Introduction: Christian concept of marriage is based on the teachings of the Bible.

The Order of
Wedding Service conducted in the churches is written out of the biblical teachings and traditions
developed over the years in the history of Christianity. In the OT, marriage is expressed through
words of action like 'take (lakah) a wife' (Gen.24:2, 67, Hos.1:2),'covenant (Jer.2.13) go in'
(Gen.16:2) and yada (knowing intimately Gen. 4:1). The frequently used expression for marriage
is 'taking a wife' which implies arrangement with the family of the girl that their daughter can be
taken as wife for another man and not stealing or driving her by force. The action of husband
'sending his wife away (shalah) and she goes from him' (halak) in the context of breaking their
marital relationship indicates divorce (Jer. 3:1-2). The NT uses the Greek term gamous (meaning
'marriage'-Jn.2:1) and it became the root word for English monogamy or polygamy.1 The Old
Testament affirms the biological family, which is assumed to be the basic unit of society.
Israelite society was structured along kinship lines. Much of Old Testament law regulates and
protects family life. But more than this basic affirmation and pragmatic regulation, the family is
regarded as a source of divine blessing. This perspective begins in Genesis, when God creates
and blesses the first family and gives them the command to be fruitful and multiply (Gen. 1:27-
28). Children are a blessing from the Lord (Ps. 127:3-5; 128). The gift of children to barren
women is a particular blessing, since God contravenes nature to show his grace (l Sam. 2:5; Ps.
113:9).

Bible and marriage

Marriage as a Monogamous Union: God establishes marriage as a heterosexual monogamous

marriage – an exclusive relationship between one man and one woman. 2 The Creator’s acts in
establishing marriage are focused on one man and one woman. The order of marriage itself
(Genesis 2:24) is directed at a monogamous pair, “man” and “wife” being singular. Polygamy
did exist in the Old Testament era, of course. The first case was in Cain’s line (Genesis 4:19)
with many Old Testaments examples, including some of the patriarchs, to follow. But polygamy
is never held up to be the ideal. The Old Testament writers indirectly criticize polygamy by
showing the resultant strife (for example, Genesis 21:9, 10; 37:2-36; 2 Samuel 13-18). The
historical accounts about polygamy must be seen as descriptive material but the creational order
as prescriptive.

Marriage as a Complementary & Mutual Union: The first woman is described as a “helper
suitable” (i.e., his perfect complement) for the man (Genesis 2:18, 20), taken from his side, bone
of his bones and flesh of his flesh (2:23). It is obvious that God meant both the man and the
woman to share in privilege and responsibility. Under God, though their roles may sometimes
differ, the two sexes are equals. As the apostle Paul would later write, “There is neither … male
1
Jesudation Baskar Jeyaraj, Razouselie Lastso, Jessy Jaison and Abraham Christdhas,eds., Marriage,
Family and Church ( Bangalore: CFCD, 2014) 2.
2
J. Douma, The Ten Commandments: Manual for the Christian Life (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing,
1996), 113.
nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). However, equality does not do
away with the functional differentiation between men and women. God created male and female
equally with only a functional differentiation in the sense that they have different obligations.
The male person is the head of the household and should care for the family.

Marriage as a heterosexual union: The institution of marriage firmly is set within the creation
of humans as male and female. God’s imperative is, “For this reason a man will leave his father
and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
Homosexual and lesbian unions throughout the biblical record are judged to be sinful (Leviticus
18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26, 27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:911). There is no biblical
precedent for any homosexual liaison that may be termed “marriage.”

Marriage as the foundation of the family: Both in terms of procreation and nurture marriage is
the foundation of the family. Children, ideally, are born into an intact family with both father and
mother present. These two parents are intended to be the first providers of their nurture. This
order of family life may be observed throughout the Bible with particular emphases on
childrearing drawn from such passages as Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Malachi 2:15, and Ephesians 6:1-
4.

Marriage as an exclusive union: Marriage is not only permanent, sacred, intimate, and mutual;
it is also exclusive (Genesis 2:22-25; 1 Corinthians 7:2-5). This means that no other human
relationship must interfere with the marriage commitment between husband and wife. For this
reason, Jesus treated sexual immorality of a married person, including even a husband's lustful
thoughts, with utmost seriousness (Matthew 5:28; 19:9). For the same reason, premarital sex is
also illegitimate, since it violates the exclusive claims of one's future spouse. As the Song of
Solomon makes clear, only in the secure context of an exclusive marital bond can free and
complete giving of oneself in marriage take place.

Marriage as a permanent and sacred union: The man was to depart from his parents’ home in
order to “be united to his wife, and… become one flesh” with her (Gen 2:24). Both Jesus (Matt
19:5) and Paul (Eph 5: 31) quoted this passage from Genesis as the foundational premise of
marriage. Translating Jesus’ quotation, Matthew used a Greek word for united ( Kallao) “ that
means ‘ to be glued to, be closely bound to” ( Matthew 19: 5). Jesus added, “Therefore what God
has joined together, let man not separate” (Matt 19: 6). Diverse violates the promise to
commitment and the covenantal character of marriage which was witnessed by God and other
people.3

Bible and Family:

Old Testament faith had a strong corporate dimension. People did not participate in the covenant
as isolated individuals, but as members of families, clans, and tribes. Religious commitments
3
W. Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament, testimony, dispute, advocacy (Minneapolis, MN:
Fortress, 1997) 452.
made by the head of the household involved the whole family. For example, Joshua spoke for his
whole family when he said that he and his house would serve the Lord (Josh. 24:15).

The Family Gives and Sustains Physical Life: When God created everything from nothing, He
manifestly performed a great miracle. Just as miraculous is God's plan to hand on life from one
living thing to the next. "Be fruitful and multiply"-that is as wonderful a word of power as "Let
there be…” God made man with special care. He joined the man and his helpmate ("a helper fit
for him," RSV) together in a union that was to have priority over every other in their lives. In
marriage they were to be one, not simply in acts of sexual intimacy but in an enduring
companionship. (God wanted this human pair and every pair that would succeed them, to bring
forth children, to live together with one another in households, and to care for one another so
that each new generation might mature according to His plan (Gen. 2:18-24; Psalms. 127 and
128).

The role of family in OT Salvation History: The biological family plays an important role in
Old Testament salvation history. God's promise to Abraham was a promise of many descendants,
land, and blessing-the very things any ancient family would want. The purpose of this promise
was to bless Abraham's family, through him to bless the whole of Israel, and through Israel to
bless all the families of the earth (Gen. 12: 1-3). The role of the family in salvation history is
fulfilled and brought to completion in Jesus. He initiates the promised new covenant with the
house of Israel and the house of Judah, but he opens it to everyone who responds to him in faith
(Jer. 31:31; Heb. 8-10).

Family as a vehicle of revelation in OT: The family also serves as a vehicle of revelation, as the
Old Testament writers express God's character and relationship to Israel in family terms. For
example, God is often described as the Father of Israel (Is. 64:8; Jer. 31:9) and Israel as his
firstborn son (Ex. 4:22; Is. 1:2). He carries Israel like a child during their wilderness wanderings
(Deut. 1:31). He remains their Father even when their own families forsake them (Is. 63:16; cf.
Ps. 27:10). The revelation of God in family terms is continued and deepened in the New
Testament. For example, the expression "adulterous generation" in the Gospels carries on the Old
Testament idea of God as the husband of his unfaithful people (Mt. 12:39; Mk. 8:38).4

Family as the centre of religious life in the NT: In the New Testament, the family again
becomes a center of religious life.5 Jesus announces to the woman of Samaria that worship of
God is no longer to be centralized in any particular place, but is now to be conducted anywhere
in spirit and in truth (John 4: 19-24). Acts and the Epistles record instances of household
conversions and baptisms (Cornelius in Acts 10; Lydia in Acts 16; the Philippians jailer in Acts
16; Crispus in Acts 18; Stephanas in 1 Cor. 1:16). The structure of the early church (house

4
Colin Brown, ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1978), 367. Hereafter cited as NIDNTT.
5
A. J. Köstenberger, God, marriage and family: Rebuilding the Biblical foundation (Wheaton, IL:
Crossway, 2004), 110.
churches) was based on the household (Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Philemon 1:2). 6 In
this context, it was essential that the boundaries of the household be permeable, to admit
outsiders into the fellowship. Much of the life of the church took place in households, including
evangelism (Acts 5:42), baptism (Acts 16: 15), teaching (Acts 20:20), the Lord's Supper (Acts.
2:46), and Christian education (1 Cor. 14:35; Eph. 6:4). One difference from the Old Testament
experience of household worship is that in the New Testament, the father of the family is not the
priest for the family. Now all believers are priests, and Jesus is their high priest, seated at the
right hand of God and welcoming them into God's presence (Rev. 10: 11-25; 13:10-16; 1 Pet.
2:9-10).

Family as the metaphor/ picture of the Church: Family images create one of the major New
Testament pictures of the church. This is a significant development from the Old Testament. In
the Old 1 Testament, God has a house but no household. The term "house of God" (bet Yahweh)
is used almost exclusively for the Temple (e.g., 1 Kings 8: 13, 27; Is. 66:1), not for God's people.
God's house is his dwelling place, the place where he can be found. In the New Testament, the
Temple is still the house of God (Mt. 12:4), although that house is due to be demolished (Mt.
24:1-2). More importantly, the people of God are now the "house (hold) of God" (i) or the
"household of faith" (oikos tes pisteos). Believers are God's children, either by rebirth (in John)
or by adoption (in Paul). As God's children, believers are brothers and sisters to Christ and to one
another. According to Ephesians 2, Gentiles are no longer "strangers and aliens" but "members
of the household of God" (Eph. 2:12-13, 19-20).

Conclusion: In today’s context, the development of education touches our belief system,
attitude, perspective, practice of society etc. Therefore many Christian read the Bible from
particular context and they give priority to the context first than the Bible. And even sometimes
they neglect the teaching of the Bible. But it does not mean that the context which we live is not
important at all, but important to make the teaching of the Bible relevant. In many places
especially in the West Country, living together before marriage is very common in order to know
whether they will be a good couple or not . And moreover, same sex marriage are also allowed
and approved by many societies. By looking at these issues deliberately, it seems these all are
social construct. And they are not based upon the teaching of Bible. As a believer, we have to be
careful with the teaching of Bible. Therefore, we should influence the people to follow the
teaching of the Bible.

Bibliography:
6
John Driver, Images of the Church in Mission (Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press, 1997), 150.
 Brueggemann, W. Theology of the Old Testament, testimony, dispute, advocacy. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress,
1997.

 Brown, Colin, ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978.

 Douma, J. The Ten Commandments: Manual for the Christian Life. Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 1996,
113.

 Driver, John. Images of the Church in Mission. Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press, 1997.

 Jeyaraj,Jesudation Baskar, Razouselie Lastso, Jessy Jaison and Abraham Christdhas eds. Marriage, Family and
Church. Bangalore: CFCD, 2014.

 Köstenberger, J. God, marriage and family: Rebuilding the Biblical foundation . Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004.