28^th November 2009

Bible verses on Marriage

Here is a selection of scriptures that shape and reflect our attitude towards marriage.

We are created by God, and he designed marriage for us.

Genesis 1:27-28

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. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Genesis 2:18

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Genesis 2:21-25

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. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

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."

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Here are some good things the Bible says about marriage and companionship:

Proverbs 18:22

He who finds a wife finds what is good
            and receives favor from the LORD.

Proverbs 19:14

Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
            but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one,
            because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down,
            his friend can help him up.
            But pity the man who falls
            and has no one to help him up!

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
            But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,
            two can defend themselves.
            A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

With the help of Jesus Christ and with him as our model, we will try to fulfill the high calling for husband and wife to reflect the reality between Jesus and his church.

Ephesians 5:21-33

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

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, his body, of which he is the Saviour. 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 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

1 Peter 3:1-7

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Husband and wife have equal responsibility towards each other.

1 Corinthians 7:3-6

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command.

Peggy doesn’t want to become a quarrelsome wife (what’s more, Benny doesn’t want her to become one!) …

Proverbs 21:9 = Proverbs 25:24

Better to live on a corner of the roof
            than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

Proverbs 21:19

Better to live in a desert
            than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.

Proverbs 27:15-16

A quarrelsome wife is like
            a constant dripping on a rainy day;

restraining her is like restraining the wind
            or grasping oil with the hand.

… but one of noble character.

Proverbs 31:10-31

A wife of noble character who can find?
            She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her
            and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm,
            all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax
            and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,
            bringing her food from afar.

 She gets up while it is still dark;
            she provides food for her family

            and portions for her servant girls.

She considers a field and buys it;
            out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously;
            her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable,
            and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff
            and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor
            and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
            for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed;
            she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,
            where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them,
            and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
            she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,
            and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household
            and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;
            her husband also, and he praises her:

"Many women do noble things,
            but you surpass them all."

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
            but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,
            and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Even though getting married is an important stage of our lives and will bring about significant changes, we do not forget God and the promise of the return of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 37:37-39

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

God designed marriage for this life only.

Mark 12:18-27

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"

Finally, we do not consider divorce an option and we believe that singleness can also be a blessed state.

Matthew 19:3-12

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to 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."

"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."

Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."