Marriage is the God-ordained, covenantal, and sexual union of one man and one woman for the ultimate purpose of glorifying God and fulfilling his purposes in creation and redemption.1 A biblical view of marriage requires an understanding of God’s original design for marriage as well as the effects of sin on this God-ordained institution. Ultimately, marriage bears witness to Christ’s relationship to his church.
God’s Design for Marriage in Creation
Marriage is part of God’s good design in creation. Knowing that it was not good for man to be alone, God gave him a “helper,” a woman, who was fit for him (Genesis 2:18). The distinct, complementary roles of husbands and wives are aimed at helping them fulfill God’s purposes and flourish as those made in his image.
Christ’s relationship to the church is to be reflected in the relationship between a husband and a wife.
Adam, the first man, was to take responsibility to lead his wife, Eve, in obeying God’s will. The headship of husbands, in turn, is intended to reflect this God-ordained order built into creation (1 Corinthians 11:3). Wives fulfill God’s design by submitting to their husbands in the fear of the Lord.
However, the differences between husbands and wives do not imply that one gender has more inherent worth than the other. Both men and women are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27) and are therefore equal with respect to their worth and dignity. Christian husbands and wives are co-heirs of eternal life in Christ (1 Peter 3:7).
The marriage relationship was designed for procreation, sexual pleasure, relational intimacy, and societal flourishing. However, as we’ll see next, God’s original design has been corrupted—though not abandoned—on account of sin.
Sin’s Corruption of Marriage in the Fall
Sin has corrupted God’s good design in marriage. Husbands, for example, are tempted to either passively neglect their responsibilities or to exercise their authority in harsh, self-serving ways—or both. Wives, on the other hand, are tempted to begrudge, belittle, or even usurp their husband’s authority. Both husbands and wives are tempted to violate their commitment to one another (and to God) through sexual immorality.
By God’s design, and for our good, marriage is the only context in which sexual activity is permitted. The prohibitions against adultery and covetousness in the Ten Commandments2 reflect God’s will in this matter, as do the New Testament warnings concerning adultery and sexual immorality.3
Unfaithfulness to one’s spouse tears at the very fabric of the marriage and is even used in Scripture as a metaphor for the sin of idolatry (Jeremiah 3:1). Israel broke its covenant with the Lord by running after other (so-called) gods (Deuteronomy 31:16).
While marriage was designed to be an exclusive, lifelong relationship, Scripture permits (though doesn’t require) divorce when a spouse is sexually unfaithful4 or when one spouse abandons the other.5 Only God’s grace in Christ can clear the guilt and heal the brokenness brought about by adultery and divorce.
Christ’s Redemption of a Bride through the Gospel
Ultimately, earthly marriage points to a greater, heavenly reality. The “one flesh” union between a husband and wife is a “mystery” that “refers to Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:31–32).6 Out of his infinite love, Christ has given his life for his bride, the church, so that he might save her from her sins and set her apart in the beauty of holiness (Ephesians 5:25–27). Christ’s relationship with the church is to be reflected in the relationship between a husband and a wife.
The Spirit’s Work in Christian Marriage
As Christ is the head of the church, so a husband is the head of his wife. Husbands must therefore love their wives sacrificially and selflessly, providing for their needs and leading them to obey God’s will. Wives, in turn, are to submit to their husbands, even as the church submits to Christ (Ephesians 5:22–33).7 When a Christian marriage conforms to God’s design, the world gets a glimpse of Christ’s love for his people.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In the age to come, those who belong to Christ will be invited to the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9; Isaiah 25:6–9). Believers will enjoy eternal fellowship with Christ in a new creation that is free from sin and sorrow (Revelation 21:1–4). Until that day, believers wait with great anticipation for the return of their heavenly Bridegroom (Luke 5:34).
- See Christopher Ash’s article “A Biblical View of Marriage” for a helpful explanation of this topic. ↵
- Exodus 20:14, 17. ↵
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; Galatians 5:19–21; Ephesians 5:3–6. ↵
- Matthew 19:3–9; Mark 10:2–12. ↵
- In 1 Corinthians 7:15, Paul permits divorce in the case of a believing spouse who is abandoned by an unbelieving spouse. Divorce may also be permitted when there is abuse in a marriage, since abuse is essentially a form abandoning one’s most basic obligations in marriage. ↵
- The Old Testament also describes God’s loving commitment to his people in marital terms. See, for example, Jeremiah 31:32. ↵
- Unlike the church’s submission to Christ, a wife’s submission to her husband is not absolute. Her submission is “in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18), which means she should not obey her husband when submission requires disobedience to the Lord. A wife’s submission also does not require her to remain in an abusive situation. ↵
