Marriage

A Lifelong Union Between a Man and a Woman

  1. God and marriage
    1. God honors marriage
      1. He established it in the garden of Eden — Gen 2:18, 21-24
      2. God's command repeated in the New Testament — Mt 19:5; Eph 5:31
      3. Marriage is regulated by Old Testament laws — Lev 20:10-21; Num 36:1-12; Dt 25:5-10
      4. Jesus went to a wedding — Jn 2:1-2
      5. Marriage must be honored — Mal 2:15; Heb 3:4
    2. Monogamy versus polygamy
      1. Monogamy is ideal — Gen 2:24; 1Tim 3:2, 12
      2. Polygamy was practiced in the Old Testament — Gen 29:16-30; 1Sam 1:1-2; 25:42-43, 1Kgs 11:1-3
      3. Polygamy causes friction — Gen 30:1; Lev 18:18; 1Sam 1:3-8
    3. Adultery
      1. All cases are forbidden — Ex 20:14; Lev 18:20
      2. adultery will keep one out of the kingdom Gal 5:19-21; 1Cor 6:9
    4. Marriage to an unbeliever is forbidden
      1. In Old Testament law — Ex 34:15-16; Dt 7:3-4
      2. By Old Testament examples — Jdg 16:4-21; 1Kgs 11:1-8; Ezr 9:1-5, 10-15; Neh 13:23-27
      3. In the New Testament — 1Cor 7:12-16; 2Cor 6:14-18
    5. Marriage is permanent
      1. Marriage is union for life — Mt 19:3-6,9; Rom 7:2-3; 1Cor 7:39
      2. God hates divorce — Mal 2:16
      3. Divorce allowed for hardness of heart — Dt 24:1-4; Mt 19:7-8
  2. To Be... or Not to Be....
    1. Remaining single is an option
      1. It is a gift from God — 1Cor 7:7-8
      2. It is preferable in times of crisis — 1Cor 7:25-28
      3. Being single allows one to serve God totally — 1Cor 7:32-35
    2. Purposes of marriage
      1. To inspire happiness in people — Gen 2:18
      2. To express love intimately — Prov 5:15-20; Song 2:3-7; 8:5-7
      3. To have children — Gen 1:27-28; Mal 2:15, 1Tim 5:15
      4. Marriage prevents immorality — 1Cor 7:2, 8-9
    3. Weddings in the Bible
      1. Isaac gets married — Gen 24:62-67
      2. The weddings of Jacob — Gen 29:21-28
      3. Samson gets hitched — Jdg 14:10-19
      4. The wedding of a king — Ps 45:1-17
      5. A wedding in Cana  — Jn 2:1-11
      6. Wedding parables — Mt 22:1-14; 25:1-13; Lk 14:8-11
    4. Duties of marriage partners
      1. Husband to be devoted to his wife's good — Eph 5:25; Col 3:19; 1Pet 3:7
      2. Wife to be submissive to her husband — Eph 5:22; Col 3:18; 1Pet 3:1
      3. Equal responsibility — 1Cor 7:1-5, 32-35
    5. Marriage as a symbol
      1. God as the husband of Israel — Isa 54:5; Jer 3:14; Hos 2:16, 19-20
      2. Jesus as the bridegroom of the church — Mk 2:19-20; Jn 3:29
      3. Jesus as the husband of the church — 2Cor 11:2; Eph 5:22-32
      4. The church as the bride of Christ — Eph 5:22-24; Rev 21:2, 9-10
      5. Heaven begins with a wedding — Mt 22:1-10, 25:1-10; Rev 19:7,9

      Related Study Links:

      See Adultery.