Marriage
The Purpose of Marriage:
Many Christians believe that there are 2
purposes of marriage:
1. To love another person, in a distinct and
unique way, and to develop your love for that
person;
2. To create children.
Marriage in the Old Testament:
In Genesis there are two stories of creation. Each one has
something important to say about marriage:
So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him; male and
female he created them. God blessed them
and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase
in number; fill the earth and subdue it.’
(Genesis 1:27-28)
The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to
be alone. I will make a helper suitable for
him.’ Now he Lord God formed out of the
ground all the beasts of the field…He
brought them to the man…But for Adam no
suitable helper was found. So the Lord God
caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and
while he was sleeping, he took one of the
man’s ribs…made a woman from the
rib…and brought her to the man. The man
said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and
flesh of my flesh.’ For this reason a man
will leave his father and mother and be
united to his wife, and they will become one
flesh. (Genesis 2:18-24)
Marriage in the New Testament:
There are two particularly important passages about
marriage in the N.T:
In Mark 10:1-12 Jesus answers a question about
divorce, and so talks about marriage.
A man will leave his father and mother and be
united with his wife, and the two will
become one flesh. So, they are no longer
two, but one. Therefore what God has
joined together, let man not separate.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, 5:21-33, he
compares the love of a husband and wife to
the love of Jesus for his people (the
Church).
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife as
Christ is the head of the Church…Now as
the Church submits to Christ, so also wives
should submit to their husbands in
everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved
the Church and gave himself up for her…
Marriage, a sacrament:
A sacrament is a sign that God is
present. Thus a sacrament brings us
closer to God; it helps us to follow
his example; and it binds us closer to
other people in the Church.
Some Christians, for example Baptists and Methodists, believe that there are
2 sacraments.
Catholics, Orthodox and many Anglicans believe that there are 7 sacraments.
Marriage is one of them.
Marriage is different
from
the
other
sacraments. The main
aim in the other
sacraments is to bring
a person closer to
God. The aim in the
sacrament of marriage
is to bring one person
closer to another.
Christians who believe that marriage is a sacrament believe
that it include more than 2 people: it includes God.
This means that God is there to help married people,
to grow in love, especially if their marriage is going
through hard times.
Marriage or living together?
Some people think that living together is better than marriage because, for
example:
•
You can find out what the other person is really like.
•
You can leave the other person more easily if you fall out of love.
•
You want to enjoy yourself, with some commitment to the other person,
but not a permanent commitment.
Christian think that marriage is better than living together because:
•
You have to make a permanent commitment to the other person; this
assures them of your enduring love, and your loyalty.
•
It is better for children who are born to the couple.
•
It is the teaching of Jesus.
Freedom & Marriage
The Catholic & Orthodox churches believe that there is no marriage unless
the two freely and willingly agree to marry each other. For them,
arranged marriages are not valid.
Sex within marriage
Christians believe that sex is an important part of marriage.
The Roman Catholic church states that, despite a marriage ceremony, until
the couple consummate their marriage there is no valid marriage.
In the Anglican marriage service, it is said:
Marriage is given…that with delight and tenderness they may
know each other in love, and, through the joy of their
bodily union, may strengthen the union of their hearts
and lives.
Christians believe that marriage is an exclusive relationship. All Christians
believe that fidelity between a married couple is important. If one
person has a sexual affair with another person, this damages the special
relationship of marriage; it breaks the trust between the married couple.