God's Original Thought for Marriage
I. Based on His Perfect Will to Express Himself
- A. God's desire to express Himself - Matt. 19:3-4; Gen. 1:26
- 1. His image (an inward reality)
- 2. His likeness (an outward expression)
- B. God's creation of man as His expression
- 1. Man created as male and female - Matt. 19:4; Gen. 1:27
- 2. God's order in His creation - 1 Cor. 11:3-12
- C. God's way of creating His expression
- 1. Man as a tripartite being - Gen. 2:7
- 2. Man as a corporate being - Gen. 2:18-24
- D. God's explanation of His expression
- 1. Oneness is the primary factor of His expression - Matt. 19:4-6
- 2. Oneness in marriage typifies the oneness of Christ and the Church - Eph. 5:31-32
- E. God's further words concerning His expression
- 1. The composition of oneness is love and submission
- Eph. 5:21-33; 4:2-3; 1 Pet. 3:1-9
- 2. The aspects of love and submission
- a. Communication - Eph. 5:28-29; Col. 3:16-20
- b. Accepting each other as you are - 1 Cor. 7:10-14
- c. Learning to gain each other - 1 Pet. 3:1-2
- d. Learning to treat each other by knowing God - 1 Thess. 4:3-9
- e. Learning to please each other - 1 Cor. 7:33-34
- f. Learning to understand each other - 1 Pet. 3:7
- g. Honoring each other as heirs together - 1 Pet. 3:7
- 3. The oneness of spirit, soul, and body - Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 7:1-5
II. God's Permissive Will in Relation to Marriage
- A. Divorce
- 1. The Old Testament permission - Matt. 19:7-8; Deut. 24:1f
- 2. The Pharisaical perversion - Matt. 19:3, 7-8
- 3. The New Testament standard - Matt. 19:4-6, 8-9; 5:31-32
- B. Complicated situations
- 1. The conditions of staying together - 1 Cor. 7:12-14
- 2. The conditions of separation - 1 Cor. 7:15-17
- C. Gifted to remain single - Matt. 19:10-12; 1 Cor. 7:5-9