Biblical Answer

The first purpose of marriage, as stated in Genesis 2:18-25 and Matthew 19:3-6, is relationship or fellowship, oneness, wholeness, and love. This is seen in the way God created Adam and Eve, with Adam being incomplete without Eve. The two were meant to be together, and their relationship was meant to reflect the unity and love of God. This is why Jesus used the Genesis account of Adam and Eve as an archetype of what God intended marriage to be. When God created Eve, he gave her to Adam, and this is the pattern he establishes for all marriages. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church, and the wife is to submit to her husband as the church submits to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-23).

The second purpose of marriage is procreation. God created Adam and Eve to multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28). This is why marriage is often referred to as a sacrament, a sacred institution that is meant to bring new life into the world. However, this purpose is not the only one, and it is not the primary purpose of marriage. The Bible does not say that marriage is primarily for the purpose of having children, but rather that it is a means of reflecting God's creative genius and bringing new life into the world.

The third purpose of marriage is spiritual growth and sanctification. This is seen in Ephesians 5:22-23, where Paul says that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church, and wives are to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ. This is not just about romantic love, but about spiritual growth and maturity. Marriage is meant to be a means of helping us to grow in our faith and to become more like Christ. This is why God created marriage, not just to make us happy, but to help us to reflect his love and character in the world.