Marriage (Part 1 of 2)

Introduction:

  1. Marriage is one of the most important steps in life. There are four important days in one’s life: birth, when one obeys the gospel, marriage, death. “There is no more solemn moment in the lives of two people than the moment when before God they pledge to one another their love and their willingness to take one another as husband, as wife, and unto death do us part.”
  2. Jesus endorsed marriage (John 2:1-11).
  3. The subject of marriage needs to be studied and stressed today.
    1. To cause young people to regard marriage as a permanent union and to assist them in laying the proper groundwork for a happy and lifelong relationship.
    2. So that all will realize what an unscriptural marriage is.
    3. To motivate the church to practice discipline upon those who are unscripturally married in order that the church might be kept clean (1 Corinthians 5:9-11).

 

  1. Marriage Defined
    1. The legal union of man and woman in wedlock. Marriage is an institution ordained of God for the honor and happiness of mankind, in which one man and one woman enter into a bodily and spiritual union, pledging each to the other mutual love, honor, fidelity, sympathy, forbearance, and comradeship, such as would assure an unbroken continuance of their wedlock so long as both shall live (H. Leo Boles).
      1. Analyze this definition and observe that it tells of the origin, purpose, monogamous nature, and duration of marriage, as well as stating the responsibilities of those who have entered this relationship.
      2. Marriage is an agreement by which a man and a woman consent to live together as husband and wife, mutually accepting all of the responsibilities which the relationship involves, and properly expecting all the rights and privileges incident thereto.
  2. Marriage Is the Most Sacred Relationship of Life
    1. The home and a family grow out of it.
    2. The happiness of mankind in general depends on it.
    3. The stability of human society is based on it.
    4. Eternity to a great extent involved in it.
  3. Marriage Is a Divine Institution
    1. Genesis 2:18-24 – This verse reveals the origin, the purpose, and the expectations of marriage. Notice that God did not take a part of man’s head lest she should rule over him, nor a part of man’s feet lest he should trample on her, but a part of man’s side that she might be under his protecting arm and ever be near and dear to him.
    2. Proverbs 19:14 – Notice that, “a prudent wife is from the Lord.”
    3. Matthew 19:3-9 – Notice that God joins man and woman together in marriage.
    4. From the preceding points it can be concluded that marriage is divine; and, being divine, it is holy.
  4. The Sanctity and Honorableness of Marriage
    1. Marriage is so holy that Christ uses this relationship to represent his relationship to the church
    2. 2 Corinthians 11:2; Romans 7:4: Revelations 21:9; Ephesians 5:23-33; Hebrews 13:4
  5. What Does Marriage Embrace?
    1. Leaving parents (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5). This teaches that one’s companion comes first.
    2. Cleaving to one’s companion. See preceding passages. Hence, marriage embraces both a “leaving” and a “cleaving.”
    3. Being one flesh. See preceding scriptures. McGarvey says, “That by it the pair become one flesh, so that a man is as much joined to his wife as he is to his own body” (Ephesians 5:28-29).
    4. “Two minds with but a single thought, Two hearts that beat as one.”
  6. The Purposes of Marriage
    1. To provide companionship and happiness (Genesis 2:18).
      1. Though Adam was nobly born, comfortably placed, richly endowed, and highly exalted, it still was not good for him to be alone.
      2. When marriage does not contribute to the happiness and wellbeing of the parties concerned, it is not serving the purpose for which it was instituted.
    2. To propagate the race (Genesis 1:27-28; 1 Timothy 5:14).
    3. To prevent immorality (1 Corinthians 7:2; Hebrews 13:4).
    4. To provide employment (1 Timothy 5:8, 13-14; Proverbs 31:10-31).
  7. Marriage Is to Be Monogamous
    1. In the beginning one wife was made for one man and only one husband for one woman; thus, in the beginning God declared his disfavor against polyandry and polygamy (Genesis 2:18-23).
    2. Marriage and its being monogamous is endorsed by Christ (Matthew 19:3-9).
    3. Notice that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:2 “…let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”
    4. Elders and deacons, who are to be examples, are the husbands of one wife.
      1. 1 Timothy 3:2
      2. 1 Timothy 3:12
      3. Titus 1:6
    5. For widows to be supported they must have had only one husband (1 Timothy 5:9).
    6. Christ exemplified this in building only one Church, which is his bride.
      1. Romans 7:4
      2. Ephesians 4:4 and Ephesians 1:22-23
    7. Plural marriage is adultery.
      1. Romans 7:1-3
      2. Galatians 5:19-21
  8. The Duration of Marriage
    1. The marriage relationship is indissoluble.
      1. The Lord hates putting away according to Malachi 2:14-16
      2. What God joins together man must never put asunder (Matthew 19:3-9).
    2. Read Romans 7:1-4
    3. The marriage relationship is for life; there being but one exception allowing divorce and remarriage, and that is the breaking of the marriage vows.
      1. Matthew 19:9
      2. This will be discussed in full in another lesson.
    4. Marriage is “unto death do us part.” There is no such thing as companionate or trial marriages in the Bible.