Theme: Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage and Forgiveness.
Topic: Marriage as God intended
Text: Genesis 2:18
INTRODUCTION
Marriage was initiated by God. It was God’s idea not man’s. For it to be successful, the guidelines outlined by God in the scriptures must be followed. Anybody who tries to break the laws of God will end up breaking himself (or herself) and proving that the word of God is true. This also applies to those who try to break God’s laws regarding marriage.
After the fall, a lot of things in the world became perverted including the institution of marriage. Some of these perversions came to be accepted as the norm within certain cycles including some Christian cycles. Our aim in this series of studies is to look at the subject of marriage as God originally intended and also correct some of the wrong concepts of marriage using the scripture as our guide.
DISCUSSIONS
1) What is Marriage?
2) God has ordained and blessed marriage. Gen. 2:18, Prov. 5:18, Prov.18:22, Eccl. 9:9, Matt. 19:4-5
3) It gives strength and companionship: Gen. 2:18, Eccl. 4:9-11
4) Marriage is a commitment: Matt. 19:4-6, Cor. 7:10
5) The husband’s responsibility towards his wife: (i) Love – Eph. 5:25,28,33. Col. 3:19. (ii) Honour, praise and please his wife – 1 Peter 3:7, Prov. 31:28, 1 Cor. 7:33. (iii) Listen and heed his wife’s wise counsel – Judges 13:19-23, 2 Samuel 20:1-2, 7, 13-22, 2 Kings 4:9-10, Matt. 27:19.
6) A wife’s attributes and responsibilities: (
i) The Bible’s description of a virtuous wife – Prov. 11:16, Prov. 12:4, Prov. 19:14, Prov. 31:10-12,26, 1 Tim. 3:11, Titus 2:4-5.
(ii) She should guide the home and children – 1 Tim 5:14, Psalm 128:3, Prov. 14:1, Prov. 31:27, 1 Tim 3:11, Titus 2:4-5. (iii) She should NOT be – Prov. 7:11, 1 Tim 5:13. (
iv) Virtue more important than physical beauty – Prov. 11:22, Prov. 31:30, 1 Peter 3:3-5.
(v) To be a companion – Prov. 31:11, Malachi 2:14
(vi) To love and please her husband – Prov. 31:12, 1 Cor. 7:34, Titus 2:4
(vii) To respect her husband – Eph. 5:33, Col. 3:18, 1 Peter 3:1-6, Eph. 5:22.
7)Harmony and marital peace: (i) Harmony is important to a Christian Marriage – Col. 2:2, 1 Tim. 3:4-5, 1 Peter 3:7, 1 Peter 4:8. (ii) Arguments should be avoided – Prov. 17:9, 14, Prov. 21:19, Prov. 27:15, Phil. 2:3, Col. 3:13
8)Marriage and lovemaking: (i) Sex in marriage is pure, holy and ordained of God – Heb. 13:4, 1 Cor. 7:28,36. (ii) Ordained for procreation – Gen. 27-28, Malachi 2:15, Jeremiah 29:6. (iii) Joined as one flesh – Gen 2:23-24, Mark 10:6-8, 1 Cor. 6:16, Eph. 5:31, (iv) Conjugal pleasure is a gift from God – Prov. 5:18-19 (v) Sex is a marital right, not to be used to punish or reward: 1 Cor. 7:3-5 (vi) Husbands should treat wives with honour and love, not merely as sexual objects – 1 Thess 4:4-5
9)Marriage and Celibacy: (i) Those who forbid marriage are in error – 1 Tim. 4:1-3 (ii)Even priests, bishops and church officials are advised to marry – Ezekiel 44:21-22, Leviticus 21:10,1, Matt. 8:14, 1 Cor. 9:5, 1 Tim.3:2 (iii) Celibacy pros and cons – Gen.2:18, Isaiah 56:4-5, Matt. 19:10-12, 1 Cor. 7:9