{"id":2404,"date":"2021-06-09T08:26:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T13:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theologia.blog\/?p=2404"},"modified":"2021-10-25T21:23:40","modified_gmt":"2021-10-26T02:23:40","slug":"biblical-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theologia.blog\/index.php\/2021\/06\/09\/biblical-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Biblical Marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo by Amanda Mocci<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nA<\/span> variety of religious teachings and interpretations about marriage and divorce run rampant in the world. But what does the Bible actually teach about these things? Specifically, what are the foundational underpinnings for biblical marriage and divorce? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This two-part post will look at marriage and divorce, as the concepts of marriage inform the concepts of divorce. (Part 2: Divorce<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1: Marriage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many interpretations and opinions exist as to what marriage is. What is the Bible\u2019s teaching on the foundation of marriage? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Creator\u2019s original pronouncement reveals all knowledge about marriage—what it is, why it exists, and how it works—as this is the<\/em><\/strong> foundational teaching:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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18 Then the Lord God said, \u201cIt is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.\u201d 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,<\/p>

\u201cThis at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.\u201d<\/p>

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:18-24)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The first thing to note is that God created woman because it was \u201cnot good that the man should be alone.\u201d The foundational purpose of the creation of woman was for relationship with man. Woman was to be \u201cfit for him.\u201d In other words, this creation was to be like Adam, and not like any of the other creatures God created and brought before Adam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really is the case that the Bible here presents the scenario that God told Adam it wasn\u2019t good for him to be alone, and that he was going to \u201cmake him a helper fit for him.\u201d God then creates many living creatures and brings them before Adam, \u201cbut for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam was expectant. He was waiting for what God said he was going to do. But nothing brought before him was fit for him. So God acted again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here is where we begin to glimpse the foundation of marriage\u2014what it is, why it exists, and how it works. God causes Adam to sleep, and then takes out one of his \u201cribs,\u201d1<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> and the rib he took \u201che made into a woman and brought her to the man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam\u2019s response?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This at last<\/em>\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was waiting expectantly. All those other creatures God made and brought before Adam were not fitting for him. So at last<\/em>, says Adam,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.<\/em> (Genesis 2:23)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The only creature fitting for Adam was what was made from a part of himself. <\/em><\/strong>By taking a part of Adam, God makes a creature fitting for Adam, because it is of his same essence. And Adam sees in the woman a part of himself that was taken from him. Bone of his bones. Flesh of his flesh. She is called woman \u201cbecause she was taken out of Man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A part of Adam was taken from him of which he would only receive back in the woman. Adam is now in some way less than what he was originally. But the point is not that Adam is now somehow deficient or endangered being less than his originally created form, but that by God\u2019s design a part of himself was taken from him that he may be brought back to completion in union with the woman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why what comes next is perhaps the most profound sentence in the entire creation narrative:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What it means that \u201cthey shall become one flesh\u201d is that Adam is receiving back a part of himself that was taken from him, the woman, and the two being united make one flesh. This is God\u2019s design which is brought back to completion in marriage. It has both physical and spiritual components. This applies also to all men and all women after Adam and Eve. Every man and woman has the design to be together as one flesh. What Paul said about the creation order supports this concept:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. (1 Cor 11:8-9)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Please note that the design of one flesh completion does not render an unmarried person, man or woman, as somehow lacking or deficient or unworthy to God in some way (on the contrary Paul as an unmarried man calls this a “gift” (1 Corinthians 7:7). What it means is God designed man and woman to together be one flesh. It is the nature of man and woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Consequently, the concept of one flesh completion is why to the Creator marriage can never be defined as being between anyone or anything other than a man and a woman. It is not possible because it can not achieve the purpose for which marriage exists.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marriage is the holding fast to one another. A wedding is the commitment and joining ceremony to marriage. Marriage is the unbroken union where one flesh is made. It is the relationship where creation is functioning as it was designed\u2014two as one flesh. The part of the man that was taken from him is now joined with him in the woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yearning and desire of one for another come from the design that woman was made from a part of the man, and that the two will rejoin to become one flesh. This is the natural design of man and woman and the basis for what causes feelings of attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, it is God who brings this union to oneness. This is why Jesus said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, \u2018Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh\u2019? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.\u201d (Matt 19:4-6<\/em>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

There are physical and spiritual components to marriage. Both man and God play a part: man and woman commit to one another, and God joins them together to make one flesh. \u201cWhat God has joined together\u201d applies to both the physical and spiritual dimensions. When a man and woman get married, they become one flesh because of how God has designed man and woman. This can be seen as God\u2019s doing, as his joining together. Does God do some kind of special joining action in the spiritual realm at every wedding ceremony on earth? Probably. I say probably<\/em> because this is unclear from the available scriptural data.2<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> Regardless, it is his joining because of how he created man and woman to be one flesh in marriage, with implications in the physical and spiritual dimensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marriage is the part removed rejoining that from which it was taken, being a re-creating\/becoming of one flesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why Paul also said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 \u201cTherefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.\u201d (Ephesians 5:25-31)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Paul clearly teaches husbands to love their wives based on the \u201cone flesh\u201d concept.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In summary, the foundation of marriage is that a part of Adam\/man was taken from him of which he would only receive back in Eve\/woman, of which the two in marriage rejoin\/unite to become one flesh, achieving completion, thus bringing God\u2019s design for man and woman into its ultimate and proper functioning order.<\/p>\n

References<\/span>[+<\/a>]<\/span><\/h5><\/div>
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References<\/caption>
↑<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> Should most likely be translated “side” based on lexical information, which also leads to another interpretation of what may be going on here having to do with a vision of Adam on Eve’s creation when considering what his “deep sleep” may have been; for a discussion on this see John Walton, The Lost World of Adam and Eve<\/a><\/em>, 77-81.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n
↑<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> See Malachi 2:14-16, verse 15 specifically. ESV translation: 15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? <\/em> NASB translation: 15 But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit<\/em>.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div>