CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE (PART 1)

CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE  Part 1

Marriage is an important issue in the Christian life. No wonder a lot of books and discussions are centered on subjects like preparing for marriage, marriage improvement; overcoming marital problems and improving communication in marriage. But have you ever wondered what the Bible has to say about marriage? A quick search reveals more than 500 Old and New Testament references to the words "marriage," "married," "husband," and "wife."

Current Status

According to statistical analysis done on various demographic groups, a marriage starting out today has about 40% chance of ending in divorce. Research gathered reveals that Christians who regularly attend church divorce at a rate 35% lower than secular couples. In contrast, nominal Christians, who seldom or never attend church, have higher divorce rates than secular couples. This implies that "Religious commitment, rather than mere religious affiliation, contributes to greater levels of marital success." If a genuine commitment to Christian faith will result in a stronger marriage, then perhaps the Bible really does have something important to say about the subject.

What Does the Bible Say About Marriage?Obviously, we can't cover all 500-plus verses the Bible has to say about marriage, so we'll just look at a few key passages. I hope you will read the selected verses with an open mind, consider the analysis, ask your own questions of the heart, and then come to your own conclusions. But remember that God’s word must be obeyed because it is best for you.

Background

Gen. 2:18, 21-24: ¹⁸And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for '... ²¹And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; ²²And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.²³ And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.²⁴ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Here we see the first wedding (marriage). We can conclude from this account in Genesis that marriage is God's idea, designed and instituted by the Creator. In these verses we also discover that at the heart of God's design for marriage is companionship and intimacy. 

see Part 2