Definition Of Marriage According To The Bible – The Bible nowhere explicitly states at what point God considers a man and a woman to be married. Because of the Bible’s silence on this topic, pinpointing the precise moment when a man and a woman get married in the eyes of God is a complex undertaking. Here are the three most common views: 1) God considers a man and a woman married only when they are legally married, that is, when they become husband and wife in the eyes of the law. 2) A man and a woman are married in the eyes of God when they have completed some sort of formal wedding ceremony involving covenant vows. 3) God considers a man and a woman married when they have sexual intercourse. Let’s examine each of the three visualizations and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each.

1) God considers a man and a woman married only when they are legally married. The scriptural support typically provided for this view is the command to obey the laws of the government (Romans 13:1–7; 1 Peter 2:17). The argument is that if the government requires certain procedures and paperwork to be completed before a marriage is recognized, then a couple should undergo that process. It is definitely biblical for a couple to submit to the government as long as the requirements do not contradict God’s Word and are reasonable. Romans 13:1–2 tells us, “Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except what God has established. Existing authorities were established by God. Consequently, anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has established, and those who do so will bring judgment upon themselves.”

Definition Of Marriage According To The Bible

However, there are some weaknesses and potential problems with this view. First, marriage existed before any government was organized. For thousands of years people have married without any marriage license. Secondly, even today there are some countries that have no government recognition of marriage and/or have no legal requirements for marriage. Third, there are some governments that impose unbiblical requirements on marriage before it is legally recognized. For example, some countries require weddings to take place in a Catholic church, according to Catholic teachings, and supervised by a Catholic priest. Obviously, for those who have strong disagreements with the Catholic Church and the Catholic conception of marriage as a sacrament, it would be unbiblical to submit to marrying in the Catholic Church. Fourth, making the legitimacy of the marital union depend exclusively on government laws means indirectly enshrining the legal definition of marriage, which can vary.

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2) A man and a woman are married in the eyes of God when they have completed some sort of formal wedding ceremony. Some interpreters interpret God’s bringing Eve to Adam (Genesis 2:22) as God supervising the first wedding “ceremony”: the modern practice of a father giving away his daughter at a wedding reflects God’s action in Eden. In John chapter 2, Jesus attended a wedding ceremony. Jesus would not have participated in such an event if he had not approved of what was happening. Jesus’ presence at a wedding ceremony does not at all indicate that God requires a wedding ceremony, but it does indicate that a wedding ceremony is acceptable in the eyes of God. Nearly every culture in human history has observed some type of formal wedding ceremony. In every culture there is an event, an action, an alliance, a vow or a proclamation recognized as the declaration of marriage between a man and a woman.

3) God considers a man and a woman married when they have sexual intercourse. Some think this means that a married couple is not truly “married” in the eyes of God until they have physically consummated the marriage. Others argue that if a man and a woman have sex, God considers them married. The basis of this view is the fact that sexual intercourse between husband and wife is the ultimate fulfillment of the “one flesh” principle (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Ephesians 5:31). In this sense, sexual intercourse is the final “seal” of a marital pact. However, the idea that the relationship constitutes marriage is not biblically correct. If a couple is legally and ceremonially married, but for some reason is unable to have sexual intercourse, that couple is still considered married.

We know that God does not equate sexual intercourse with marriage based on the fact that the Old Testament often distinguishes wife from concubine. For example, 2 Chronicles 11:21 describes the family life of a king: “Rehoboam loved Absalom’s daughter Maakah more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines. In this verse, the concubines who had sexual relations with King Rehoboam are not considered wives and are mentioned as a separate category.

Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 7:2 indicates that sex before marriage is immorality. If sexual intercourse leads to a couple getting married, this cannot be considered immoral, as the couple would be considered married the moment they engage in sexual intercourse. There is absolutely no biblical basis for an unmarried couple to have sex and then declare themselves married, thereby declaring that all future sexual relationships will be moral and God-honoring.

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Some cite Genesis 24 and the story of Isaac and Rebekah as an example of a couple married exclusively through sexual intercourse, without any kind of ceremony. But the details leading up to the wedding reveal that a formal process was followed. Isaac’s father, Abraham, gave his servant a list of things to do to find Isaac a wife (Genesis 24:1–10). The servant did everything his master asked of him, and he prayed to God for guidance and confirmation (verses 12–14). God guided him and also confirmed all of the servant’s “proofs” to prove that Isaac and Rebekah’s marriage was indeed approved by God (verses 15–27). The servant of God’s will was so convinced that he immediately told Rebekah’s brother Laban all the details that confirmed God’s choice (verses 32–49). When dinner was served, everyone knew that this was from God, that both Isaac and Rebekah would be married (verses 50–51). Then a dowry was paid, and verbal contracts were made between them (verses 52–59). Therefore, the marriage mentioned in verse 67 was hardly based on a simple sexual act. Cultural procedures and traditions related to dowry were fulfilled, conditions were met, prayers were answered, and God’s obvious blessing was showered on the entire scenario.

So, what constitutes marriage in the eyes of God? It would appear that the following principles should be followed: 1) As long as the requirements are reasonable and not contrary to the Bible, a man and woman should seek whatever formal government recognition is available. 2) A man and a woman should follow whatever cultural, family, and alliance practices are typically employed to recognize a couple as “officially married.” 3) If possible, a man and a woman should consummate marriage sexually, satisfying the physical aspect of the “one flesh” principle. As a wife and mom, I know that each season of life brings different expectations from different people. I hope that by exploring these needs together, we can all stay sane!

It is common for those who believe to have questions about marriage; What does the Bible say about this sacred union? Is it a necessary ceremony or is it just a man-made tradition? What makes a marriage valid in the eyes of the Lord God?

Before we dive into the answers, let’s explore what the Bible says about marriage. There’s so much we can discover and discover together – are you ready to dive in?

What The Bible Says About Sex — Bible Verses About Sex

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives must submit to their husbands in all things. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 to sanctify her, cleansing her by washing her with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without blemish. neither wrinkle nor any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 Likewise husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own body, but nourishes and cares for his own body, as Christ does the church, 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a deep mystery, but I’m talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, let each of you also love his wife as he loves her

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