BIBLICAL MARRIAGE
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS THE GREATER REALITY BEHIND MARRIAGE?
Key Facts
From a list of options to define marriage, half of Americans questioned choose "a covenant before God between a man and a woman" (51%) as best representing their view of marriage. [1]
Practicing Christians choose to define marriage as "a covenant before God between a man and a woman” by a wide margin (86%). While Americans with no faith (including atheists, agnostics and "none") prefer to define marriage as a civil agreement either between two adults of any gender (52%) or between a man and a woman (21%). [2]
Those with a strong common faith have a 35% lower risk of divorce. Couples who attend church weekly are 47% less likely to divorce. However, divorce rates among nominal Christians are equal to the general population. [3]
Cohabiters in general have a 50-80% higher likelihood of divorce after marriage than non-cohabiters. [4]
Key Scriptures
Genesis 2:18 –“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’”
Psalm 127:3 –“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”
1 Corinthians 7:9 –“But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
1 Timothy 5:14 –“Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach.”
2 Corinthians 11:2 –“For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.”
Other relevant Scriptures include: Genesis 3:12; Revelation 19:7; 1 Peter 3:7; Proverbs 31:10-29; Ephesians 5:21-33
Want to Know More?
Russell Moore’s “Onward” Devotional Series
The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller
What Is Marriage by Ryan Anderson
Marriage is About Christ and the Church
Application
Christians often claim that non-Christians are attempting to “redefine” marriage. This charge often comes as a result of defining alternative practices as marriage including same sex marriage, polygamy, polyamory and others. However, in order to object to the redefinition of marriage, we must first be confident in our understanding of what marriage truly is. There are many purposes for marriage, but perhaps one of the most prominent is not about the individuals at all. Marriage functions as a worldly symbol which points to something beyond our world.
Biblical Explanation
Ephesians 5:23 records one of the most significant roles of marriage on earth: to symbolize the union between Christ and the church. “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” Marriage, in its most significant aspect, is not about you. [1] (Russell Moore Video 5 of Onward Devotional Series). Marriage points to the ultimate union of Christ and the church. This coming union is spoken of throughout the New Testament (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:27). Marriage, lived out biblically, is a reminder to believers and sign to non-believers that a day is coming when Christians will be bound in union to Christ forever (Revelation 19:7).
Application
The fulfillment of needs in the marriage relationship is a practical result of a marriage reflecting the relationship between Christ and the church. Men and women have unique roles in marriage that help them to complement one another practically. For example, men protect women so that they can survive and thrive while in a vulnerable state like pregnancy and early motherhood (1 Peter 3:7). Likewise, women help their husbands through the care of children and home (Proverbs 31:10-29). This is a practical application of marriage that still functions to reflect Christ and the church. The man loves the woman and it is under this love and leadership that the woman can confidently submit to the headship of the husband (Ephesians 5:21-33).
One of the central purposes of marriage is to represent Christ and the church. However, all alternative unions do not accomplish this goal. The symbolism of marriage between one man and one woman as a representation of the covenantal union between Christ and the church results in the natural exclusion of all other kinds of sexual unions. Two men, two women, or any other combination cannot adequately represent that eternal reality. The unique characteristics and roles of men and women help men to better represent Christ and women to better represent the church in this symbol.
Marriage is a symbolic representation carried out by flawed individuals (Romans 3:23). Because God is perfect and those representing Him in this union are imperfect, marriage is not an exact portrayal of the perfect union we will one day experience, but it does point to that greater reality (Matthew 5:48). Unfortunately, marriages between one man and one woman can also be destructive and even abusive. The existence of pernicious sin in marriage means that not all marriages between one man and one woman are good portrayals of Christ and the church. However, it is the Christians responsibility to allow the Spirit to transform our individual selves into the likeness of Christ to better represent Him and His church through the marriage union (Romans 12:2).
Conclusion
The symbol of marriage reveals many truths about Christ’s relationship to the church. Christians and non-Christians alike can learn about the God that we serve and the biblical role of the church by viewing a Christ-centered marriage. Of course, marriage is only a reflection of a perfect and greater reality (1 Corinthians 13:12). However, the truths conveyed in the Bible show us the important role of marriage in the world and teach us of the beautiful relationship between Christ and the church