Someone said,"The idea of a certificate of marriage is for the most part for the purposes of the law, taxes and religion. It is not a Biblical concept at all."
I agree in part with this statement. Who gave the authority to any man to sell a license for marriage. Who has the right to say who can marry or not. If you need permission and a license, that license granting agency can claim authority over anything in the marriage including your children.
The bible does not define marriage or say you need a certificate of marriage. But it does say you need a certificate of divorce, Ezra 10:3 & Deut 24:1-5 when a wife is put away "Agunah" (chained wife) and not free to remarry, she must have a written certificate before she can remarry.
If you cannot define a marriage biblically you should not condemn others. Marriage is a truth we hold to be self eident. We cannot define it but we know it when we see it. And it takes much more than a paper to make a marriage. And it takes more than a paper to get over the pain of being put away. What is a biblical marriage?
Marrige in bibical times was honored in accordance with the accepted customs and traditions of the society living in those times and places. Therefore should not the customs and traditions of marriage in our time and society be equally accepted before witnesses, family, friends and God?
another muse ;
If nonbelievers get married, they cannot promise to and before a God they do not believe in. Which begs the question ; Are they really married in the eyes of God?
I have read a number of your posts and without exception you seem to deliberately sow a spirit of confusion to each biblical topic you address. This post being your latest . Consequently, I did a bit of biblical research on the topic of Christian marriage .
Are you aware of the word Ketubah ? My research tells me that:
" As part of the Jewish wedding ceremony, the husband gives the wife a ketubah. The word "Ketubah" comes from the root Kaf-Tav-Beit, meaning "writing". The ketubah is also called the marriage contract. The ketubah spells out the husbands obligations to the wife during marriage." You may do your own research if you choose . But I am convinced are assertions are false. Read Gen. chapter 24 to read and example of the ketubah is arrainged.
Itasca said: How can the marriages of the unredeemed be recognized by almighty God? They can not.
I would have to disagree. When the gospel was taken to the gentiles Paul commanded that they stay married even if one was still an unbeliever. I believe God recognizes the marriage covenant that is made regardless of religion, time or culture. After all marriage was a gift from God to mankind not just for Jews & Christians.
The marriage ceremonies, vows and customs help define marriage in part. I know the Bridal side puts great emphasis on the wedding event. It should be recognized as a great, once in a lifetime thing. Jesus honored the wedding in Cana with the first recorded miracle. And the bible applies a marriage relationship to illustrate Christ and the Church. But it also says, "It is a great mystery." And if it is a mystery it seems only proper to get our idea of marriage from our close relationship to Jesus. Can unsaved people be truly married? That is a side question, but it requires dividing unsaved marriage with godly marriage. What does God want in marriage? Or what the world wants. I do not know of any bibilically recorded vows or ceremonies that are required for marriage. In fact, it says do not swear by heaven/make a vow, because how do we know if we will be able to perform it? Our marriage to Christ is guaranteed because we know God never fails. But marriage between sinners does not seem to have the same guarantee. Therefore any info on what makes a marriage work would be helpful. If we cannot define what a marriage is how can even know what we are talking about? Or should each person have their own definition because everyone is a little different. And what works foer one may not for another. :applause:
Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
The mystery is Christ and the church, not a man and a woman in marriage. We already know what a marriage is that is why it is use for our understanding to describe our relation with Christ.
This kind of illogical thinking and smashing into the text is going to only bring trouble. What are you trying to say anyway? Are you against marriage? In other post you seem to say fornication is OK when the Bible clearly says no.
Miss Jude brought up the best Biblical example to crush your thinking of just sleeping together is the same as marriage in Gods eyes. We should all agree Jesus is God and Jesus told the woman at the well you been married 5 times and the man you are with NOW is "not" your husband. So if God sees sleeping together as a married couple, why did God say, the man your with now is not your husband?
I will cite Paul's teaching from 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 12 -16 for clarity:
"To the rest I say---I am not the Lord--that if any believer has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.
And if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her , she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through her husband . Otherwise, your children will be unclean, but as it is , they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates , let it be so; in such case a brother or sister is not bound. It is peace that God has called you . Wife for all you know , you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife."
When I made my original post on this topic I was not alluding to believers married to unbelievers. I was specifically directing my comments toward non-Christian wedlock. No I do not recant my statement. All non-christian marriages are unholy therefore not honored by God. Paul clearly does not honor the other marriages , he is only concerned for the holiness of the unsaved children and the unsaved spouses.
sheperdingking if your persistent twisting of scripture is a result of a lack of knowledge on your part that is one thing, but if you are knowingly twisting scripture to purposefully deceive then it is heretical, which means you are a heretic and of the devil.
I see a very clear attempt to oversimplify marriage.
But this topic is too important to be pushed aside by bible bullies. Anyone who says sex in the confines of marriage is fornication needs to be challenged. Jesus gave a definition of marriage by quoting the Old Testament. Paul again quotes this scripture when he says it is a mystery.
Eph 5:31-33,
�For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.� 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
A mystery by definition is yet to be discovered. Do you really know what it means to be a Christian before you become one. No it is a mystery, we go by faith and understand more and more as we draw closer to the LORD.
Marriage likewise, is something we do not know until we get into it. And sometimes it is not quite what we thought it would be. You might even say each case is a little different. But at the same time each case is exactly alike.This is a paradox (a mystery).
I'm sorry you think it confusing but the next verse is my idea of a biblical marriage...
... vs 33, "Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."
It is a relevant question for people seeking marriage.
