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Marriage was instituted by God in the garden of Eden before the fall — the first human institution in Scripture. Genesis 2:24 establishes its pattern: a man leaves his parents, is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. The New Testament deepens this picture, with Paul comparing the marriage relationship to Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22–33) and Jesus affirming its permanence (Matthew 19:6).
"That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud… It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
"He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord."
Scripture presents several purposes: companionship (Genesis 2:18), reflecting the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22–33), procreation and raising godly children (Malachi 2:15), and providing a context for sexual intimacy within covenant commitment (1 Corinthians 7:2–5).
Ephesians 5:22–33 describes mutual submission (v.21) with the husband called to sacrificial, Christ-like love and the wife called to respect and follow her husband's leadership. This passage is interpreted differently across Christian traditions, but all agree the model is Christ's self-giving love, not domination.
2 Corinthians 6:14 warns against being 'unequally yoked with unbelievers.' While this passage is broader than marriage, it is widely applied to it. 1 Corinthians 7:39 specifies that a widow is free to remarry 'only in the Lord,' implying a fellow believer.