What is Marriage?
Genesis 2:22-24 (NIV1984)
22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
This past June, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) met in Dallas, Texas for its annual meeting. In this gathering, there are multiple business matters that are proposed and voted on, such as, electing a president and various officers; approving the annual budget; addressing doctrinal and moral issues within the Convention and the culture at large; proposing resolutions; attending various workshops; commissioning ceremonies of missionaries; and so on. A resolution that has garnished much attention from the news media is the one entitled, On Restoring Moral Clarity through God’s Design for Gender, Marriage, and the Family. Among a number of issues of great moral and biblical import, the resolution addresses the matter of “same sex marriage,” and it states:
WHEREAS, Legal rulings like Obergefell v. Hodges and policies that deny the biological reality of male and female are legal fictions, undermine the truth of God’s design, and lead to social confusion and injustice; … now, therefore, be it…
RESOLVED, That we call for the overturning of laws and court rulings, including Obergefell v. Hodges, that defy God’s design for marriage and family;
The resolution outlines a number of truths found in Scripture from the Book of Genesis onward, in which the Bible clearly states the Judeo-Christian worldview in matters of life, gender, sexuality, marriage and family. Because of these truths revealed in Scripture and in nature, the SBC makes an unequivocal stand for truth and opposes the lies and the ideology propagated in the American culture in the political and media arenas, and calls for all Southern Baptist churches to take their stand against laws that are in clear violation and opposition to what is taught in the Bible. As you can imagine, most Americans have already made up their minds on these issues, and both the media and politicians alike are expressing their views in favor or against the position of the SBC.
The Logos Bible Software gives a synopsis of the teaching of the meaning of “one flesh.”
“A sign and expression of the inseparable union between husband and wife. This is not only physical but emotional, mental and spiritual. It is also used to describe the union between Jesus Christ and the church.”
We also find a second synopsis of the teaching regarding “the purpose of marriage.”
“Marriage is part of God’s intention for humanity from creation and forms the basis for the family which is the primary unit of society. Where marriage flourishes it blesses both the couple and the wider community.”
Jesus reiterated the Biblical teaching about marriage in the Gospel of Matthew 19:4-6. Read if for yourself.
It is hard to believe that our society, our politicians and even some mainline denominations would promote anything different than what the Bible teaches, and something that would go completely against nature, nature’s God, historical precedent, and common sense. But there you have it; it is what it is. As followers of Jesus, we must adhere to the teachings of the Bible, speak the truth in love to a culture that has lost its biblical moorings, and pray for our friends and loved ones for moral clarity on God’s design for gender, marriage, and the family.
Pastor John
