Africa Study Bible Sampler - Flipbook - Page 69
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MARRIAGE
M
arriage is the most important relationship
you can have with another person. It is an
intimate and life-changing social institution. In
our cultures, a person who is married is usually
considered to be a mature and responsible adult.
Most of us desire to marry and raise children.
The Tiv people of Nigeria have a proverb: Inyon
purugh kperegh mom ga, “A bird does not fly with
one wing.” Hence, a person needs a partner with
whom to share life.
But when marriage is elusive or when Christians remain single by choice, they can spend
much time working for God. Often singles do
great works for God. (Read 1 Corinthians 7:32-35.)
Others choose to marry so that they can work for
God together, as husband and wife (Psalm 34:3).
Prior to the introduction of Western Chris
tianity, Africans had traditional marriage, which
involved the extended family participating in
courtship, payment of dowry, and betrothal.
Christianity and Western education introduced
two additional forms of marriages: court marriage and church marriage.
The court form of marriage is created by the
state. The bride and groom and family representatives declare the marriage union before a court
registrar and sign a document, authenticating the
marriage. The court keeps a copy of the signed
document.
A church marriage affirms the authority of God
over a marriage union. Some Christians view
marriage as a sacrament. In a church marriage, a
bride and groom agree that God is Lord over their
marriage. They publicly declare their marriage
Divine Origin of Marriage
vows before God and the church. A church wedMarriage was created by God. The family is the
ding does not have to be an expensive ceremobasic unit of society. When God created man
ny. It would be better to have a simple wedding
and woman, he said, “A man leaves his father
with a Christian blessing and fewer guests than
and mother and is joined to his wife, and the
to delay the marriage for many years in order to
two are united into one” (Genesis 2:24). When a
make it as lavish as some of our relatives might
man and woman marry, they become one. The
want, which could lead to temptation to have
husband’s number-one relative and number-
premarital sex.
one love is his wife. The wife’s number-one relA traditional marriage is a commitment before
ative and number-one love is her husband.
the couple’s family and ethnic group. A court
Marriage is a reflection of the nature of God
marriage is a commitment before the couple’s
himself. God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy
government. A church marriage is a couple’s
Spirit) created human beings (male and female)
commitment before God and the people of God,
in “our image” (Genesis 1:26). Men and women,
who should agree to support the couple.
whether married or not, have a purpose in God’s
There is no harm for a Christian to participate
agenda. But should they decide to marry, they in a traditional marriage or a court marriage, beshould be united in serving the Lord together in cause the authority of government is recognised
their families and in their ministry.
by the Bible. But only the Bible can define marMarriage can also be compared to the image of riage for a Christian. We read in Genesis 2:24 that
Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:21-32). Just because God created man and woman, a man
as a couple on their wedding day is fully mar- leaves his father and mother and is joined to his
ried, believers are fully children of God on the wife, and the two are united into one.
day they become Christians. Just as a couple will
Some Africans traditionally embraced pogrow together and become more like each oth- lygamous marriage relationships, in which one
er over the years, a Christian will become more husband marries two or more wives. Much less
like Christ over the years. And just as a person common is polyandry, in which one wife marshould be faithful to his or her spouse, a Chris- ries two or more husbands. Neither polygamy
tian should be faithful to Christ, our bridegroom nor polyandry is encouraged in the Bible. Paul
(2 Corinthians 11:2-3).
tells Timothy to teach that an elder should have
one wife (1 Timothy 3:2). Polygamy or polyanWhat Is “Marriage”?
dry cannot be part of holy matrimony, a church
The word marriage is used to talk about three marriage. Just because Old Testament men
different things. They are related, but not quite such as Jacob, David, and Solomon were polygamists does not mean God endorses polygamy.
the same.