What is marriage?

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Buzzfruit

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What is marriage?

The first marriage/union
God had indicated from the beginning that one man should have one woman

Genesis 2:21-23 (KJV)
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Same sex marriage/union is a sin
Just to get this out of the way first it must be understood that any form of same sex marriage is a sin.
Romans 1:26-27 (KJV)
[sup]26 [/sup]For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
[sup]27 [/sup]And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
Genesis 13:13 (KJV)
[sup]13 [/sup]But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Genesis 19:1-3 (KJV)
[sup]1 [/sup]And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
[sup]2 [/sup]And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
[sup]3 [/sup]And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
Genesis 19:4-10 (KJV)
[sup]4 [/sup]But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
[sup]5 [/sup]And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
[sup]6 [/sup]And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
[sup]7 [/sup]And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
[sup]8 [/sup]Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
[sup]9 [/sup]And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
[sup]10 [/sup]But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
Genesis 19:13 (KJV)
[sup]13 [/sup]For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
Genesis 19:24-25 (KJV)
[sup]24 [/sup]Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
[sup]25 [/sup]And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
What does the Bible mean by wife?

Genesis 2:24-25 (KJV)
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Exodus 21:10 (KJV)
If he take him another wife her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
Wife: 'ishshah, ish-shaw'; feminine of Hebrew ('iysh) or Hebrew ('enowsh); irregular plural nashiym, naw-sheem'; a woman (used in the same wide sense as Hebrew ('enowsh)) :- [adulter]ess, each, every, female, × many, + none, one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.

The word for wife means a woman regardless if she is has a husband or not; there is no distention in the Greek or Hebrew.
What does the Bible mean by husband
Genesis 3:6 (KJV)
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

John 4:16 (KJV)
Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
Husband: 'iysh,eesh; contracted for Hebrew ('enowsh) [or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant]; a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation) :- also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, [foot-, husband-] man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man [-kind], + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso (-ever), worthy. Compare Hebrew ('ishshah).
Husband: aner,an'-ayr; a primary word [compare Greek (anthropos)]; a man (properly as an individual male) :- fellow, husband, man, sir.


The word for husband means a man regardless if he is has a wife or not; there is no distention in the Greek or Hebrew.
Marriage

Psalm 78:63 (KJV)
The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.


Given to marriage: halal,haw-lal'; a primitive root; to be clear (origin of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causative to celebrate; also to stultify :- (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool (-ish, -ly), glory, give [light], be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, [sing, be worthy of] praise, rage, renowned, shine.

Matthew 22:2 (KJV)
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

Marriage: gamos,gam'-os; of uncertain affinity; nuptials :- marriage, wedding.

Nuptial: 1: of or relating to marriage or the marriage ceremony 2: characteristic of or occurring in the breeding season: marriage, wedding
What does the Bible mean by adultery?

Exodus 20:14 (KJV)
Thou shalt not commit adultery.


Adultery: na'aph,naw-af'; a primitive root; to commit adultery; figurative to apostatize :- adulterer (-ess), commit (-ing) adultery, woman that breaketh wedlock.


Apostasy: from. Gk, lit., revolt, from. aphistasthai to revolt, from. apo- + histasthai to stand--more at stand] (14c) 1: renunciation of a religious faith 2: abandonment of a previous loyalty: defection

When a person abandons' the one that he/she has been committed to that is committing adultery, even if that person did not have the usual wedding ceremony

Matthew 5:27-28 (KJV)
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.


Jesus' definition not only goes beyond the physical act it self, but includes the single man as well as the one that is already married. He also includes the single woman as well as the woman that has a man, because just as in Hebrew, the Greek makes no distinction between a woman that does not have a man, and one that does.

Adultery: moicheuo,moy-khyoo'-o; from Greek (moichos); to commit adultery :- commit adultery.


Woman: gune, goo-nay'; probably from the base of Greek (ginomai); a woman; specially a wife :- wife, woman.


It is a sin to desire what belongs to some else

Exodus 20:17 (KJV)
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.


Wife: 'ishshah,ish-shaw'; feminine of Hebrew ('iysh) or Hebrew ('enowsh); irregular plural nashiym, naw-sheem'; a woman (used in the same wide sense as Hebrew ('enowsh)) :- [adulter]ess, each, every, female, × many, + none, one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English

Matthew 5:32 (KJV)
But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.


Wife:gune,goo-nay'; probably from the base of Greek (ginomai); a woman; specially a wife :- wife, woman.

Fornication: porneia,por-ni'-ah; from Greek (porneuo); harlotry (including adultery and incest); figurative idolatry :- fornication.

Harlotry: 1: sexual profligacy: prostitution 2: an unprincipled or immoral woman

Fornication is idolatry, because it is the abandonment of the one that one was committed to for another.

Adultery: moichao,moy-khah'-o; from Greek (moichos); (middle) to commit adultery :- commit adultery.

A husband or wife can commit adultery with each other

Matthew 5:32 (KJV)
But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

If one marry a divorce person who spouse is still living they have sinned by committing adultery.

Fornication: porneia,por-ni'-ah; from Greek (porneuo); harlotry (including adultery and incest); figurative idolatry :- fornication.

Harlotry: 1: sexual profligacy: prostitution 2: an unprincipled or immoral woman

Adultery: moichao, moy-khah'-o; from Greek (moichos); (middle) to commit adultery :- commit adultery.


From what is shown from scriptures....a man living with his woman or vise-versa, without having the traditional marriage ceremony have not a sinned, if they are committed (faithful) to each other. The violation of that commitment is what that is sin.
 

Insight

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Aug 7, 2011
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Buzz,

Thank you for your exposition.

Some years back I was asked to present on the topic “The Bride of Christ” which, I must say was one of the most touching studies undertaken for some years. Thank you for sending me back to rediscover my affections for the Lord.

Gen 2:23-25

The marriage in Eden foreshadows the marriage of the Lamb referred to in Revelation 19:7-8, and described in the Song of Solomon. Both marriages are unique, for both parties to it owe their existence to a common parent, and in each case, the formation of the Bride is out of her husband.

On the eve of his death (his deep sleep), Christ prayed to the Father on behalf of his multitudinous Bride: "That they may be one; as Thou Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me" (John 17:21).

There was a unity in the marriage in Eden, and there will be a unity in the marriage of Christ and his Bride, quite unlike any other. Adam submitted to the "deep sleep" and the surgical operation in order that his wife might be formed; and Christ willingly submitted to a sacrificial death and rose for the same reason. Each could describe his Bride, as could no other husband: “This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh." A great sacrifice was paid by each that his Bride might be formed. The Apostle exhorts: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such things; but that it should be holy and without blemish"(Eph. 5:25-27).

This record in Genesis should be studied in conjunction with the Song of Solomon, Revelation 19, Psalm 45, and Paul's exposition in Ephesians 5:29-33.

Let our study begin
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Insight
 

Insight

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And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh Gen 2:23

Adam here recognised that Eve was built up out of himself, and claimed her as his own in a very real sense. It can be said also of Christ who alone can describe the perfected congregation in the same terms. As quoted in previous post, Paul quotes this statement in Ephesians 5:30, and applies it to the relationship that is sustained between the true Church and Christ, but NOT to the normal relationship that exists between husband and wife.

No husband can say of his wife that she is "bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." Only Adam (naturally) could say that of Eve, and Christ (Spiritually) of his Bride. Oddly in Australia, marriage is a matter of mutual agreement; it was not so in Eden, nor is it in relation to Jesus Christ. Each of the two Brides owes her existence to her husband.

Therefore we should carefully consider Paul's words though he draws on the natural marital relationship in Eph 5, he does not relate this passage from Genesis 2:23 but limits its application to Christ and the Church (see Eph 5:32; Eph 5:32KJV; Eph 5:32YLT). He specifically states: "This is a great secret; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church."

All the symbology of union, fellowship, mutual sharing of ideals and objectives are as closely related as Adam and Eve as between Christ and the Church. Jesus demonstrated the extent of his love by dying for his beloved that she might be brought into existence.

I wonder what is she prepared to do for him?
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Insight

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Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother

The whole of this verse is quoted by the Lord Jesus to explain the marriage state as God designed it in Matt 19:5; Mark 10:7-8 while Paul cites this section of it in Eph 5:31 to illustrate the separateness demanded of a person in embracing the Truth e.g Abraham leaving Terah and his family.

Interesting how one passage can be used to teach two different lessons.

Insight
 

Insight

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It is the will of the Father that the assembly should have a numerous offspring (see Isa 53:10; Gal 4:26). To that end, men and women are called by the Gospel to separate themselves from worldly aspirations, and to take on the name of Jesus Christ (Husband), as a woman assumes the name of her husband (Acts 15:14; Rom. 7:4).