Question:
"What constitutes marriage according to the Bible?"


Answer:
This is a difficult question to answer because the Bible nowhere explicitly states at what point God considers a couple to be married.

There are three common viewpoints:
1) God only considers a couple married when they are legally married.
2) A couple is married in God’s eyes when they have completed some kind of formal wedding ceremony.
3) God considers a couple to be married at the moment the marriage is consummated with sexual intercourse.

Let’s look at each of the three views and see what strengths and weaknesses each has.


---1) God only considers a couple married when they are legally
married.
The scriptural support
typically given to this view is the verses that advocate submission to the government
(Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:17).
The argument is
that if the government requires certain “paperwork” to be completed before a marriage is recognized,
a couple should submit themselves to whatever process the government requires.
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 himself to the governing authorities,
for there is no authority except that which God has established.
The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,
and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”


There are some weaknesses and potential problems with this view.

First,
there were marriages before any government was organized. For thousands of years, people were getting married with no such thing as a marriage license.

Second,
even today, there are some countries that have no governmental recognition of marriage,
and/or no legal requirements for marriage.

Third,
there are some governments that place unbiblical requirements on a marriage before it is legally recognized.

As an example,
there are countries that require a wedding to be held in a Catholic church, according to Catholic teachings,
and overseen by a Catholic priest.

Obviously,
for those who have strong disagreements with the Catholic Church
and the Catholic understanding of marriage as a sacrament, it would be unbiblical
to submit to being married in the Catholic Church.

---2) A couple is married in God’s eyes when they have completed some kind of formal wedding ceremony.

Similar to the way—in many cultures—a father gives away his daughter at the wedding,
some interpreters understand God’s bringing Eve to Adam (Genesis 2:22)
as God’s overseeing the first wedding “ceremony.”

In John chapter 2,
Jesus attended a wedding ceremony.
Jesus would not have attended such an event if He did not approve of what was occurring.
Jesus’ attending a wedding ceremony by no means indicates that God requires a wedding ceremony,
but it most definitely does indicate that a wedding ceremony is acceptable in God’s sight.

Nearly every culture in the history of humanity has had some kind of formal wedding ceremony.
In every culture there is an event, action, covenant, or proclamation
that is recognized as declaring a man and woman to be married.

---3) God considers a couple to be married at the moment the marriage is consummated with sexual intercourse.

There are some who argue that if any man and woman have sex, God considers the two of them to be married.

Such a viewpoint is not biblically sound.

The basis for this argument is
the fact that sexual intercourse between a 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” on a marriage covenant.

However, if a couple is legally and ceremonially married, but for some reason is unable to engage in sexual intercourse, the couple is still considered married.

It is not biblical
to consider a couple who have had sexual intercourse—but who have not observed any of the other aspects
of a marriage covenant—to be married.

Scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 7:2
indicate that sex before marriage is immorality.
If sexual intercourse causes a couple to become married, it could not be considered immoral,
as the couple would be considered married the moment they engaged in sexual intercourse.
There is absolutely no biblical basis for an unmarried couple to have sex
and then declare themselves to be married, thereby declaring all future sexual relations to be moral and God-honoring.

So, what constitutes marriage in God’s eyes?

It would seem that the following principles should be followed:
1) As long as the requirements are reasonable and not against the Bible,
a couple should seek whatever formal governmental recognition is available.
2) A couple should follow whatever cultural and familial practices are typically employed
to recognize a couple as “officially married.”
3) If possible, a couple should consummate the marriage sexually,
fulfilling the physical aspect of the “one flesh” principle.

What if one or more of these principles are not fulfilled?

Is such a couple still considered married in God’s eyes?

Ultimately, that is between the couple and God.

God knows our hearts (1 John 3:20).

God knows the difference between a true marriage covenant and an attempt to justify sexual immorality.


Recommended Resource: Why True Love Waits by Josh McDowell.

http://www.gotquestions.org/marriage-constitutes.html

Good Post! Thanks for all the Info!




God knows the difference between a true marriage covenant and an attempt to justify sexual immorality.

you are so righttttt !!!!!!

It is a blessed privilige to share the Word of God here at mingle2
and a blessing that other Christian sites
have carefully researched the facts for us.


And of course we have our Bibles always at hand... ready to search the scriptures to verify each topic.

We're so blessed that you are here sharing as well, Toodygirl5!

~CeriseRose~

Welcome to mingle2, tjett!

Make yourself at home.

I agree with this ^^^^^

This brings to mind Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well...



John 4:
Jesus & the Woman at the well

1, When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
2, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
3, He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4, And he must needs go through Samaria.
5, Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6, Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7, There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8, (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9, Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10, Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11, The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12, Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13, Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14, But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15, The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16, Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17, The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18, For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19, The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20, Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21, Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22, Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25, The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26, Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27, And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28, The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
...

^^^^^
I agree with that...