If you are a young Christian considering marriage, or a Christian who is engaged and ready to marry, we are glad you have found this page. More often that not we find that young Christians don’t know all that is required of them in marriage, or what is required of their potential partner. It is our hope that we can change this for as many Christians as possible.
This page is not meant to give you a degree on marriage and all its methods to success, rather 3 of the most important biblical topics on marriage that will open your eyes and hopefully gain wisdom and understanding on the journey you are about to embark on.
TGM aims to help you obtain The Godly Marriage, and we exist to assist you in your second largest commitment of your life here on earth.
Let’s look at some simple biblical concepts on marriage, Man, Woman and his plan for us.
What is Marriage and why does Marriage Exist
- Genesis 2:18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
- 1 Corinthians 11:9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
Reason One
The bible tells us the first reason marriage exists is for man to not be alone. It confirms this in Corinthians and states that woman was specifically made for man, and not the other way around. In this context we can make the following statement,
A marriage will enter troubling times if the woman does not understand her role in marriage, and why she exists.
Reason Two
The bible tells us the second reason marriage exists is to make more humans.
- Genesis 1: 27-28 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth
From this we can make the following statement,
Conception and procreation should only occur within marriage. It is God’s plan and how he intended for humans to multiply on earth.
The Marital Hierarchy
The bible throughout all scripture has a common theme specific to marriage as follows,
The wife must submit to the husband
The husband must lead and love the wife
Submission and Leadership are pivotal to the marriage
- Ephesians 5: 22-23 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church.
- Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.
Here we are given the instruction that the wife must submit to the husband as to the Lord. That is a very powerful statement, and there must be a reason the bible is instructing us with this marital Hierarchy.
If we read the word, we notice when the topic is submission, the instruction for submission to the husband always comes first, when the topic is love, then the instruction for the husband to love always comes first. This order of priority is important, why is this so? what is achieved through this priority?
A husband must set a direction for his wife and family. It is his job to offer strength and guidance, and he is responsible for the wife and family, the word is clear on this,
- 1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with your wives with understanding, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.
- Genesis 2:15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
- Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
We can see now that submission is absolutely essential so that the husband may lead the family in truth and away from danger. God commanded him to keep the garden, and it is no surprise that Satan attacked the woman and not the man.
Statement One
A marriage will succeed based on the wife submitting to the husband in all things, and the husband must love the wife as Christ loved the church, in this order.
Statement Two
A marriage will be destined for trouble if the biblical structure is not followed.
Partner Selection
In the bible we see a hypothetical model of the Godly wife. We see this model in Proverbs 31. Also, throughout the bible we see consistent demands on the husband to love his wife like Christ loved the church. Now let’s look at a verse which shows how we select a marital partner,
- 2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
- Proverbs 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.
- Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
We are told two things in the bible about partner selection. That the partner must be Saved, and that we choose. The burden here is stronger than you think. Potential wife’s, think about the significant calling on the man to lay his life down for his wife, Potential husbands read Proverbs 31 and think about the high order the bible has called your future wife to. Does your potential partner meet the criteria, do they submit themselves to the bible and its instruction on this topic? Will they continually adjust themselves to follow the biblical ideology of marriage?
If you make a mistake here, there will be a lifelong consequence.
To prepare for marriage is like any other task, just the stakes are high. The more informed and guided you are the higher your success will be. God commands his elders to guide and counsel the young through all things. Marriage the Godly way is an amazing journey. You will no doubt endure times of trouble and difficulty, but they will be far easier to navigate if the structure of your marriage is biblical.
Contact us if you would like to learn more or move through one of our Marriage courses designed to help you achieve The Godly Marriage.