What is God's purpose for marriage?

Answer 1

1. Reflect God's Image

Christian marriages are to reflect God's image:

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:26-27

Notice the emphasis on "image" and "likeness." God creates "them" as a unit to reflect Him. It takes both a man and woman, in oneness, to truly reflect His image. When we criticize our spouse, or foster division and competition, we are actually reflecting the disunity of Satan and dishonoring God. On the other hand, when we recognize our purpose is to reflect the image of God, we are convicted by Holy Spirit when we don't meet that standard and protected from hardening our hearts toward one another.

2. Reproduce Children in God's Likeness

God's second purpose for marriage is to reproduce:

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in

number; fill the earth and subdue it." Genesis 1:28a

God wants married couples to reproduce children - in His "likeness." Couples who are competitive, angry and divided, are not fully able to nurture children in God's image. Why? In order to teach children the principles of agape love, godly discipline, and good morals, it must first be modeled by parents. Words are not enough! As parents puts aside their innate selfishness and trust God to meet their needs, petty disagreements fade in comparison to their love for their children. The Christian couple who does not have children can fulfill this purpose by making others disciples of Jesus Christ.

3. Reign in Spiritual Warfare

The third purpose for marriage is to reign:

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in

number; fill the earth and subdue it." Genesis 1:28a

Additional Answer:

God ordained marriage for a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24) as a sharing in God's plan of Salvation for all mankind. We would share in the physical expansion of the human family as God intends to expand these into His spiritual sons and daughters in the God Family.

Through this human family experience, both men and women learn their respective roles in this world:

Ephesians 5:22-27New King James Version (NKJV) Marriage-Christ and the Church

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

In the future, those who are called (John 6:44;65) into the Father's Church Jesus established will be the 'firstfruits' and bride of Christ for all eternity:

Revelation 19:7New King James Version (NKJV)

7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."

Those called later in their lives (during the Millennium or Judgement) will become the children of God for eternity. Salvation and Family for humankind.

Answer 2

So man would have a helpmate, a companion, and procreate...

In the Old Testament a man could have more than one wife,King David had six wives and numerous concubines,King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines,King Solomon's son Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines..

As we clearly see numerous times in the Old Testament during that during that time period the marriage of multiple wives by itself was not sinful and was never condemned...As time passed the Jews drifted away from the old traditions as their society's views changed and other(human) laws came into practice from the rulers...

Answer 3

The Bible says that marriages are supposed to be between a man and a woman, but many people believe that at the time when the Bible was written people were a bit homophobic (and people still are). People are scared of what they don't know. I believe that since God is love itself, then he intended for all love to be allowed to be joined by marriage. The Bible was written by men and not God so His words may be twisted.

Answer 4

Catholic Answer

The purposes of the sacrament of marriage are two-fold: 1) to foster the mutual love between a husband and a wife, and 2) the procreation of children. Under the first purpose is the helping of each other towards holiness and heaven. Marriage is taking upon oneself the responsibility for another's salvation - out of love. Under the second is including the education and bring up of any children that are a result of this union.

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

1614 In his preaching Jesus unequivocally taught the original meaning of the union of man and woman as the Creator willed it from the beginning: permission given by Moses to divorce one’s wife was a concession to the hardness of hearts. (Cf. Mt 19:6) The matrimonial union of men and woman is indissoluble: God himself has determined is: "what therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder." (Mt 19:6)

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

Marriage. As a natural institution, the lasting union of a man and a woman who agree to give and receive rights over each other for the performance of the act of generation and for fostering of their mutual love.

The state of marriage implies four chief conditions: 1. There must be a union of opposite sexes; it is therefore opposed to all forms of unnatural, homosexual behavior; 2. It is a permanent union until the death of either spouse; 3. It is an exclusive union, so that extramarital acts are a violation of justice; and 4. Its permanence and exclusiveness are guaranteed by contract; mere living together, without mutually binding themselves to do so, is concubinage and not marriage.

Christ elevated marriage to a sacrament of the New Law. Christian spouses signify and partake of the mystery of that unity and fruitful love which exists between Christ and His Church, helping each other attain to holiness in their married life and in the rearing and education of their children.