What is Marriage For? What is the traditional Christian view of marriage? Marriage between a man and a woman is the keystone of our civilization and a gift from our God.
Marriage is an institution created by God. That much is clear from Genesis 2:18-24 (NIV):
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 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 and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man 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." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Jesus later quotes this verse 24 in affirming marriage in the New Testament in Matthew 19:5. Because it was included as a part of the original creation, it is clear that God's fundamental intention for marriage applies to all human beings. However, a look at the whole of Scripture reveals that marriage has special meanings for the people of God.
Marriage of man and woman reflects the diversity of God's creation and the diversity within the oneness of the Trinity itself. This combination of "sameness" and "difference" also characterizes humanity. Indeed, it may be this combination that reflects "the image of God" (Gen. 1:26). In Genesis 2, Adam names the animals, but they are not "suitable" companions for him, because they are not the same as him - they are not human. To create a "suitable helper" for Adam, God takes a part of Adam's body to fashion one the same as Adam - another human being. Yet the person God creates is also different from Adam - a woman, not a man. The human race is incomplete without both male and female. Yet when they unite to become "one flesh" (Gen. 2:24), their oneness - despite their difference - reflects the oneness of God, despite the plurality of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament, the covenant of marriage serves as a metaphor for the relationship between God and the people of Israel. The worship of other gods (idolatry) is viewed as the equivalent of adultery, with Israel as the unfaithful spouse. (see Jeremiah 3:6, 8)
In the New Testament, marriage is seen as a metaphor of the relationship between Christ and the Church. (Ephesians 5:21-33; Revelation 19:7-9). Marriage advances God's purpose in salvation
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