We can dig deeper when thinking about the purpose of marriage.
Back to our verse in Genesis – It is not good that man should be alone. I will make a helper fit for him. (Gen 2:18)
The context in Genesis 1 reminds us that male and female are made in the image of God. Should we pause and consider what this means for marriage?
What is the purpose of marriage? Why does it exist?
The Lord said, ‘It is not good for a man to be alone’; I will make a helper fit for him’ (Gen 2:18)
The common reading of this verse implies that it is not good for a man to be lonely. – as if the night life for Adam in the garden was not great and there was nothing good on Eden Cable TV! But is that all that going on here? Man needed some cheering up?
The nature of marriage has been under attack since the Fall – but particularly in the last 100 years as culture norms have challenged Biblical patterns for marriage.
Western society used to think biblical marriage was a good idea, and that divorce, adultery, pre-marital sex, cohabitation; serial monogamy and same sex marriage were bad ideas.
‘Marriage: Will It Complete Me?’ by Geoff Lin is now available: http://bit.ly/1KtR10O
Thanks for the question.
Your question however is not really answered by the passage. Notice that Ephesians 5:21-33 is using an exclusive relationship to illustrate a point for the whole church. This passage is not saying ‘Women, submit to Men’ or ‘Men, love Women’. It is saying ‘Wives, submit to the husband you have married’ (my paraphrase) or ‘Husbands, love the wife you have married’ (my paraphrase again).
Chris
How did the axe-murder of the lady across the road lead Chris to become a Christian?
‘I grew up in a comfortable part of Sydney where nothing ever went wrong. But then came the night when the man across the road axe-murdered his wife before running outside, only to die of a heart attack. Not long after that, my next door neighbours were kidnapped by thieves, and had such a terrifying experience that they sold their house and moved away. Soon after that, the lady down the street blew her brains out, leaving her husband and four kids behind. All this happened in a safe place where bad things weren’t meant to happen! My assumption about life—get a good education, so you can get a good job, so you can live in a place like ours where nothing ever went wrong—was totally blown apart. I began to seriously wonder what life was all about.
Peter
As I sit here writing this testimony in the Trinity MAP office overlooking North Tce and as I do frequently during the day, I can never get too frustrated or concerned over whatever it is I am doing (or attempting to do!). This is because as I look over at where the skate park used to be before the new developments were underway, I always remember that is where I used to meet my drug dealer on occasions, right opposite where I am now a Ministry Apprentice. This is a humbling experience and an important reminder of where I was in my life before I knew Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.
‘Sexuality: Chance Or Choice?’ (Genesis 1:26-28; Ephesians 2:1-10 & 1 Corinthians 6:7-20) by Geoff Lin is now available: http://bit.ly/1KMkmH5
‘No such thing as “straight”; we are all crooked!’ – Geoff Lin
Bernie
Confronted by racism, attacks and threats, Bernie’s welcome to Australia was not what he expected. But then he found a group of people who were totally different—they were welcoming, inclusive and caring. What was the reason behind their actions?
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