Scripture consistently communicates that marriage is a
lifelong commitment. Jesus described the relationship between husband and wife
this way in Matthew 19:6: “They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore
what God has joined together, let no one separate” (NIV). Dr. Craig Keener, Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological
Seminary, explains how crucial this understanding is, saying, “Jesus reminds us
that in the beginning God joined man and woman together. ‘One flesh’ often
refers to one's relatives or kin, so the husband and wife becoming ‘one flesh’
should be a family unit no less permanent than our families of origin should
be.”
“The
biblical ideal is marriage as a lifelong union between a man and a woman, both
of whom are Spirit-filled disciples of Christ (Ephesians 5:18),”
affirms Dr. Andreas
Köstenberger, Senior Research Professor of New Testament and
Biblical Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He emphasizes
that “marriage illustrates the principle of two becoming one, [a principle]
which is also present in the spiritual union between Christ and the church
(head and body; Ephesians 5:32).”
Dr. Beth
Felker Jones, Associate Professor of Theology at Wheaton College,
adds,
Marriage, created
by God as a “one flesh” union, is meant to be a sign of God's unbreakable
covenant with us. This is an important symbol throughout the Scriptures: God is
compared to a husband and God's people to a wife. When, by the grace of God,
we're able to keep a marriage together, we get to be symbols—imperfect symbols,
but still symbols—of God's faithfulness to his people. Marriages are supposed
to last because they are symbols of God's lasting love for us.
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