# What are the purposes of marriage?



## ClayPot (Jan 28, 2011)

What are the purposes of marriage? What are the orderings of these purpose (say primary purpose, to lesser purposes)


----------



## py3ak (Jan 28, 2011)

The BCP lays it out fairly well:



> DEARELY beloved frendes, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of his congregacion, to joyne together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is an honorable state, instytuted of God in Paradise, in the time of manes innocencie, signiflyng unto us the mistical union that is betwixt Christ and his Churche: which holy state Christe adourned and beautified with his presence and firste myracle that he wrought in Cana of Galile, and is commended of sainct Paul to be honourable emong all men, and therfore is not to be enterprised, nor taken in hande unadvisedly, lightly or wantonly, to satisfye mennes carnall lustes and appetytes, lyke brute beastes that have no understandyng ; but reverently, discretely, advisedly, soberly, and in the feare of God, duely consideryng the causes for the which matrimony was ordeined. One was the procreation of children, to be brought up in the feare and nurtoure of the Lorde, and praise of God. Secondly, it was ordeined for a remedy agaynste sinne and to avoide fornication, that suche persones as have not the gifte of continencie might mary, and kepe themselves undefiled membres of Christes body. Thirdly, for the mutual societie, helpe, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, bothe in prosperity and adversitye, into the whiche holy state these two persones present, come nowe to be joyned. Therefore if any man can shewe any just cause, why thei may not lawfully be joyned together let hym now speake, or els hereafter for ever holde his peace.


----------



## Scott1 (Jan 28, 2011)

> Westminster Confession of Faith
> 
> Chapter XXIV
> Of Marriage and Divorce
> ...


.



> Scripture proofs
> 
> [2] GEN 2:18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
> 
> ...


----------



## ClayPot (Jan 28, 2011)

Thanks Scott. I always appreciate your quotes of the WCF. I really need to start going there sooner. Do you know what, "a legitimate issue" is?



Scott1 said:


> > Westminster Confession of Faith
> >
> > Chapter XXIV
> > Of Marriage and Divorce
> ...


----------



## py3ak (Jan 28, 2011)

jpfrench81 said:


> "a legitimate issue"



Offspring inside wedlock, with clear lines of inheritance.


----------



## AThornquist (Jan 28, 2011)

I know there are folks who believe that a purpose of marriage is to model Christ and the church, so in essence be a living Gospel. What are your thoughts about that? From Ephesians 5 my inclination is to say that the relationship between Christ and the church is the perfect model for marriage and that godly marriage _can_ be used as a good illustration of the Gospel. However, I'm not entirely sure that the text says that a primary purpose of marriage is to manifest the Gospel any more than other relationships and examples of nature illustrate theological truth.


----------



## Peairtach (Jan 28, 2011)

Marriage also models the Holy Trinity, Man, male and female, being made in God's Image. Plurality and Unity.


----------



## ClayPot (Jan 28, 2011)

AThornquist said:


> I know there are folks who believe that a purpose of marriage is to model Christ and the church, so in essence be a living Gospel. What are your thoughts about that? From Ephesians 5 my inclination is to say that the relationship between Christ and the church are the perfect model for marriage and that godly marriage _can_ be used as a good illustration of the Gospel. However, I'm not entirely sure that the text says that a primary purpose of marriage is to manifest the Gospel any more than other relationships and examples of nature illustrate theological truth.


 
Since God designed it to be a picture of Christ's relationship with the church, then I think you can deduce from that that a purpose of marriage is to depict Christ's relationship with the church.


----------



## N. Eshelman (Jan 28, 2011)

The three-purposes of marriage are all found within the Reformation thoughts on marriage. If you look at the Solemnization of Marriage from the Dutch Reformed Churches (Pieter Dethanus), the Westminster Standards, and the Book of Common Worship- all three include: 1. fellowship 2. children and the continuation of the covenant 3. prevention of sin.


----------

