Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Jesus said so....God performs the ceremony of marriage from the get go.
For me, a Pastor performed the WEDDING "CEREMONY."
The Ceremony was Conducted BEFORE GOD and Human Witnesses.
Gods JOINING, was His Blessing, MAKING US ONE IN HIS EYES, according to Him, His Way.
According to MANS WAY, The marriage APPLICATION, fees, Signatures of the two persons, the two witnesses, the Pastor, and Filing, MADE us joined in the eyes of mans Law, according to man, his way, which in ALL but a few Sates ANY other man can put asunder, Without penalty.
Any two people of the same Sex can stand in a Church, have a Pastor, two witnesses and the Pastor PERFORM THE WEDDING CEREMONY...Mention God....and According TO Gods Way, Gods EYES, Gods Blessing, They are NOT JOINED, according TO HIM...
Yet they WILL BE JOINED, according TO mans WAY.
In either case, MEN perform the Ceremony...
And God and Man, or only Man does the JOINING.
Semantics
God Bless,
Taken