INTRODUCTION

"There are two rocks In this world of ours , on who the soul must either anchor or be wrecked , the One
God and the other is Marriage" so then what is Marriage?. Marriage is the Solemn and glorious and
there is no other Earthly Relationship that has much power to enable consequences known to man.
Than when the principles of marriage are been perverted or Abused . Marriage is originated by God
himself immediately after the creation of Adam , we read thus in the book of Gen 2:18-24. God created
a woman to be a companion and a Help mate to the man. It's God intention for man to Marry for he says
" for this cause shaal a man Leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his marriage then was
not invented by man but rather by God himself there are also many passages of the Scriptures which
show that it is God's will that Man and woman should Marry. In the new testament when the Pharisees
where questioning Jesus about marriage and divorce he quoted from Gen 2 , and added " What God has
put together let no man put Asunder (Matt 19:6) Jesus further gave his approval to marriage and Also
Paul exhault the younger women to marry , bear children and guide the home Paul also forge ahead and
advice that is better for a man not to marry if he could control himself, but Paul made it plain and clear
that Even in distressing time's. It was not wrong to marry if their was a need for it.

OLD TESTAMENT TEACHING ABOUT MARRIAGE

According to Sacred Scripture, God instituted marriage as the pinnacle of creation. On the sixth day, in
the first creation story, the Book of Genesis tells us: “God created man in his image; in the divine image
he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fertile and multiply, fill
the earth and subdue it’” (Genesis 1: 27-28). In the second creation story, God says that “it is not good
for man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” (Genesis 2:18). This suitable helpmate was
formed from the very rib of man and thus woman was “flesh of his flesh” (Genesis 2:22-23). Woman,
then, is man’s equal in dignity and the one closest to his heart. Because man and woman were created
for one another, “a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them
become one flesh” (Genesis 2: 24). Scripture teaches that marriage is not a mere human institution, but
something God established from the foundation of the world. Sin not only brought about a break with
God, but it also ruptured the original communion between man and woman. Adam and Eve blamed
each another for what had happened and were now embarrassed by their nakedness (Genesis 3:7-13).
The Old Testament shows how sin affected the goodness of marriage. There is the polygamy of the
patriarchs and kings. Moses allowed divorce because of the people’s “hardness of heart” (see
Deuteronomy 24:1 and Matthew 19:8). Men and women did not treat one another with integrity, honor
and love as God had intended. Nonetheless, while sin marred the goodness of marriage, it did not
destroy it.

OLD TESTAMENT TEACHING ABOUT DIVORCE (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)

Woman, among the Hebrews, as among most nations of antiquity, occupied a subordinate position.
Though the Hebrew wife and mother was treated with more consideration than her sister in other lands,
even in other Semitic countries, her position nevertheless was one of inferiority and subjection. The
marriage relation from the standpoint of Hebrew legislation was looked upon very largely as a business
affair, a mere question of property. A wife, nevertheless, was, indeed, in most homes in Israel, the
husband's "most valued possession." And yet while this is true, the husband was unconditionally and
unreservedly the head of the family in all domestic relations. His rights and prerogatives were manifest
on every side. Nowhere is this more evident than in the matter of divorce. According to the laws of
Moses a husband, under certain circumstances, might divorce his wife; on the other hand, if at all
possible, it was certainly very difficult for a wife to put away her husband. Unfortunately a double
standard of morality in matters pertaining to the sexes is, at least, as old as Moses (see Exodus 7-11).
already suggested, marriage among the Hebrews, as among most Orientals, was more a legal contract
than the result of love or affection. It would be, however, a great mistake to assume that deep love was
not often present, for at all times the domestic relations of the Hebrew married couple have compared
most favorably with those of any other people, ancient or modern. In its last analysis it was,
nevertheless, a business transaction. The husband or his family had, as a rule, to pay a certain dowry to
the parents or guardians of the betrothed before the marriage was consummated. A wife thus acquired
could easily be regarded as a piece of property, which, without great difficulty, could be disposed of in
case the husband, for any reason, were disposed to rid himself of an uncongenial companion and willing
to forfeit the mohar which he had paid for his wife. The advantage was always with the husband, and
yet a wife was not utterly helpless, for she, too, though practically without legal rights, could make
herself so intolerably burdensome and hateful in the home that almost any husband would gladly avail
himself of his prerogatives and write her a bill of divorcement. Thus, though a wife could not divorce her
husband, she could force him to divorce her

CHRIST TEACHING ABOUT MARRIAGE

Marriage is a covenant relationship intended to be permanent and unbreakable. Marriage is not

intended to be eternal beyond this life, but is a lifetime commitment. Jesus pronounced this in verse 6b,
saying, “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” The marriage covenant is sacred.

CHRIST TEACHING ON DIVORCE

In the first, Matthew quotes Jesus as saying: “It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, except on the
grounds of porneia (sexual immorality), makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries a divorced
woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:31-32).In the second, the Pharisees question Jesus, saying: “Is it
lawful for a man to put away his wife for any cause?” And Jesus answers by attributing that command to
their “hardness of heart” (Mark 10:5) and appealing to the order of creation found in Genesis,
concluding that man and woman are not two but one, and that what God has joined humans should not
separate it.While statements in the Bible concerning divorce do not entirely agree in every detail, it is
“plain enough that Jesus does not approve of divorce,”

PAUL TEACHING ABOUT MARRIAGE

Paul’s teachings on marriage are, themselves, indicative of his conviction to the importance of marriage
in God’s eternal plan. “Marriage is honourable in all,” (Hebrews 13:4) Paul wrote, and “neither is the
man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:11).
Priesthood leaders, Paul counseled, such as bishops, were to be married. In his instructions to Timothy,
Paul wrote: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good
behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2). Similar counsel was given to Titus (see
Titus 1:6). Prophesying of the apostasy of the last days, Paul warned, “In the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, to marry” (1 Timothy 4:1-3) Paul was qualified to speak on marriage. Most likely a
married man himself, Paul would have been able to speak from personal experience as he taught Church
members about marriage. Since experience and credibility are so closely intertwined in the minds of
most people, the Saints of that day would have been more likely to listen to Paul’s counsel if they
believed he had learned, by his own experience, what a marital relationship was really like. But even
more important, Paul was an Apostle, a special witness of Christ. Living and knowing well the doctrine of
the Church, he would have been able to teach that doctrine in the authority of his divine calling.
Convert, disciple, Apostle—Paul was a great advocate and defender of the faith. His teachings, including
those on marriage, reflect his discernment of the unique needs and concerns of a disparate, changing
Church membership and his inspiration regarding the doctrines that should be taught. Paul’s most
pivotal teachings on the subject of marriage are found in 1 Corinthians 7, 1 Corinthians 11, and
Ephesians 5. Paul taught That

“If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her
away.

“And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let
her not leave him.

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the
husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

PAUL TEACHING ABOUT DIVORCE

Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 7 must be understood with these tensions between celibacy, marital sex,
and immorality in mind. This includes Paul’s advice about separation and divorce: To the married I give
this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate.from her husband. But if she does
separate, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not
divorce his wife (1 Cor. 7:10-11). Paul explicitly states that the Lord commands that a wife should not
separate, but Paul then makes an allowance for the very thing the Lord forbids. It seems Paul
understood the difference between the ideal and the concessions that are sometimes made in a less
than ideal situation. Moses, likewise, allowed for divorce (Matt. 19:7-8; Mark 10:2ff). (It seems Moses
sent away his first wife Zipporah and later married another woman from Kush.) When a couple married
in ancient times, as now, there were expectations and promises, either implicit or articulated. When a
spouse repeatedly breaks these promises, the terms of the marriage contract or covenant are broken;
the marriage is broken. Many Christians have a holy fear of divorce, and this can be a good thing. Yet
divorce is never mentioned in lists of sins or vices in any New Testament letter, including in Paul’s letter
to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 6:9-11. Mark 7:20-23). Adultery is sometimes mentioned in New Testament
vice lists. However, a person who divorces an abusive spouse and later meets and marries someone may
not necessarily be committing adultery.

CONCLUSION

Some Christians think all marriages are sacred. Some marriages, however, are diabolical. Furthermore,
people are more sacred than marriages, especially abusive marriages. People need to be cared for,
protected, and loved, and not unwillingly sacrificed for an ideal. All biblical regulations and instructions,
including those about divorce, must be applied with both wisdom and kindness. But please note that I
am not promoting divorce. What I do say is this: if a marriage or a home is unsafe, we must not just
allow people to leave, we need to help people to leave.

REFERENCES

James, M. (1915). Divorce In The Old Testament. California: International Bible Encyclopedia.

Lotus, M. (2012). Biblical Root Of Marriage. California: Emory Law.

Brooks, K. (October 31st, 2023). Paul Inspired Teaching On Marriage. Wikipedia. Retrieved September
21st, 2023, from https://rsc.byu.edu/go-ye-all-world/pauls-inspired-teachings-marriage.

Loftus, M. (2012). What Did Jesus Really Say About Marriage And Divorce. Cslr.Law.emory.edu.
Retrieved October 10th, 2023, from https://cslr.law.emory.edu/news/releases/2012/02/what-jesus-
said-marriage-and-divorce.html.