Fundamental Purpose of Marriage

Status
Not open for further replies.
Mal.2:14-15 describes two fundamental purposes:

1) Covenant of companionship
2) Godly seed


14 But you say, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.
 
the fundamental

You might be starting with a basic misunderstanding.

Marriage was ordained for
=the mutual help of husband and wife
- for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the Church with an holy seed
- for preventing of uncleanness.
 
God created Eve to be a help meet for Adam, so companionship. Then later God told them to be fruitful and multiply. Since then, sin has entered into the world, so a third reason is to prevent sexual sin.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mal.2:14-15 describes two fundamental purposes:

1) Covenant of companionship
2) Godly seed


14 But you say, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.

Thank you.

Could one of the purposes of marriage be to remind us of the love Christ has for the church? Paul makes an analogy between the marriage and the relationship between Christ and the church in Ephesians 5.
 
The 1559 BCP summarizes the teaching well:

[Marriage 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
 
Could one of the purposes of marriage be to remind us of the love Christ has for the church?

It would certainly be proper to envision the anticipated relationship between Christ and his church as a significant forethought to the whole of Creation that included marriage.

You specifically asked "What is the fundamental purpose of marriage?" And it seems to me that fundamental purposes should not be locked up in mystery (Eph.5:32; cf. 1Cor.2:7; Rom.16:25) for thousands of years; but are relatively plain.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top