What does the Bible say about interracial marriage?
The Old Testament Law commanded the Israelites not to engage in interracial marriage (Deuteronomy 7:3–4). However, the reason for this command was not skin color or ethnicity. Rather, it was religious. The reason God commanded against interracial marriage for the Jews was that foreign people were worshipers of false gods. The Israelites would be led…
What is God’s design for marriage?
Marriage has been a hot topic lately, and there is much confusion surrounding the issue. Is there a design for marriage, and, if so, who has the right to change the design? Can we redefine what marriage is if the old definitions are too restrictive? At the heart of our questioning is a clash of…
What was the purpose of a dowry (Genesis 31:15)?
A dowry, sometimes called a bride price or bridewealth, was a payment made by a man as a gift to the family of a woman he desired to be his wife. In Genesis 29, Jacob loved Rachel and offered to work seven years for her father, Laban, in exchange for her hand in marriage. This…
What is the validity of marriage in today’s world?
“Marriage is a sucker’s bet.” “If you get married, you will regret it within five years.” “Don’t do it; the man you marry won’t be the same man you bury, because they change over time.” Such gloomy statements abound in a jaded world filled with marriage skeptics, and many young people are dismayed by such…
Why did God allow Solomon to have 1,000 wives and concubines?
First Kings 11:3 states that Solomon “had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines.” Obviously, God “allowed” Solomon to have these wives, but allowance is not the same as approval. Solomon’s marital decisions were in direct violation of God’s Law, and there were consequences. Solomon started out well early in his life, listening to…
What does it mean to leave and cleave?
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24 KJV). Other translations render “leave and cleave” as “leave and be united” (NIV), “leave and be joined” (NASB), and “leave and hold fast” (ESV). So, what precisely does it mean to…
Why should I get married?
Many cultures in the world today are losing the understanding of what marriage was designed to be. We live in a world that says we should get what we want any way we can get it. Marriage is sometimes seen as confinement that may hamper our ability to have what we want when we want…
What should be different about a Christian marriage?
The primary difference between a Christian marriage and a non-Christian marriage is that Christ is the center of the marriage. When two people are united in Christ, their goal is to grow in Christlikeness throughout the life of the marriage. Non-Christians may have many goals for their marriage, but Christlikeness is not one of them.…
What does the Bible say about sologamy / autogamy?
Sologamy or autogamy is a concept that has garnered attention in recent years, involving a focus on the individual. Sologamy is the act of marrying oneself in a public ceremony, a symbolic act of committing to self-acceptance and self-love. In this context, sologamy and autogamy are synonymous terms. Sologamy or autogamy involves holding a marriage…
What is a platonic marriage?
The concept of a “platonic marriage” is becoming more accepted in today’s society. A platonic marriage is the legal union of two people who come together in marriage but without any expression of sexual or romantic love. It is similar to the concept of a “platonic relationship” in which two people form a relationship based…