Hi to my Forum Friends,
On the Misc Forum, Paw-Paw posted a discussion titled "The Origin Of Marriage." He wrote, "This is a very interesting read. I did not know that marriage as we know it today began as a Catholic ceremony. It sure has changed over the years. I'm not trying to make a point here. Just interesting stuff.
http://www.islandmix.com/backc....igin-marriage-50901
And, oLDsEAdADDY replies, "I agree, very interesting. For a long time I've felt like marriage was much more legal than spiritual. One does not need to buy a license or go to court to dissolve spiritual things."
Actually, I need to correct the impression given in the article found in the URL link Paw has posted. The marriage as we know it today, one man and one woman, was not established by any church -- it was established by God. The very first wedding took place in the perfect Wedding Chapel -- the Garden of Eden -- and officiating at this wedding was God Himself. Now, that is a wedding!
We read about it in Genesis 2:21-25, "So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.' For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."
I heard an interesting discussion relating to this yesterday on the radio talk show Pastor's Perspective on KWVE Christian Radio. We have often read this Scripture passage in Genesis 2 and I am sure that most people, like me, have assumed that the phrase "and they shall become one flesh" means the man and his wife are now "one flesh." And, that aspect of it always remained a mystery to me. In faith, I accepted it like I accept the Trinity, the fact that the Incarnate Jesus Christ was both fully God and fully Man, and the Rapture. But, I will admit that I never quite understood it.
Yesterday, Pastor Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel suggested a meaning for this phrase which does make sense. When two people, a man and a woman, are joined in marriage -- their love binds them together; yet they are still two individuals. But, the child which this union of love produces when the sperm of the man fertilizes the egg of the woman -- creates one child, one flesh.
The two become one flesh in their producing of a child carrying the chromosomes of both mother and father -- 23 chromosomes from each parent. Thus, the union of man and woman has produced one flesh -- their child. This is something which no relationship between two men or between two women can accomplish. And, this is why same-sex marriage can never be viewed as a true marriage.
Now, some detractors, and even some Christian Friends, may ask, "Bill, you have been a Christian for twenty-three years and you just now learn or accept this new, to you, explanation of that Scripture passage? Why is that passage any different now than it was before?" Good point, if this is the true meaning of that passage -- why am I just now learning it after all these years?
Many years ago, before I was a Christian believer -- I often wondered how a person can attend Seminary and spend four years studying one book, the Bible. Yet, I have been studying the Bible for twenty-three years, since becoming a Christian believer in
1987, and every day I learn something new.
Does this mean that God's Word, or my knowledge of God's Word, was wrong before and now someone, Pastor Chuck, or someone else, has corrected the Bible or my understanding of the Biblical passage? No. It just means that God gives us new revelations, new insights, as we have need. If we are not growing in our knowledge of God's Word -- our spiritual life will become stagnant.
If we do not exercise, use our muscles -- muscular atrophy can occur. In other words, if we do not use our muscles, they will deteriorate, grow smaller and weaker. If we do not keep our minds active -- mental atrophy can occur. And, if we do not exercise our spiritual muscles -- spiritual atrophy can occur. Our spiritual life becomes stagnant and grows weaker.
How do we reverse the effects of atrophy? Atrophy can be reversed with vigorous exercise and better nutrition. That formula applies to all three forms of atrophy mentioned above. Physical exercise and better nutrition will restore muscles; mental exercise and better nutrition will restore mental acuity; and spiritual exercise and a stronger diet of God's Word will keep one spiritually strong.
So, yesterday, after studying the Bible for twenty-three years -- God, through Pastor Chuck Smith, gave me new insight on His plan for marriage; His plan for the Christian family; His plan to keep us, our families, our churches, our communities, and our nation strong.
We build a stronger family when it is bases upon a Traditional Biblical Marriage, one man and one woman. We build a stronger community when it is based upon strong families held together by Biblical Standards. We build a stronger nation when it is based upon strong communities molded around strong families. And, we can only get this through having a nation built upon Traditional Biblical Marriage -- one man and one woman.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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