Marriage

1
Marriage
2
The Purpose of Marriage

• Many Christians believe that there are 2 purposes
  of marriage
• To love another person, in a distinct and unique
  way, and to develop your love for that person
• To create children.

3
Marriage in the Old Testament
In Genesis there are two stories of creation.
Each one has something important to say about
marriage
So God created man in his own image, in the image
of God he created him male and female he created
them. God blessed them and said to them, Be
fruitful and increase in number fill the earth
and subdue it. (Genesis 127-28)
The Lord God said, It is not good for the man to
be alone. I will make a helper suitable for
him. Now he Lord God formed out of the ground
all the beasts of the fieldHe brought them to
the manBut for Adam no suitable helper was
found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall
into a deep sleep and while he was sleeping, he
took one of the mans ribsmade a woman from the
riband brought her to the man. The man said
This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my
flesh. For this reason a man will leave his
father and mother and be united to his wife, and
they will become one flesh. (Genesis 218-24)
4
Marriage in the New Testament
There are two particularly important passages
about marriage in the N.T
In Mark 101-12 Jesus answers a question about
divorce, and so talks about marriage.
In Pauls letter to the Ephesians, 521-33, he
compares the love of a husband and wife to the
love of Jesus for his people (the Church).
A man will leave his father and mother and be
united with his wife, and the two will become one
flesh. So, they are no longer two, but one.
Therefore what God has joined together, let man
not separate.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ
is the head of the ChurchNow as the Church
submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to
their husbands in everything. Husbands, love
your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and
gave himself up for her
5
Marriage, a sacrament
A sacrament is a sign that God is present. Thus
a sacrament brings us closer to God it helps us
to follow his example and it binds us closer to
other people in the Church.
Some Christians, for example Baptists and
Methodists, believe that there are 2
sacraments. Catholics, Orthodox and many
Anglicans believe that there are 7 sacraments.
Marriage is one of them.
Marriage is different from the other sacraments.
The main aim in the other sacraments is to bring
a person closer to God. The aim in the sacrament
of marriage is to bring one person closer to
another.
Christians who believe that marriage is a
sacrament believe that it include more than 2
people it includes God. This means that God is
there to help married people, to grow in love,
especially if their marriage is going through
hard times.
6
Marriage or living together?

• Some people think that living together is better
  than marriage because, for example
• You can find out what the other person is really
  like.
• You can leave the other person more easily if you
  fall out of love.
• You want to enjoy yourself, with some commitment
  to the other person, but not a permanent
  commitment.

• Christian think that marriage is better than
  living together because
• You have to make a permanent commitment to the
  other person this assures them of your enduring
  love, and your loyalty.
• It is better for children who are born to the
  couple.
• It is the teaching of Jesus.

7
Freedom Marriage
The Catholic Orthodox churches believe that
there is no marriage unless the two freely and
willingly agree to marry each other. For them,
arranged marriages are not valid.
8
Sex within marriage
Christians believe that sex is an important part
of marriage. The Roman Catholic church states
that, despite a marriage ceremony, until the
couple consummate their marriage there is no
valid marriage. In the Anglican marriage service,
it is said
Marriage is giventhat with delight and
tenderness they may know each other in love, and,
through the joy of their bodily union, may
strengthen the union of their hearts and lives.
Christians believe that marriage is an exclusive
relationship. All Christians believe that
fidelity between a married couple is important.
If one person has a sexual affair with another
person, this damages the special relationship of
marriage it breaks the trust between the married
couple.