✅ What does the Bible say about marriage and intimate life?

The Bible talks about sex in a different language than we might be used to today. If it is difficult to understand the Synodal translation, then there is always the opportunity to use the modern version.

I will quote a passage from the Bible and immediately insert a modern translation for comparison.

1 Corinthians 7:1-5

1 And what you wrote to me about is that it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 But, [to avoid] fornication, each one have his own wife, and each one have his own husband. 3 The husband show his wife due favor; likewise is a wife to her husband. 4 The wife has no authority over her own body, but the husband does; Likewise, the husband has no power over his body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deviate from each other, except by consent, for a time, to practice fasting and prayer, and [then] be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you with your intemperance.

Modern translation

7:1 As for what you wrote, it is better for a man not to marry. 7:2 But to avoid fornication, every man must have his own wife, and every woman must have her own husband. 7:3 A husband must give to his wife what is due to her, and likewise a wife must give to her husband all that is due to him, as to her husband. 7:4 The wife has no authority over her body, but the husband has authority over it. Likewise, the husband has no power over his body, the wife has power over him. 7:5 Do not deny each other, except by mutual consent for a while, so that you can devote yourself to prayer, and then join together again, so that Satan cannot tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Let's study the passage in the context of our question. For example, I saw that this little passage talks about sex.

What does the Bible say about sex?

Reasonings of the Apostle Paul

Paul, arguing in the first verse, offers us his conclusion, where he recommends that it is better not to marry. This is not a commandment, and we would rightly look at it as a recommendation.

Then Paul continues his thought and talks about “desire.”

The rule is simple - if we cannot possess ourselves, and this “desire” is stronger than us, then it is better to think about marriage. That is, find yourself a spouse.

The logic is correct when we look for a spouse, and then become one flesh - we get married, have sex. And the situation is completely opposite, when we first have sex, and only then think about family - thereby we follow our “desire” contrary to the will of God.

The consequence of such behavior will be fornication.

We read about this in the second verse.

2 But, [to avoid] fornication, each one have his own wife, and each one have his own husband. (1 Cor. 7:2)

After the second verse, Paul lays out a principle of extreme importance.

Marriage is a union of two people

A husband cannot act independently of his wife, just as a wife cannot act independently of her husband. They must act by mutual consent.

A husband should not view his wife as a means to satisfy his desires. The entire complex of marital relations, both physical and spiritual, should give both physical pleasure and the highest satisfaction of all their desires.

During special penances, during long and serious prayers, it is quite appropriate to avoid each other; but this should be done by mutual consent and only for a while, otherwise avoidance can lead to temptations and temptations.

Marriage is not a miracle that accompanies a husband and wife, it is a work. He and she show each other due, (i.e., corresponding) favor, in other words - you need to give each other everything you need. In such relationships there is always joy and sadness. And everything that life gives must be shared together.

Sex in this regard is only a part of this relationship, but from it “one flesh” emerges.

The Old Testament says about sex:

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife; and they will be one flesh. (Gen.2:24)

What does the New Testament say about sex?

31 Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. (Eph.5:31)

The entire institution of marriage and relationships described in both the Old Testament and the New Testament is God's plan .

Today, a ring on the hand speaks of marriage, but it is important to remember that a ring is a circle that has neither beginning nor end.

To sum it up, we can safely say that there are verses about sex in the Bible. And in modern language, sex is part of the family and God's plan.

The Lord has prepared a certain role for both women and men.

What do you think about marriage, family and sex?

Orthodoxy and intimate relationships

Delving deeper into the New Testament, one can trace the indignation and contempt with which Jesus treated hypocrites. Why is sex life relegated to second and third place in Orthodoxy?

During fasting, the main focus is not even on prayer, but on fasting, food restrictions, but what about the desires of the flesh?

God, when creating man and woman, provided that they would become one flesh and this would happen during intimate relationships. The two halves will become one, mutually filling with each other’s spirit. After sexual intercourse, part of the wife lives in the husband and vice versa, and the wife possesses part of the husband. These are the spiritual components of intimate life that were created by God.

It is difficult to imagine how life in the spiritual world is for those who have “scattered” their souls among many partners and have problems without even realizing that the cause of everything is promiscuous sex.

Before the coming of Jesus Christ, polygamy existed on earth, but these were not casual relationships. King David, a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14), sinned with someone else’s wife, then married her after the death of her husband, but God’s chosen one also had to suffer punishment. The child born to the beautiful Bathsheba died.

Having many wives, concubines, kings and ordinary people could not even think that another man could touch their woman. When entering into a love affair with a woman, a man was obliged to tie himself to family ties according to the laws of the church. Even then the marriage was blessed by the priests and sanctified by God. Children born from a legal marriage became heirs.

Important! The Orthodox Church stands for the beauty of real close family ties.

Love, Sex and Marriage in the Bible

It may be surprising that there is a lot of polygamy in the Bible. Examples of polygamy include Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Moses, David, and Solomon. However, biblical polygamy usually had a bitter ending.

Incest, bestiality and prostitution

There is also a bit of incest in the Bible. Lot's daughters became pregnant by intoxicating and raping their father (Genesis 19:30). Ham saw the nakedness of his father Noah. When Noah "awoke from his drunkenness," he "knew what the younger son had done to him" (Genesis 9:22,24). Tamara dressed like a harlot and had sex with her unsuspecting father-in-law Judah in exchange for a goat. “About three months passed after it was told to Judah that Tamara, his daughter-in-law, played a harlot and remained with a child from debauchery. And Judah said, Bring her out, and let her be burned (Genesis 38:34).

Leviticus prohibits incest: “None of you will approach close relatives to expose their nakedness. "(18:6). He also prohibits bestiality: “And you shall not defile yourself with any beast (18:23).” Deuteronomy condemns prostitution: “There shall be no harlots among the daughters of Israel, nor homosexuals among the sons of Israel (Deuteronomy 23:17). “Paul also condemns prostitution: “Do you not know that your bodies are parts of Christ? Should I take parts of Christ and make them parts of harlots? God forbid (1 Corinthians 6:15).

Monogamy

The idea of monogamy went back to Adam and Eve. In Genesis 1, God appears to have created man and woman at the same time: “And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; He created man and woman.” After blessing them, the first thing God tells them is to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” However, Genesis 2 finds Adam alone in Eden. God says that “it is not good that a man should be alone,” and creates Eve from one of Adam’s ribs. Adam seems to view Eve as his other self: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh... Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The serpent that tempts them to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is seductive and phallic in shape and can represent sexual temptation or adultery. To punish Eve, God curses her with the pains of childbirth and marital submission. He dresses Adam and Eve in skins and drives them out of Eden.

Three answers

The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5 shows how God's power and grace transform our marriages to become what our Creator originally intended.

Submit to one another out of fear of Christ. You wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. After all, the husband is the head of his wife, just as Christ is the Head and Savior of the Church – of His body. And just as the Church submits to Christ, so wives must submit to their husbands in everything.
And you, husbands, love your wives as Christ loved His Church. He gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of water through the word, that He might set her before Him as a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way, husbands should love their wives, love them as they love their own body.
He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, there is no such person who would hate his body, but everyone nourishes his body and takes care of it. So Christ takes care of the Church , because we are members of His body.
“Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” There is great truth hidden in these words, and I tell you that they refer to the relationship between Christ and the Church. As for you, let every husband love his wife as himself, and let the wife honor her husband.
(Ephesians 5:21-33, NIV)

American scientists have discovered what the Bible says about sex

Newsweek published an article that the authors of two new popular science books, American scientists Jennifer Wright Nast and Michael Coogan , tried to get to the bottom of what the Bible really says about sex , reports InoPressa.ru.

Researchers are outraged that public opinion is dominated by conservative Christians who argue that the Bible is unequivocally pro-sex

exclusively in a traditional marriage, explains journalist
Lisa Miller . Coogan's book God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says came out last fall, and Nast's Unprotected Texts: The Bible's Surprisingly Controversial View of Sex and Lust will be released soon.
Nast and Coogan pulled from the Bible stories of Jephthah sacrificing his virgin daughter to God and how Naomi and Ruth vowed to love each other to death. They try to prove that the Bible's views on sex do not form a coherent system, contrary to the preaching of religious fundamentalists. Nast interprets " Song of Songs " as a hymn to extramarital love, unfettered by the conventions of family and society.

For their part, conservative theologians are confident that in the context of the Christian tradition, the meaning of the Bible is unambiguous. “Intimate relationships outside of public, lifelong marriage between a man and a woman are not consistent with God’s purposes for the creation of life or the atonement of sins,” explained Richard Mowey , president of Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, California).

The magazine summarizes Nast and Coogan's arguments: “The Bible is an ancient book, and its details do not apply to the modern world. There is no “traditional marriage” in the Bible. Abraham had children with his wife Sarah and his maidservant Hagar. Jacob married sisters Rachel and Leah , and their maidservants Bilhah and Zilpah . Jesus and Paul were celibate."

Wives were actually the property of their husbands, and daughters were the property of their fathers, the article says. “The father had to protect his daughter’s virginity or sacrifice it at his whim. Therefore, Lot offers his two virgin daughters to the angry crowd that surrounded his house in Sodom,” the author writes.

Coogan finds that the Bible is "permeated with patriarchal bias" and advises that it be interpreted as the beginning of an unstoppable movement towards complete freedom and equality for all people.

“The Bible sometimes describes sex figuratively,” the article says. Sometimes “hands” or “legs” in the Bible refer to genitals : for example, the prophet Isaiah warned that the punishing God would shave hair from heads, chins and “legs.” Ruth, having come to Boaz , whom she hoped to marry, spent the night “at his feet.” From this Coogan makes a sensational conclusion: in the scene in the Gospel of Luke , where the woman kisses Jesus' feet and washes them, "there may be sexual overtones."

The Bible prohibits prostitution, adultery, homosexuality, and for girls, sex before marriage . But, as Nast emphasizes, in each case there are exceptions - the childless widow Tamar passed herself off as a prostitute and lay with her own father-in-law to conceive a child. Nast also makes the provocative suggestion that King David "satisfied his sexual desire" with his friend Jonathan . Divorce is permitted in the Old Testament , but prohibited in the Gospel .

“The generally accepted interpretations are sometimes wrong,” the publication states. Thus, Nast assures that the Lord punished the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah not for homosexuality and sexual promiscuity, but for the desire to rape angels . “And when the Apostle Paul tells women to come to church with their heads covered, he wants them not to arouse the lust of angels,” the magazine retells Nast’s opinion.

One may not agree with the versions of Coogan and Nast , but they rightfully urge readers to first familiarize themselves with the text of the Bible and only then make their assessments on issues of sex and morals, the publication concludes.

Answer one: leave the rivalry

When the Apostle Paul wrote these words, the attitude towards women in ancient society was very sad, if not even more terrible. Women were viewed as inferior beings and were given very little freedom. They could not act as witnesses in court, could not adopt children or enter into business contracts, and could not own property or inherit. The philosopher Aristotle and the historian Josephus said that women are inferior to men in all respects. They were considered less intelligent, less moral, a source of sin and constant temptation.

This is why the words of the Apostle Paul sound so revolutionary. It brings women into the formation of the marriage covenant as equal participants. They are not just an additional, forced element. They are not the ones who should give legitimate offspring, create home coziness and comfort for their husband, or satisfy his sexual desires. Both husband and wife are called to serve each other. She is a participant, with her own rights and responsibilities, just like him.

“Submit yourselves to one another out of fear of Christ. You wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (verses 21-22). First Paul says: both husband and wife are all subject to God, and therefore must listen to each other. He then emphasizes the wife's religious freedom, her freedom of conscience. She has a personal relationship with God. Not through her husband and not as her husband said, but this is her personal choice! Below, in this passage, their equality in sexual relations is noted.

In general, the words about the wife's submission to her husband in verse 22 were truly shocking. Paul emphasizes their equality as human beings! Only an equal can obey freely. The apostle shows her voluntary and responsible choice. He notes her sacred privilege of being obedient to her husband because of her submission to God, and not because of fear or obligation to man or society.

Moreover, if we look again at this entire text, we will see that the Apostle is talking about the wife’s obedience in the context of the husband’s broad responsibilities. In those days, marriage contracts were filled with the responsibilities of wives, but very little mention of the responsibilities of husbands. Here it's quite the opposite. The husband is called to love and serve his wife so that he can legitimately and naturally expect obedience and respect from her.

But notice that Paul is not going where modern feminism is taking us. He does not place women superior to men, but equal in dignity and worth. It does not destroy the difference in their roles and responsibilities, nor does it distort the concept of equality. The Apostle shows them as one team, where each complements each other so that harmony and beauty of human relationships in the family are formed. Each has a role to play, each has its own advantages, each brings its own characteristics to this marriage of equals.

Real love.

Perhaps people could love each other, but a physical relationship is the wrong start. Human relationships should be put at the forefront. First you need to get to know the person better, find out his ideals and values, note whether you have common views on life and raising children. Because if relationships are built only on the satisfaction of carnal desires, then they are doomed to failure.

Why do we have such a high divorce rate now? About 70% over the last 5 years. Precisely because people build relationships without a solid foundation. There is no understanding between them, no true love. In most cases, there is only passion. And the passion fades away as quickly as it arose.

It is important not to cross this line. Because one careless step and everything starts to fall apart. After young people move on to physical intimacy, the relationship ends. Because people develop an emptiness inside, some spark fades away. The awe goes away and is replaced by passion, which, as we know, tends to disappear over time. We can say that they trample on the love that could have arisen. There is an outrage, a kind of blasphemy.

Cleanliness is beautiful. After all, the words “virginity” and “purity” are synonymous. This is not just a virgin man, this is a pure man. But in fact, cleanliness is beautiful. And you don’t need everyone to appreciate your beauty. The main thing is that it brings joy to you and the only person who will be next to you. After all, virginity is the surest guarantee of beautiful and strong love with this person after marriage. The basis of reliable and long-term relationships, which are the most important component of happiness.

Love is noble only when it is bashful and modest. (Vasily Alexandrovich Sukhomlinsky).

Good for those who chose a more direct path to happiness. So, the best way to avoid failure is not to control another person, but to control yourself.

Take heart

If you have a family, then maybe you have already tried a lot - books, family counselors, psychologists, girlfriends with friends, drugs and alcohol, and new sex techniques - but you still do not feel complete happiness and joy in your relationships. Turn to God's program for building a family - from competition to cooperation, from self-centeredness to service, from the human model to the divine.

Waking up in the morning under one roof, you will devote yourself to a high divine calling - to build the closest human relationships on earth. When you wake up each morning, you will be ready to forgive your spouse, submit, and love as Christ and the Church show us to do. Wake up every morning - and seek grace and help from the Perfect Husband - Christ and from the Immaculately obedient Son of God, so that we can build families where holiness and purity, joy and happiness, peace and freedom flourish. It's not easy, but it's worth it! This is something in which God Himself will help us.

filaretuos

Friends and enemies

The Bible on adultery with a woman

This topic arose by itself from the stories of my friends, when women, for a plausible motive, especially on the Internet, penetrate into the personal lives of guys or men, and then impose their vision on them, quarrel with their friends because of jealousy, begin to pursue and seek meetings, when this guy may be 18 years old, and the woman is 68, and then the person asks what he should do now and how to act, and this is where you need to turn to the Bible and see what this book of Life teaches.

I would like to note that we are not talking about women in general here, but ONLY ABOUT WOMEN - HARLOTS, who can penetrate life under the most plausible pretext. And how scary this can be for the human soul.

== And I found that woman is more bitter than death, because she is a snare, and her heart is a snare, and her hands are fetters. The good before God will be saved from it, and the sinner will be caught by it. (Ecclesiastes 7:26) == and in these words we see that Ecclesiastes finds that sin, misfortune, madness are PARTLY in woman. But Woman is the same net and snare only for a WEAK person.

== For the mouth of another man’s wife drips honey, and her speech is softer than oil. But the consequences of it are bitter, like wormwood, sharp, like a double-edged sword. Her feet descend to death, her feet reach the underworld. If you wanted to comprehend the path of life, then its paths are impermanent, and you will not recognize them. (Proverbs 5; 3-6) == External attractiveness and seductiveness, let’s call it directly, LOVERS, the fascination of her speech is like drops of honey and oil for the listener, but the consequences of being carried away by her caresses are extremely harmful. Those who are carried away by them will later have such a bitter and painful feeling as a person who has tasted wormwood or as a person who has received a deep wound from a sword experiences. The libertine herself faces an INEVITABLE DEATH and her destiny is DEATH, first spiritual, since her spiritual beginning is finally suppressed by carnal lust, and then inglorious bodily death. But it is not easy for a man, especially a young man, in the presence of such an insidious woman, to discover in himself the true nature and price of the actions of a HARLOCK, since SUCH A WOMAN ALWAYS KNOW WHAT TO PUT HER SINS IN A GOOD FORM.

Only parental covenants and spiritual advice should protect the young man from all such temptations. Only the advice of parents and spirituality can stop a young man from becoming criminally close to an evil and adulterous woman. One must beware of the emergence of lust or passionate attraction of the heart both to a harlot and, in general, to an ELDER STRANGER WOMAN. no matter how beautiful and attractive she may seem.

What does a harlot have? This is shamelessness, insidiousness, deceit. which is found in all her actions and gestures, but especially IN WORDS! And this is always presented as if in an innocent form; there can be seduction by elements of luxury and promises of a wonderful future next to her, a promise of carnal pleasure.

== With many kind words she captivated him, with the softness of her lips she took possession of him. He immediately followed her, like an ox going to the slaughter and like a deer going to shoot. (Proverbs 7; 18-22) == The speeches of a harlot are always very cunning and they are always well calculated on the pliability of the sensual nature of a person, especially a young man, and the deeds of inveterate harlots against young men and boys who are younger than themselves are usually crowned with success. After some hesitation of his conscience, the guy limply surrenders into the hands of the destroyer of his soul, and then ANIMAL PLEASURE awaits him, which destroys his soul and stains his body.

== Whoever commits adultery with a woman has no intelligence, he who does this destroys his soul. He will find beatings and shame, and his dishonor will not be erased. (Proverbs 6; 32-33) == A harlot is a despicable and insignificant creature, but she can destroy not only a young man, but also an honorable man. How many seemingly serious people have lost their property through a random forced connection. But it’s even more terrible for a person to lose his good name and his honor. For it is impossible not only to preserve carnal innocence, but not even to tarnish one’s name in inappropriately close communication with a harlot.

What else is scary about adultery? Temptation and sin may come from a woman, but society will always condemn a man. As a result, this is a PUBLIC COURT, condemnation for having a relationship with a prodigal woman. And the second reason is MATERIAL LOSSES. For sooner or later, even if she initially attracts with wealth, she will demand payment for pleasure.

And what does a man or young man get after a while from such a connection? Later and FERTILE, and therefore especially painful REPENTANCE. After revelry and debauchery, there will always come a time when it will no longer be possible to continue this way of life. The body, exhausted by debauchery, will wear out and it will be taken over by diseases in which any carnal heat of lust will go out and only regret and repentance will remain for having followed the wrong woman, believing in the wrong woman. Realizing all the abomination, he did not stop in time. That the relationship was in vain, he didn’t start a family, there are no children either, and the epiphany will begin that everything was for the sake of the lust of a harlot and it all began with beautiful words.

Young men need to refrain from spiritual and physical relaxation and from PASSION FOR WOMEN. and guilt. that is, a guy can be intoxicated by both wine and a woman. Both drunkenness and fornication are sins, and from wine and from a woman you can lose your head and then become a sick person. Therefore, wine and women do not pose a danger only to strong people who know how to use it not to harm, but to their own benefit, and before falling into sin and grabbing too much, they will be able to say a firm NO! We see this in the first lines of chapter 31 of Solomon's Proverbs, where a mother instructs her son King Lemuel and says: == Do not give your strength to women.. (Proverbs 31:3) ==

In the Bible we also read the following lines: == It is good for a man not to touch a woman. (1. Corinthians 7:1) == In the Corinthian Church, in contrast to the previous physical licentiousness of morals, some Christians began to defend the idea that it is not appropriate for a Christian to enter into marriage, and whoever has entered into marriage must live separately. It should be remembered here that the Apostle Paul himself was not married and he preferred virginity. So the Apostle Paul now had to decide how the Corinthians should view marriage after their debauchery. And his decision was such that although celibacy has an advantage over marriage, nevertheless, marriage should be a common occurrence for a person in order to avoid fornication. If a person is tempted by the flesh and cannot live without his other half, then in order to avoid fornication, just with harlots, let each man have his own wife, and each wife her husband, and show each other due affection and the husband rules over the body of the wife, and over The wife rules the body of the husband and does not shy away from each other. Here, married carnal life is permitted, which is not a sin. But that is the married life of husband and wife.

Following the discussions
: A biblical view of the family.
a brief summary of the discussion of the same name

I. THE LORD GOD ESTABLISHED THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE

The term “to marry” or “to enter into marriage” in the Old and New Testaments is translated by the following words and concepts: “to be a master”, “to take a wife”, “to exalt” or “exalt” a woman, “to enter into a covenant”, “to live together” , “fulfill the duties of a brother,” “become a husband/wife.”

1. Origin.

The institution of the family was established by God as a permanent (not temporary) union of a man and a woman, based on mutual love and mutual assistance (
Genesis 2:18
).
The Bible describes marriage as the physical and spiritual union of a man and a woman created for each other ( Genesis 2:24
,
Matthew 19:5
).

2. The biblical teaching on marriage is the teaching of monogamous marriage.

The Bible teaches monogamy, not polygamy.
This is the doctrine of marriage between one man and one woman. Of course, there were times recorded in the Bible when this principle was violated by people. But this in no way diminishes the biblical teaching of marriage as a monogamous union between two people. Psalm 127:3
“
Your wife
[note: not a wife, but a wife!]
is like a fruitful vine in your house;
Your sons are like olive branches around your table ."
Proverbs 5:18
“And be comforted by the wife of your youth”;
Proverbs 18:22
“
Whoever finds a good wife
[and not wives!]
finds good and receives grace from the Lord
”;
Proverbs 19:14
“
A house and wealth are an inheritance from parents, but a prudent wife
[not wives!]
is from the Lord
.”;
Ecclesiastes 9:9
“
Enjoy life with the wife
[not wives!]
whom you love all the days of your vain life, and whom God has given you under the sun for all your vain days
.”

Polygamy:

Monogamy in marriage has existed since the creation of Adam and Eve for several generations.
The first mention of a polygamous family in the Bible is associated with the descendants of Cain, namely Lamech: Genesis 4:16-19
“
And Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son: Enoch. Irad was born to Enoch; Irad gave birth to Mechiael; Mechiael gave birth to Methuselah; Methuselah gave birth to Lamech. And Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Ada, and the name of the second was Zillah .”
Lamech was not only a “polygamist,” but also a murderer: Genesis 4:23-24
“
And Lamech said to his wives: Ada and Zillah!
listen to my voice; the wives of Lamech! listen to my words: I killed a man for my wound and a boy for my wound; If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech is avenged seventy times sevenfold .” Not only was he a killer, but he was also proud of it. That is, he took pleasure in violating God's laws and God's order of things.

Now let's take a step-by-step look at God's plan for the family:

A. God created only one wife for Adam

Human history began with two people: Adam and Eve.
Genesis 1:27-28
“
And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;
male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth .”

B. The two will become one flesh.
Genesis 2:23-24
“
And the man said, Behold, this is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh;
she will be called woman, for she was taken from man. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; and they will become one flesh ." The two become one flesh. They have everything in common. They belong to each other. They are one. Dualism in this case (the desire for independence) is individualism, and this is the opposite of unity.

B. Marriage and divorce.
Matthew 19:5-9
“
And he said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.
So, what God has joined together, let no man separate. They say to Him: How did Moses command to give a letter of divorce and divorce her? He says to them: Moses, because of your hardness of heart, allowed you to divorce your wives, but at first it was not so ;
but I say to you: whoever divorces his wife for reasons other than adultery and marries another commits adultery; and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery ." The same is said in Mark 10:6-9
.
Only death can separate a person from his own flesh. Therefore, only death can dissolve marital ties. Jesus mentioned only one reason why spouses could divorce—adultery, that is, adultery ( Matthew 19:9
).
The Apostle Paul mentioned another reason for divorce in a family in which one spouse is a believer and the other is an unbeliever: 1 Corinthians 7:15
“
If an unbeliever wants to be divorced, let him be divorced;
brother or sister in such cases are not related ."

II.
SPOUSES 1. HUSBAND A. Head of the family Ephesians 5:23
“
...The husband is the head of the wife
.”
1 Corinthians 11:3
“
I also want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God
.”

B. Responsibilities of the husband as head of the family:

The husband, as the head of the family, had three main responsibilities: spiritual, social and economic:
Firstly
, the father was responsible for the spiritual health of the family as a whole and for each family member individually.
In ancient times, the father was the priest in his family and therefore had to offer sacrifices for the family members: Genesis 12:8
“
From there he went to the mountain, east of Bethel;
and he pitched his tent so that from it Bethel was to the west, and Ai to the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord ;
Job 1:5
“
When the circle of feasting days was completed, Job sent for them and sanctified them and, rising early in the morning, offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all.
For Job said: Perhaps my sons have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts. This is what Job did on all such days ."

Later, when the priesthood was introduced in Israel, priests (Levites) began to fill this role. However, the father continued to be the spiritual leader of the family. This is manifested in raising children and all household members in the Lord: Exodus 12:3,26-27

“
Say to all the congregation of Israel, On the tenth day of this month, let each one take for himself one lamb according to his family, one lamb per family... And when your children say to you, “What kind of service is this?”
say: This is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed by the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed down and worshiped ”;
Proverbs 22:6
“
Train a young man in the beginning of his way; he will not turn away from it when he is old
.”
Ephesians 6:4
“
And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord
.”

Social responsibilities:

these include protection of family members. The father is the protector of the household. Among the most unfortunate people in Israeli society were widows and orphans, who were considered the most defenseless people. The four main social duties of the head of the family in relation to his sons were as follows (in accordance with Jewish tradition): circumcision of the son, transfer of inheritance to the first-born, finding a wife for the son, teaching the son a trade.

Economic responsibilities:

The head of the family is the breadwinner, or breadwinner.
God, cursing the earth for Adam's sin, said: Genesis 3:17-19
“
...cursed is the earth for your sake;
you will eat from it in sorrow all the days of your life; She will bring forth thorns and thistles for you; and you will eat the grass of the field; By the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground ."
The husband, as the head of the family, was obliged to take care of the immediate needs of his family members. In the case where a sloth refused to take care of his family, the Holy Scriptures reminded him of his duty to his family ( Proverbs 6:6-11
“
Go to the ant, O sloth, look at his actions, and be wise. He has neither a ruler nor steward, nor ruler; but he prepares his grain in the summer, gathers his food in the harvest. How long will you sleep, you sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? Sleep a little, slumber a little, lie down a little with folded hands, and he will come, your poverty is like a passer-by, and your need is like a robber
."
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul denounces those who, calling themselves Christians, forget to care for their households ( 1 Timothy 5:8
“
If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel
”).

2. THE WIFE
Dependence of the wife on her husband:
Despite her role in managing the household, the wife was completely dependent on her husband.
This was expressed in different ways, but in particular, in the address of the wife to her husband: The word that wives used when addressing their spouse “ baal
” literally meant “lord” or “master”.
Sarah called Abraham “her master”: Genesis 18:12
“
Sarah laughed inwardly, saying, Shall I, now that I am old, have this consolation?
and my lord is old ."

A. Helper to her husband
Genesis 2:18, 21-22
“
And the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone;
Let us create for him a helper suitable for him... And the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and when he fell asleep, he took one of his ribs and covered that place with flesh. And the Lord God created a wife from a rib taken from a man, and brought her to the man .”
1 Corinthians 11:9
“
...and man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man
.”

B. Duties of a wife.

The wife had complete authority and freedom to manage and manage the household, which included not only raising children, but also preparing food (
Genesis 18:6
“
And Abraham hurried to Sarah’s tent and said, “Knead quickly three sacks of fine flour and make unleavened bread.
” ;
2 Samuel 13:7-9
"
And David sent to Tamar's house, saying, Go to the house of thy brother Amnon, and prepare food for him. And she went to the house of her brother Amnon, and he lay. And she took flour and kneaded it , and prepared before his eyes and baked cakes, and took a frying pan and laid it out before him; but he did not want to eat
"), the distribution of food among the household (
Proverbs 31:15
), and the production of cloth and clothing (
Proverbs 31:13,21- 22
).
For more information about a prudent wife, read Proverbs 31:10-31
.

III. NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING ABOUT MARRIAGE AND FAMILY.

1. To marry or not to marry?

The Bible does not forbid marriage, but encourages it:
1 Timothy 4:1-3
“
But the Spirit clearly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of false talkers, seared in their consciences, forbidding into marriage
.
1 Timothy 5:14
“
I desire therefore that young widows marry, bear children, rule in the home, and give no occasion to the enemy to speak evil
.
Hebrews 13:4
“
Let marriage be honorable in all, and the bed undefiled;
But God judges fornicators and adulterers .
1 Corinthians 7:1-2
“
And what you wrote to me about is that it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
But, in order to avoid fornication, each have his own wife, and each have his own husband .

2. Christian marriage:

God forbade the marriages of the Israelites with the Canaanites because they could cause Israel to fall away from God:
Exodus 34:15-16
“
You shall not enter into an alliance with the inhabitants of the land, so that when they commit fornication after their gods and sacrifice to their gods, they invited you too, and you would not have tasted their sacrifice;
and do not take wives from their daughters for your sons, lest their daughters, having committed fornication after their gods, lead your sons into fornication after their gods .”
Deuteronomy 7:3-4
“
...do not make a covenant with them and do not spare them;
and thou shalt not enter into kinship with them: thou shalt not give thy daughter to his son, and thou shalt not take his daughter to thy son; for they will turn your sons away from Me to serve other gods, and then the wrath of the Lord will burn against you, and He will quickly destroy you .”

The Bible prohibits believers from marrying unbelievers:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

“
You are not cramped in us;
but your hearts are tight. In equal retribution, I say, as to children, you too will spread. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness with iniquity? What does light have in common with darkness? What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? Or what is the complicity of the faithful with the infidel? What is the relationship between the temple of God and idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean; and I will receive you. And I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty ."
1 Corinthians 7:39
“
A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband lives;
if her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she wants, only in the Lord .”

3. Relationships between spouses:
Ephesians 5:22-33
“
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body.
But just as the Church submits to Christ, so do wives to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her, in order to sanctify her, cleansing her with the washing of water through the word; to present it to Himself as a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it might be holy and without blemish. Thus should husbands love their wives as their own bodies: he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and warms it, just as the Lord does the Church, because we are members of His body, from His flesh and from His bones. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and the Church. So let each of you love his wife as himself; and let the wife fear her husband ”;

Colossians 3:18-19

«
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and don't be harsh on them.
«;

Titus 2:4-5

«
...to admonish young people to love their husbands, to love children, to be chaste, pure, caring for the home, kind, submissive to their husbands
«;

1 Peter 3:1-7

“
You also, wives
, be submissive to your husbands, so that those of them who do not obey the word will be won without a word by the life of their wives when they see your pure, God-fearing life.
Let your adornment be not the external braiding of your hair, not gold jewelry or finery in clothing, but the innermost person of the heart in the imperishable beauty of a meek and silent spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. Thus, once upon a time, holy women who trusted in God adorned themselves, obeying their husbands. So Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him master. You are her children if you do good and are not embarrassed by any fear. Likewise, you, husbands
, treat your wives prudently, as with the weakest vessel, showing them honor, as joint heirs of the grace of life, so that there is no hindrance in your prayers
.”
1 Corinthians 7:3-16

“
And
the husband show his wife due favor;
likewise a wife is to her husband
.
The wife has no power over her body, but the husband does; Likewise, the husband has no power over his body, but the wife does. Do not deviate from each other, except by agreement, for a while, to exercise in fasting and prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you with your intemperance. However, I said this as permission, and not as a command. For I wish that all people were like me; but everyone has his own gift from God, one this way, the other another. To the unmarried
and
widows
I say: it is good for them to remain as I do.
But if they cannot abstain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to become inflamed. And to those who have entered into marriage
, I command not I, but the Lord: the wife should not divorce her husband, but if she divorces, she must remain single, or be reconciled with her husband, and the husband should not leave his wife.
To the rest
I say, not the Lord: if a brother has an unbelieving wife, and she agrees to live with him, then he should not leave her;
and a wife who has an unbelieving husband, and he agrees to live with her, should not leave him. For an unbelieving husband is sanctified by a believing wife, and an unbelieving wife is sanctified by a believing husband. Otherwise your children would have been unclean, but now they are holy. If an unbeliever wants to get a divorce, let him get a divorce; the brother or sister is not related in such cases; The Lord has called us to peace. Why do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or do you, husband, why do you know if you won’t save your wife? “
What is the Bible's teaching on family based on the verses above?

Let's summarize what we just read:

but

IV.
GOD'S USE OF THE FAMILY ANALOGY 1. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
A. In the Old Testament, God's relationship with Israel is described as that of a spouse (where Israel is the wife and God is the husband): Isaiah 54:5
“
For your Creator is your husband;
The Lord of Hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel: He shall be called God of the whole earth .”
Isaiah 62:4-5
“
You will no longer be called “forsaken,” and your land will no longer be called “desert,” but you will be called “I am well pleased with him,” and your land “married,” for the Lord is well pleased." to you, and your land will be united.
As a young man marries a virgin, so will your sons marry you; and as the groom rejoices over the bride, so will your God rejoice over you .

B. Israel (wife) cheated on God with other gods:
Isaiah 1:21
“
How the faithful capital, full of justice, became a harlot!
The truth lived in her, and now - the murderers" ;
Jeremiah 2:21-23
“
I have planted you as a noble vine, the purest seed;
How did you turn into a wild branch of someone else’s vine with Me? Therefore, even though you wash your face with soap and use a lot of lye on yourself, your wickedness is marked before Me, says the Lord God. How can you say: “I have not defiled myself, I have not followed Baal?” Look at your behavior in the valley, find out what you were doing, a frisky camel prowling along your paths? ";
Jeremiah 3:1-2
“
They say: “If a husband lets his wife go, and she leaves him and becomes the wife of another husband, can she return to him?”
Wouldn’t that country be defiled by this?” But you have committed fornication with many lovers, and yet return to Me, says the Lord. Raise your eyes to the heights and see where they have not committed fornication with you? You sat by the wayside for them, like an Arabian in the desert, and you defiled the land with your fornication and your wickedness ,” also
Jeremiah 3:6-11
.

C. God promised to purify his bride and make a new covenant with her forever:
Hosea 2:16-23
“
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me, 'My husband,' and shalt call me no more, 'Baali.' "
And I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and their names will be remembered no more. And at that time I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the birds of the air and with the creatures that creep on the earth; I will destroy bow and sword and war from the land, and let them live in safety. And I will betroth you to Me forever, and I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and judgment, in kindness and mercy. And I will betroth you to Me in fidelity, and you will know the Lord. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heaven, and it will hear the earth, and the earth will hear the bread and the wine and the oil; and these shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow it for Myself on the earth, and I will have mercy on the Unmercied One, and I will say to my people, “You are My people,” and they will say, “You are my God!” ".

2. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT:

The Lord's promise made in the Old Testament was fulfilled in the New Testament: the New Testament describes Jesus Christ as the bridegroom, and the Church as His bride, whom He bought, cleansed, and washed with His blood.

Matthew 9:14-15

“
Then John’s disciples come to Him and say: Why do we and the Pharisees fast a lot, but Your disciples do not fast?
And Jesus said to them: Can the sons of the bridal chamber mourn while the bridegroom ?
But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast .” John 3:29
“
He who has the bride is the groom, and the friend of the groom, standing and listening to him, rejoices with joy when he hears the voice of the groom.
This is my joy being fulfilled .”
2 Corinthians 11:2
“
For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God;
because I have betrothed you to one husband , in order to present you to Christ
as a pure virgin
.”
Ephesians 5:23-27
“
…for the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body.
But just as the Church submits to Christ, so do wives to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her, in order to sanctify her, cleansing her with the washing of water through the word; in order to present it to Himself as a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or anything like that, but that it might be holy and blameless .”
Revelation 19:7
“
Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him;
for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready .”
Revelation 21:2,9
“
And I John saw the holy city Jerusalem, new, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband... And one of the seven angels came to me, having seven bowls filled seven last plagues, and said to me: Go, I will show you a wife, the bride of the Lamb
.”
Revelation 22:17
“
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come!”
And let him who hears say come! Let him who is thirsty come, and let him who desires take the water of life freely .”

V. FAMILY TIES ON EARTH ARE A PROTOTYPE OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE CHURCH:

In the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians, when describing the relationship between spouses, it is said: “ This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and to the Church

" (
Ephesians 5:32
). Thus, the Lord, as it were, lifts the veil of God’s mystery for us in relation to believers and their Savior using the example of a family:

a) Ephesians 5:30

“
...for we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones
.”
Eve appeared during Adam's deep sleep from his rib (flesh). Here we can draw an analogy with Jesus Christ, whose death (deep sleep) led to the birth of His Bride - the Church of God ( John 12:24
“
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; and if he dies, he will bear much fruit"
;
John 19:33-35
"
But when they came to Jesus, when they saw Him already dead, they did not break His legs, but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. And he who saw it bore witness, and his testimony is true; he knoweth that he speaketh the truth, that ye may believe
."

Adam gave Eve the name
'ishah
- "wife" or "woman", which is derived from
'iysh
- "husband" or "man" (
Genesis 2:23
“
And the man said, Behold, this is bone of my bones and flesh of flesh mine; she will be called wife, for she was taken from her husband
."
Jesus gives the Church His new name: Revelation 3:12
“
He who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will no longer go out;
And I will write on it the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name .”

It says about the family:
Ephesians 5:31-32
“
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh
.”
In a family, husband and wife become one. This is the prototype of the unity of the Church: Romans 6:5
“
For if we are united with Him in the likeness of His death, we must also be united in the likeness of His resurrection
.”

The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church:
1 Corinthians 11:3
“
I also want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God
.”
Ephesians 5:23
“
The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church
.”

Death can separate husband and wife.
However, death cannot separate Christ from His bride: John 10:28-29
“
My Father, who gave them to Me, is greater than all;
and no one can snatch them out of the hand of My Father. “I and the Father are one ”;
Romans 8:35-39
“
Who will separate us from the love of God: tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword?
as it is written: For Your sake they kill us every day; we are counted as sheep doomed to the slaughter. But we overcome all this through the power of Him who loved us. For I am confident that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor the present, nor the future, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ” .

However, we must not forget that infidelity is the second reason that can separate spouses. In this case, applying this to our relationship with God, we can say that our spiritual betrayal (spiritual adultery) can lead us to complete denial of our Creator.

CONCLUSION:

Jesus described the Kingdom of Heaven as a wedding feast:

Matthew 22:2-14

«
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who held a wedding feast for his son. and he sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast; and didn't want to come. Again he sent other slaves, saying: Tell those who are invited: behold, I have prepared my dinner, my bullocks and what is fattened, slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast. But they despised this and went, some to their field, and some to their trade; the others, seizing his slaves, insulted and killed them. Hearing about this, the king became angry, and, sending his troops, destroyed their killers and burned their city. Then he says to his servants: The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy; So go to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast. And those slaves, going out onto the roads, gathered everyone they found, both evil and good; and the wedding feast was filled with those reclining. The king, entering to look at those reclining, saw a man there, not dressed in wedding clothes, and said to him: friend! How did you come here not wearing wedding clothes? He was silent. Then the king said to the servants: Having tied his hands and feet, take him and throw him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; for many are called, but few are chosen
«.

Now answer the question: “Have I accepted Heavenly Father’s invitation to the wedding feast or not yet?
". If not, what are you waiting for and why are you delaying?
Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior today while the doors of salvation are still open! We also recommend reading the articles:

* The Bible about children and parents.
* Woman through the eyes of God. * Fifth commandment.
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The role of the wife in the family

The first and most important thing to note is that a woman needs to marry a man she respects. The main and fundamental duty of a wife in marriage is to show respect to her husband, and this, in turn, requires obedience and honor from the woman.

Also, a woman needs to give birth to children, and after that raise and care for them with great tenderness.

The Bible also commands wives to be homemakers and hard workers when it comes to the home. Household work, which according to the Bible falls on the wife, consists of three main tasks - raising children, maintaining cleanliness, and preparing food.

If the wife is competent in any other matters, her work at a certain time will take the wife outside the family home. The Bible does not say that women should work at home. She teaches that home should be a priority.

And, of course, the Bible teaches idleness, in which one should not throw money away. Therefore, it is the wife’s duty to perceive shopping as her duty and her work, and not as entertainment.