?
Overlooked Parts of Genesis 2:24
T here are two parts of Genesis 2:24 that are overlooked which causes immediate confusion in creating a til death type of marriage. These parts are overlooked because they are
Love and commitment go hand-in-hand when it comes to marriage. A marriage cannot survive solely on love, but it also cannot survive without love. The same applies to commitment. When a man and woman utter the words “till death do us part” on their wedding day, they are committing themselves to each other, promising to never leave, no matter what obstacles they must face. However, almost half of all marriages are ending in divorce, despite the fact that these divorced couples vowed to be with each other forever. These marriages are ending because people fail to realize that a marriage must have both love and commitment in order to be successful. In the Bible, God tells us that marriage means forever. Divorce is no excuse or a way out. When a couple promises to be with
God purposefully designed marriage as one man and one woman, because God recognized that “it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Gen. 2:18 NIV). This companion that God formed came from Adam’s side, and her role in Creation was to be a companion to man who was both a complementary helper and his partner in procreation. At that point, marriage was instituted, as the man and woman were united together and became “one
Now, we must look at where and how human relationships tie in. We’ve talked an awful lot about man. What if we bring woman into the picture? How exactly do they fit together? Well first of all when we look at scripture we see that it is written, “Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man” (Gen. 2:22). This conveys a few truths. First of all, woman was taken from the side of man. This would mean, A, she is to be equal to and treated as so for she was taken from man’s side. B, she was taken from man to be his helper. And C, she was to be his wife and as it is stated soon after, “For this reason a
The importance of the marriage relationship is that it is the only picture of Christ and His people that exists on earth. If
God made his heart concerning marriage and the family unit clear in the book of Genesis as it states that, “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let not man separate.’’(KJV)
In the beginning, God made man out of dust and He saw that it was good. Even so, He knew that man needed a "helper suitable for him", thus He made woman from man (Genesis 2:18 NIV). When Eve was brought to Adam he said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man" (Genesis 2:23 NIV). The very next verse in Genesis lays out the foundation for marriage. Verse twenty-five says "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (Genesis 2:25 NIV). From this verse, one can see that the Bible 's clear definition of marriage is limited between one man and one woman.
Paul’s words about the relationship between husbands and wives serve not only as a guide for Christian marriages, but also a method of explaining the relationship between Christ and the church. This section of Ephesians illustrates two important facets of Christianity: the nature of the church’s submission to Christ and the nature of Jesus’s love for the church. As noted before, Paul had already taken time in this letter to assert the headship of Christ in Ephesians 1:22, 4:15, and now in 5:23. Jesus, as the authority and center of the church, is due reverence and submission from the church. Throughout Ephesians, Paul calls believers to recognize the “lordship of Christ” and then to act on that acknowledgement through willing submission. Jesus’s love for the church is exemplified in the laying down of his life for her salvation. Paul recalls the sacrifice of Christ frequently his letter, beginning in Ephesians 1:7 – “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Here, in Ephesians 5:25, Paul again tells the church the Christ “gave himself up for her.” Christ’s love is sacrificial and he is the Savior of the church (Eph. 5:23). Furthermore, Jesus “nourishes and cherishes” the church, as if it were his own body (Eph. 5:29), displaying a love that is unforced and freely given. Paul also shows that Christ’s love is purpose-filled. Jesus’s death and resurrection serves to sanctify the church so “that she might be holy” (Eph. 5:26-27). Though believers are still sinful, “the Christ who pledges himself to the church will establish the church’s holiness, recalled yet forgiving her
Second, God’s institution of marriage presupposes, “Two persons of the opposite sex.” After creating Adam and Eve, God proclaimed in Genesis 1:24 that, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” While the term “one flesh” refers to sexual intimacy and union, the theology behind the phrase is deeper. Genesis 1:24 begins with “Therefore”, implying what was once taken out of a man will be reunited back into the man. Therefore, the marriage or the union of one flesh is not a mere commitment between two persons or a biological intercourse like some homosexuals argue. Furthermore, Jesus himself adhered to the normativity of heterosexual marriage in Genesis account as he spoke:
John Paul II’s TOB approaches marriage through the marriage discourse in Ephesian 5:21-33. “Be subordinate to one another out of fear for Christ” (Eph. 5:21) is gives Christ the authority to make marriage a union of equality and submission. This is most clearly articulated in Christ’s self-giving relationship with the Church. Through reverencing and affirming Christ’s authority, a couple’s union bears
In the New Testament, the same conclusion is drawn, but by using marriage as the main
I am learning many things about family, marriage and relationships. God wants us to show unconditional love towards others as he has showed us. Marriage takes commitment, according to Balswick & Balswick, (2014) “continued commitment in modern marriage is contingent on happiness and self-fulfillment. In today’s society it seems like convenience is more of a priority than commitment. We must first be committed to our God who is wholeheartedly committed to us. In Psalms 37:5 it says to “commit your way to the lord trust in him, and he will act.” Marriage is difficult, but it is easier when we depend on God and not man. Some of the things I will discuss are family, marriage and what God designed it for. I will also talk about my own experience with marriage and family.
One view of marriage are the ones that the Wife has. She often has conflicting views on what is the ‘normal’ ideas of marriage at the time. The Wife shows her support of being able to have multiple marriages by using the Bible as her evidence. She speaks about the “wise king, Solomon” who had “wives mo than oon” She carries on the references of these “shrewed”, “hooly” men who all had more than one wife. Her use of those words show her listeners that they were good people, they did right by God and their religion. Why do they not condemn them, yet judge her for doing the same? The Wife often uses God and what is explicitly written in the Bible as a way of reinforcing her argument. She often speaks about whether God has ever stated how many times a
Although they are two separate individuals, when they stand up for matrimony, each male and female promises to stand by their significant other for life. To protect, cherish, and love forever. “Outwardly separate, their bodies distinct, yet inwardly joined as one.” (117)This means that they will always be two different people on the outside, however on the inside they made a commitment to connect their souls. To make decisions together, feed off each other, and at the end of every day make sure each other is happy. “Obey his commands in total surrender, this is the fragrance to bring… Abandon self-will, the beloved draw near; no cunning with ever be avail. Be humble in manner and practice restraint, let sweetness of speech be your prayer”(117)This is a very passionate line in the verse that states that taking to each other, not fighting, and respect each other especially in a time of need. To be humble is the most important part of a marriage. Some couples forget what is most important and these lines are there to guide you in a time of
Marriage is one of the oldest institutions known to humans. In biblical times, there were clear examples of the origins of marriage. In those days, it was common to marry within one’s family, as was the case of Isaac and Jacob, who married their cousins, and Abraham, who married his half-sister. We can also see early examples of polygamy. Jacob and King David were known to have many wives.
Christian Marriage, also called Matrimony is a sacrament in which a man and a woman publicly declare their love and fidelity in front of witnesses, a priest or minister and God. The It is seen by all Christian churches as both a physical and spiritual fulfillment. Christianity emphasises that the sacrament of Holy Matrimony is a lifetime commitment. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate."' —Matthew 19:6.