short essay 2

Amanda Pacholski

MLA Writing Style Used

THEO 202

Anthropology: Marriage and Divorce My friends who for this purpose I will call Tom and Jane, they both are believers, but are facing a hard time in their marriage. However, before making this life-altering decision, they want to get more information on what the Bible says. Knowing that I went to a Christian university, and that I have helped many other couples with my counseling they came to me for help. To be able to understand there "options" Tom and Jane, need to know the biblical teaching of marriage, of divorce, and remarriage. Marriage is "the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law"(Merriam-Webster.com). In Genesis 2:24 and Mark 10:7-8, it describes how a man will leave his father and mother and become united with a woman and both of them will become one flesh. There is no biblical age requirement for marriage between a man and woman. According to Walter A. Elwell, “by early Christian times girls often married between twelve and seventeen, and boys between fourteen and eighteen” (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p.740). There are both requirements and limitations that are given in the Bible. In Leviticus 20:17, it was forbidden to marry within the immediate family. The "marriage to a foreigner was fraught with dangers, such as possible dilution of the faith and the Hebrew heritage, as well as the advent of strange gods and religious practices.”(Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p.740). In new testament times Christians are not allowed to marry non-Christians (2 Cor 6:14), except in cases where a person had been married before becoming a Christian, then the person is not permitted to divorce his or her non-Christian spouse (1 Cor 7:12-13). According to I Cor. 6:16, a man and woman is considered married upon consummation of the relationship, that is, sexual intercourse. Moreover, Grangberg and Root state that marriage is a “kinship or fellowship with the body as a medium"(Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p.743). This differs from our current culture a lot. There is a high level of promiscuity before marriage. Hollywood and the magazines tell us to live together before we make the big commitment of marriage. Marriage has become so small in this society, that people think they do not have to get married, they have the mindset of "why by the cow if, I can get the milk for free". The Bible does allow for divorce yet you have to remember that it was not a God ordained. In Jesus’ time the reasoning for divorce had become so rampant that Christ had to take a very strict stance on allowing for divorce based on adultery only (Matt. 5:32). Today 's culture has taken a turn to the thought that they can get a divorce. The list goes on in today 's world, unhappiness, infidelity, financial struggles, loss of love or simply being tired of being with your spouse is reasons one gives to get a divorce. Even when experiencing infidelity in my marriage I believe that getting a divorce should be the last resort. Seek godly counsel and try to work on it before making the decision to get a divorce. A marriage is a partnership, and a commitment, that takes hard work and trust in the Lord. A Christian is allowed to remarry once they have repented for breaking the covenant of marriage with their partner. According to Walter A. Elwell, remarriage was first spoken about in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, it was forbidden for a woman to remarry and then return to her former spouse (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p.1007). In Matthew 5:32 and 19:9, Jesus did not forbid remarriage because almost always remarriage followed divorce or death. With divorce rates so high, there has been a major impact to our society both spiritually and socially. The proof of this is through all of the things linked to divided homes, such as behavior problems, crime, violence, addictions, financial issues and the list goes on. The church has been having trouble with not having enough support for these families. The Bible covers the topics of marriage, divorce and remarriage pretty clearly, but God understands that we are a fallen world and that not everything will stay the way He made it. Divorce is a very serious thing in God 's eyes and needs to be considered very carefully.
Word count: # [725]

Bibliography
Amplified Bible (AMP). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from https://www.biblegateway.com/
Elwell, W. A. (Ed). (2001) Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Baker Publishing Group.
"Marriage" Def. 1. Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. .

Bibliography: Amplified Bible (AMP). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from https://www.biblegateway.com/ Elwell, W. A. (Ed). (2001) Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Baker Publishing Group. "Marriage" Def. 1. Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. .