Ask the Pastor 71

Is marriage a viable institution?

Nearly 50% of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. Among those who attend church regularly, the divorce rate is at about 38%, significantly lower than the general population, but still nothing to brag about. So why bother? There are many who are choosing to just live together because they do not see the need for an official, legal, church wedding or non-church wedding. Karl Marx referred to marriage as, “as legalized prostitution and a form of female slavery.” There are many socialists today who approve of that description. Ultimately, communism and other forms of socialism would do away with marriage and the family altogether. We know from the Bible that God first instituted marriage with the creation of woman (Genesis 2:18-25) and with it the creation of the first social institution, the family. The paradigm of marriage is given to us in Ephesians 5:22-33 where the man is to be the head of the family and to love his wife in the same manner as Christ loves the Church and the woman is to be submit to her loving husband in the same manner as she submits to the Lord. Out from this order of the family comes the rest of society. Religion comes out of the family prayer, Bible study and, not only going to church but being involved as a family; economics comes out of the family business and the family farm etc.; education begins with the parents teaching their children the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic and how to behave in society; government takes its lead from the family paradigm of equality and yet different with different roles; social norms and language are first taught in the family. This family begins with a loving and legal commitment of one man and one woman to each other and to God, that they might become one flesh. Anyone wishing to destroy this country can begin with the destruction of the family. Therefore, it is worth keeping and maintaining marriage and the family for the good of this country and for all of society.

Have questions about the Bible? Send them to Dr. Greg Koehn at gak4850@gmail.com and read the answer here in this article.