Biblical Answer

The Purpose of Marriage in the Bible

The Bible presents marriage as a fundamental aspect of Gods design for humanity. At its core, marriage is a friendship that reflects the unity and love of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). This understanding is rooted in the principle that God is love, and marriage is a means of experiencing this love. The Bible teaches that marriage is for helping each other to become our future glory-selves, the new creations that God will eventually make us (Eph 5:22-23).

The Three Purposes of Marriage

The Bible identifies three primary purposes of marriage. Firstly, marriage is for relationship or fellowship, oneness, wholeness, and love. This purpose is rooted in the fact that God created Adam as a male, but he was incomplete without a suitable helper (Gen 2:18-25; Mt 19:3-6). The second purpose of marriage is to sanctify us, helping us to grow spiritually and to become more like Christ (Eph 5:22-23). Finally, marriage is a means of propagating the human race, but this purpose is secondary to the first two (Gen 1:28).

The Covenant Nature of Marriage

The Bible views marriage as a covenant, a binding agreement between two people that reflects the qualities of God himself. This covenant is characterized by exclusivity, permanence, and monogamy. Marriage is not primarily about individual happiness or romantic fulfillment, but about reflecting the love and unity of the Trinity. The Bible teaches that marriage is a means of drawing closer to God and growing in Christian character, and it provides a vision for marriage that is centered on the glory of God. Therefore, the purpose of marriage in the Bible is multifaceted, but ultimately, it is about reflecting the love and unity of God and helping each other to become our future glory-selves.