LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

Marriage, Human Sexuality, and Family in the Christian Thought

Submitted to Dr. Timothy McAlhaney, in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the completion of the course

CHHI 510 B04

Survey of the History of Christianity

by

Lindsay Greene
July 1, 2016
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Biblical View of Marriage, Human Sexuality, and Family..............................................................4
Human Sexuality in the Early Church.............................................................................................6
Early Church’s View of Marriages..................................................................................................7
Modern Views of Marriage, Human Sexuality, and Family............................................................9
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................11
Introduction
The Bible was provided instructions of how the institution of marriage and family should

be defined. In this paper, the idea of marriage, human sexuality, and the family in the Christian

Thought will be explored from the Bible and through the eyes of the Christian Fathers and Early

Church. The paper will display that God’s purpose for marriage and love is the central

foundation of the marriage origin. The love that Christ displayed is the same love that should be

illustrated throughout the duration of the marriage. The love should be unconditionally, loving

your helpmate’s flaws.

A biblical marriage is described as between a man and a woman who have first fell in

love with God then with each other. Genesis 2:24 confirms that a marriage is between a male

and female, “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they

become one flesh."1 The marriage based on the Christian faith holds the individuals to marital

vows to remain married until death do us part.

In order to keep the Kingdom growing, God instructed Adam and Eve to be fruitful and

multiply. Pro-creation is God’s assignment for man to bring forth human vessels for His Glory.

“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 heavens and over

every living thing that moves on the earth.” 2(Genesis 1:28).

1 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the Life Application Study Bible, New
Living Translation (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1996).

2 Ibid
 In closing, marriage is a holy covenant between God, a man and a woman. Marriage is a

holy connection based on God’s love. Human sexuality in marriage is to display God’s

relationship with man and for the building of His Kingdom.

Biblical View of Marriage, Human Sexuality, and Family

According to the Old Testament, marriage is between a man and a woman through the act

of holy institution. Marriage is a divine assignment from God. Because this idea was not of

human thought, marriage is not free to be redefined or reorganized. We as Christians are called to

protect God’s holy definition of what marriage was designed from the beginning of time to be.

We must uttered the same words printed in the Holy Bible, “What therefore God has joined

together let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6).3 Marriage is more than just a contract, it is a

covenant between man and God. There are five vital principles to the covenant of marriage: (1)

the permanence of marriage (2) the sacredness of marriage (3) the intimacy of marriage (4) the

mutuality of marriage and (5) the exclusiveness of marriage. 4 Under the first principle, marriage

is considered to be permanent because it is recognized by God. There are a few circumstances

mentioned in the Bible that would allow one to divorce their spouse. The second principle tells

us, God does not recognize a marriage between two persons of the same sex. Also, this

partnership between God and the two complying persons creating a “one-flesh union”.5

3 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the Life Application Study Bible, New
Living Translation (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1996).

4 Andreas Kostenberger. “ The Bible’s Teaching on Marriage and Family”, accessed June 28, 2016,
http://www.frc.org/brochure/the-bibles-teaching-on-marriage-and-family

5 Ibid
 The intimacy of marriage is based on the scripture, “a man shall leave his father and his

mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).6The mutuality

of marriage is being concern about the other’s well-being through unconditional love and

devotion. Sexual intercourse between the man and woman caused them to become one flesh.

Marriage should possessed the following characteristics mutual, sacred, intimate, permanent, and

exclusive. During marriage, there should be no inferences from the outside. Nothing should try

to separate the two individuals in the marriage. “The institution of marriage was designed by

God as an analogy between God and the Church, where God (the husband) cares for and loves

the Church (the wife)”.7 The model for the Christian marriage and family was Adam and Eve

along with the children birthed from them.

Human Sexuality is viewed as a gift of creation. It was a good gift because God made

everything perfect during the creation. The union of the one flesh through the sexual intercourse

caused the man and woman to be made in the likeness of God. God has instructed us to withhold

from sexual activities until one is married. Sex is to be appreciated in holy matrimony. In

marriage, “we are covenanted to the person to another as a husband or wife”.8 Sex should not be

used as a hobby nor a toy because “your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians

6:19).9 The body should be used for God’s service.

6 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the Life Application Study Bible, New
Living Translation (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1996).

7 Rich Deem, “The Biblical Design for Human Sexuality, accessed June 28, 2016,
http://www.godandscience.org/doctrine/sexuality.html#n02

8 John S. Grabowski, “Formation in Human Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Life”, accessed June 28, 2016,
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/catechesis/catechetical-
sunday/marriage/upload/leaders-grabowski.pdf
 Human sexuality should be used to please each other’s spouse and for procreation. By

nature, we are sexual beings. Within the marriage borders, it is the spouses’ responsibility to

please each other sexual needs and unselfish in order to diminish enticement. In order to God

created sex and directed it to the male, Adam and female, Eve. Our first command from God "be

fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth”. (Genesis 1:27-28).10 Another purpose of human

sexuality was to provide children who would be raised in a godly fashion to be children of the

Kingdom. “Sexuality is an integral part of our personal identities”. 11 Sexual union was blessed

by God in order for the first couple, Adam (male) and Eve (female) to become united with Him

as one flesh. The purpose of human sexuality can be summarized with this statement, God wants

us to know sex is good, it is used to express commitment to each other and to bear children but

enjoy the gift of sex inside of your marriage. The best method of witnessing about human

sexuality “is to cover the nakedness of its sin with the clothing of Christ’s righteousness”.12

Human Sexuality in the Early Church

“Early Christian attitudes toward the body and gender has focused on asceticism and

renunciation”13. Asceticism is the ability of abstinence from self-pleasures in obtaining spiritual

goals. The purpose of asceticism was to gain the spiritual power connection in God. It was a

9 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the Life Application Study Bible, New
Living Translation (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1996).

10 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the Life Application Study Bible, New
Living Translation (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1996).

11 Rev. Wayne Muller. Human Sexuality, accessed June 29, 2016,

http://www.christianliferesources.com/article/human-sexuality-734

12 Ibid

13 David Hunter, Marriage in the Early Church (Wipf & Stock Pub, 2001)
standard to practice martial celibacy until marriage. It was common for bishops and priests to

enforce this practice during the early church periods. “Asceticism was practiced in biblical times,

and events like the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness and the lifestyle of John the Baptist in

the desert”.14

Eusebius of Caesarea explained the examples of asceticism was when Jesus asked the

disciples to give up their riches and goods to the poor, follow Jesus and spread the good news of

the Gospel. In the second century, disciples of the Gospel was considered to be the

“distinguishable group in the Church” because they were able to remain celibates.15 In the third

century, Clement of Alexandria and Origen provided writings to the bishops for spiritual

guidance for celibates and virgins. The writers suggested that the celibates and virgins conducted

their lives as normal with obedience, self-denial and voluntary poverty.

Asceticism could have been viewed as extreme training of a fleshy, humanly person.16

The Bible has instructed us to deny yourself, “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after

me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23) and not to place

yourself in harm way.

We are no longer under the laws, we are living under grace. We as Christians of today

are led by the Holy Spirit rather than the Mosaic Laws of the land. Clearly, the practice of

asceticism and renunciation was enforce to gain favor and blessings from God or to be forgiven

14 Ibid

15 Ibid

16 Susanna Elm, Virgins of God' : The Making of Asceticism in Late Antiquity, (Oxford University Press,
1994), 1
for sin however this lead to the misinterpretation of grace. Love and grace is freely given all to

those who believe.

Early Church’s View of Marriages

Marriages in the early church was a lifetime commitment between a male and a female

and if a divorce was established, it was viewed as a sin. The fathers of the early church believed

if you were to remarriage, God would grant forgiveness once. Justin Martyr felt that sexual

intercourse should be done for the sole purpose of procreation and the widows should remain

celibate until death. Martyr felt if a person had been previously married, he or she should not be

able to remarry. Justin Martyr‘s belief a person was still committing adultery even though

divorce was accepted. 17

Origen Adamantius was another philosopher who wrote warnings against remarriage. He

took on the thought of “prohibition of a woman’s remarriage during the lifetime of her first

spouse.”18 He is a father of the church “who did not believe in the

indissolubility of marriage, who did believe that one could and should divorce

(not merely “separate”) if one had the grounds of fornication, and who

believed that one who divorced as a discipline could morally remarry.” 19 His

writings were heavily written toward celibacy.20 He practiced asceticism but his view’s

17 Dean Taylor, Marriage, Remarriage, and Divorce, (accessed June 28, 2016)
http://www.ntchurchsource.com/literature/read/marriage-divorce-and-remarriage/2-one-flesh-one-
covenant-cont/

18 Origen, Commentary on Matthew, 14:22, 23, 24.

19 Ibid.

20 David Hunter, Marriage, Celibacy, and Heresy in Ancient Christianity: The Jovinianist Controversy,
(Oxford Univeristy Press, 2007), 184
concerning marriage was different from Justin Martyr. He believed marriage was for the

enjoyment for both the man and woman not just for procreation.

St. Tertullian was a father from the third century era who echoed the teachings of the

Apostle Paul. In his writing, On Monogamy, he voiced his belief “that marriage

lasts past the grave”.21 He wrote two letters to his wife on how beautiful and

wonderful marriage was between a man and a woman.22 Later on due to “fell

into the heresy of Montanism, he become very bold against remarriage and

marriage as a whole.”23

Modern Views of Marriage, Human Sexuality, and Family

In the Reformation period, Martin Luther and others were trying to erase the practice of

asceticism. Martin Luther’s views were based on the biblical definition of marriage and sexual

intercourse was meant to be performed in the bounds of the marriage for pleasure and

procreation.24 If one performs sexual intercourse outside the window of marriage, the act was

viewed as adultery or fornication. Because Martin Luther was made a hermit in the year 1505,

therefore because of his commitment, he could not become a husband nor a father.25 Martin

21 William Luck, , Divorce and Re-Marriage: Rebuilding the Biblical View (Biblical Studies Press,2009),278

22 Rex Butler, The New Prophecy and "New Visions": Evidence of Montanism in The Passion of Perpetua
and Felicitas (The Catholic University of America Press, 2006), 118

23 Ibid

24 Margaret Farley, Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics, (Continuum International
Publishing Group, 2006), 45

25 J Merle D'Aubigne, The Life and Times of Martin Luther, (Moody Publishers, 1978), 105
Luther published a writing, entitled 95 Theses which provide a guideline on how to life a

lifestyle of celibacy for the clergy members.26

A priest of the Catholic Church by the name of St. Thomas Aquinas says that pleasure in

the bedroom was the one sin God would forgive and sexual intercourse is strictly for

procreation.27 When two have decided to have causal sexual intercourse, it is fornication but it is

not all of the man’s fault if the woman is a willing partner in the act. According to Aquinas, it is

clearly a sin because it is not done for procreation and it was committed intentionally. 28

Conclusion
Since the Garden of Eve, the biblical view of marriage, human sexuality, and family was

marriage is between a male and female, sexual intercourse is a privilege and right for holy union,

sex outside of marriage is a sin, and procreation should be performed in the bounds of an

exclusive marriage. There has been many modifications throughout the centuries about the idea

and practices of celibacy, the church never change its view on sexual intercourse or fornication.

Before the Reformation period, clergy were practicing asceticism which prohibited clergymen

from marriage. It was not until Martin Luther arrived on the scene, his marriage open the door

for other clergymen to married if they desired. Throughout the history books and teachings, one

belief that remain constant was the sacredness of sexual intercourse.

26 Morris L. Venden, 95 Theses on Righteousness by Faith: Apologies to Martin Luther, ( Pacific Press
Publishing Association, 2003), 6

27 Perry J. Cahall, The Mystery of Marriage: A Theology of the Body and the Sacrament (Hillenbrand
Books, 2016), 228

28 Ibid
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