In biblical times, a betrothal for marriage was a binding agreement that set the young woman apart for the young man. The agreement was voided only by death; one could not get out of the betrothal in any other way. The length of the engagement varied. Sometimes the couple was married the same day they were engaged. Usually, however, a period of time elapsed between the betrothal and the marriage ceremony. During this time the young man prepared a place in his father's house for his bride, while the bride prepared herself for married life.
When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant, he did not make a 'public example' of her; instead, he decided to divorce her secretly. However, he did not carry out the divorce because the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.' Now all this took place to fulfill the words spoken by the Lord through the prophets:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Immanuel,
a name which means 'God-is-with-us.' When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home and though he had not had intercourse with her, she gave birth to a son; and he named him Jesus. - Matt. 1:18-25 -
The New Testament does not contradict the teachings about marriage in the Old Testament. Most marriage teaching in the New Testament comes from Jesus and Saint Paul. Jesus' first miracle occurred in Cana in Galilee when He and His disciples were attending a wedding. The Lord Jesus Christ gave His blessing and sanction to the institution of marriage. - John 2:1-11 -
On another occasion, when Jesus was asked about marriage and divorce. He quoted two passages from Genesis. "Have you not read that God who made them at the beginning 'made than male and female' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body/flesh' So then, what God has joined together, let no man separate." - Gen. 1:27, 2:24, 5:2; Matt: 19:4-6 - Jesus taught that marriage was the joining together two people [male and female] so they become "one body" / "one flesh." Not only did God acknowledge the marriage; He also joined the couple [male and female].
In the New Testament times, there are struggled over a number of issues, including the proper view of marriage. In response to their questions, apostle Paul gave an answer about marriage. From his answer, he seems that two faulty ideas about marriage were prominent among some believers in the Church. The first was that marriage was absolutely necessary in order to be a Christian; another was that celibacy was superior to marriage. Paul's stated that celibacy is an acceptable lifestyle for a Christian; not all people need to marry. In fact, Paul declared that he himself preferred not to marry. However, the single life can be lived for God's glory only if God has given the gift of celibacy. If one does not have that gift, he should marry and he expected most people to marry. - 1Cor. 7:1-40 -
Saint Paul also spoke to the problem faced by a Christian believer whose spouse does not believe. He reasoned that if the unbelieving partner is willing to live with the Christian, then the Christian should not dissolve the marriage. Remaining with the unbelieving partner could result in his or her salvation. - 1Cor. 7:14-16 -
The role that the husband plays is outlined by Jesus Christ, who loved His bride, the Church, so much that He died for her. 'Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed Himself for her, to make her holy. - Eph. 5:25 -
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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