What Marriage Vows Say

1
What Marriage Vows Say
2
Why This Lesson?

• To remind those who are married of their covenant
• To teach those who are unmarried the seriousness
  of marriage and the importance of foresight and
  planning
• To base our vows on Gods wisdom, not on the
  worldly wisdom of men

3
Traditional Vows

• Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in
  the sight of God and in the presence of these
  witnesses to join together this man and this
  woman in the bond of holy matrimony.

4
In the Sight of God

• Two who have a God-given right to marry are
  joined by God (Gen. 218-25 Mt. 196)
• Marriage is both honorable and serious

5
Traditional Vows

• Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in
  the sight of God and in the presence of these
  witnesses to join together this man and this
  woman in the bond of holy matrimony.

6
This Man and This Woman

• Marriage is heterosexual (Gen. 218,22)
• Marriage is monogamous (Gen. 224)
• Marriage is for the pure (Gen. 225)

7
Traditional Vows

• Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in
  the sight of God and in the presence of these
  witnesses to join together this man and this
  woman in the bond of holy matrimony.

8
Bond of Matrimony

• Marriage is a bond (covenant) between a man and
  woman (Prov. 217 Mal. 214-16)
• This bond is broken only by death (Rom. 72-3
  1 Cor. 739 ), or by sexual immorality
  (Mt. 199)

9
Traditional Vows

• Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?

10
Who Gives This Woman?

• Ultimately, marriage is given by God (Gen.
  218-24)
• When a godly man finds a godly wife, he obtains
  favor from the Lord (Prov. 1822)

11
Traditional Vows

• Do you _____ take this woman to be your lawfully
  wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her,
  honor her, protect her and provide for her to
  have and to hold from this day forth, in sickness
  and in health, in prosperity and adversity and,
  forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto
  her, so long as you both shall live?

12
I Take Thee

• Marriage as God designed it involves one man and
  one woman (Gen. 228-25 1 Cor. 72)
• Polygamy is condemned (1 Cor. 72)
• Homosexuality is condemned (Rom. 124-26
  1 Cor. 69-11)

13
Traditional Vows

• Do you _____ take this woman to be your
  lawfully wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort
  her, honor her, protect her and provide for her
  to have and to hold from this day forth, in
  sickness and in health, in prosperity and
  adversity and, forsaking all others, keep
  yourself only unto her, so long as you both shall
  live?

14
Lawfully Wedded

• Marriage is regulated by the law of Christ (Mt.
  532 199 Mk. 1011-12 Lk. 1618 Rom. 72-3
  1 Cor. 710-11,39)
• Who may lawfully wed?
• One who has never been in a God-joined marriage
• One whose mate has passed away
• One who puts away a mate for fornication
• One can be married, but not lawfully (Mk.
  617-18)

15
Traditional Vows

• Do you _____ take this woman to be your lawfully
  wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her,
  honor her, protect her and provide for her to
  have and to hold from this day forth, in sickness
  and in health, in prosperity and adversity and,
  forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto
  her, so long as you both shall live?

16
Traditional Vows

• Do you _____ take this man to be your lawfully
  wedded husband? Will you be to him a faithful,
  loving, and devoted wife? Will you honor, obey
  and love him, and remain with him in sickness and
  in health, in prosperity and adversity and,
  forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto
  him, so long as you both shall live?

17
To Love, To Honor, To Obey

• A godly marriage requires loving (sacrificial)
  leadership from the husband (Eph. 522ff 1 Pet.
  37)
• A godly marriage requires respectful submission
  from the wife (Eph. 522ff Tit. 24-5 1 Pet.
  31-7)

18
Traditional Vows

• Repeat after me I _____ take _____ to be my
  lawfully wedded _____ to have and to hold from
  this day forward, for better or worse, for richer
  or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and
  to cherish, till death do us part, according to
  Gods holy word and thereto I give you my solemn
  pledge.

19
For Better or For Worse

• A godly marriage requires fidelity, commitment,
  unselfishness, patience, and love (1 Cor. 134-7)
  through all circumstances in life
• We join in marriage to please our spouse through
  all circumstances in life (1 Cor. 733-34)

20
Traditional Vows

• Do you _____ take this woman to be your lawfully
  wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her,
  honor her, protect her and provide for her to
  have and to hold from this day forth, in sickness
  and in health, in prosperity and adversity and,
  forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto
  her, so long as you both shall live?

21
Forsaking All Others

• A godly marriage requires sexual purity (1 Cor.
  71-2)
• Adultery is condemned and is a breaking of the
  marriage covenant (Prov. 217 Heb. 134)

22
Traditional Vows

• Do you _____ take this woman to be your lawfully
  wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her,
  honor her, protect her and provide for her to
  have and to hold from this day forth, in sickness
  and in health, in prosperity and adversity and,
  forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto
  her, so long as you both shall live?

23
Traditional Vows

• Repeat after me I _____ take _____ to be my
  wedded _____ to have and to hold from this day
  forward, for better or worse, for richer or
  poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to
  cherish, till death do us part, according to
  Gods holy word and thereto I give you my solemn
  pledge.

24
So Long As You Both Shall LiveTill Death Do Us
Part

• Modern vows are re-worded to reflect the worldly
  mindset of our culture love and obey is
  removed and till death do us part is removed
• Modern vows For as long as we continue to love
  each other For as long as love continues to
  last Until our time together is over

25
So Long As You Both Shall LiveTill Death Do Us
Part

• Marriage is for life (Rom. 72-3 1 Cor. 739)
• Divorce and remarriage for some cause other than
  sexual immorality is adultery (Mt. 532 199
  Mk. 1010-12 Lk. 1618 Rom. 72-3)
• Divorce (without remarriage) for some cause other
  than sexual immorality is against Gods will (Mt.
  196 1 Cor. 1010-11)

26
Traditional Vows

• Is there a token of this union? In token and
  pledge of the vow between us made, with this ring
  I thee wed.

27
With This Ring

• While a ring serves as a fitting symbol of the
  promises made, the word (covenant promise -
  vow) of the man and woman is what God will hold
  in account (Mal. 214-16)
• Covenant-breakers will be judged (Rom. 131)

28
Traditional Vows

• I pronounce _____ and _____ as Man and Wife.

29
I Pronounce You Man and Wife

• Ultimately, God joins a man and woman together in
  marriage who have a lawful right to be married
  (Mt. 196)