A Christian marriage is centered on Christ’s teaching unlike other forms of marriages based on legal and secular aspects. The marriage binds two people to live in the image of Christ. Secular marriages are based on vows of legality and other ethical or social attributes acting as norms to the community. Christ does not play a role in their life during and after marriages. In this regard, the Christian marriages do not only define such aspects as the life after marriage but also make recommendations on controversial issues affecting it like divorce. As Cloutier argues, marriage in Christianity is a sacramental way of life in accordance to the Bible (226). Furthermore, the Bible provides concise duties of couples as stipulated in Ephesians 5: 23-26. For instance, the man is defined as the leader in a non-dictatorial and non-patronizing manner, which exemplifies Christ as a church leader. The family becomes smallest church unit where Christianity is born, reared and grown outwardly through social outreach to other community members. The wife submits to her husband by respecting him while he, on the other hand, love her at all times. In Christian marriages, selflessness and humility has been presented as a key attributes nurtured by God’s spirit to maintain marriage. In a secular marriage, researchers inform that people meet, date, and marry since it is what the norms suggest (Lepine par. 1). They argue that they marry to avoid loneliness, guilt of sex, get care, escape bad situations, and escape the threat of aging without a partner. In perspective, the Christian marriage has been standardized to serve a standard and universal modality across followers. While a secular marriage may be describe as self serving in a perspective that a person meets his or her marital needs, the Christian one is rather self-sacrificing in an outward and upward manner than self-serving. However, there are various instances where researchers have made distinct explanations regarding Christian marriages. For instance, researchers have filed many articles presenting their disparities regarding same-sex marriage in modern Christian civilization. Some argues that same-sex marriage align with the teaching found in the Bible while others advocate for different sex ones. Finally, the branches of Christianity have different perspectives on celibacy. While some denominations like the Catholics base their celibacy on devotion to the work of God as Christ did, other churches believe that such an approach portrays hypocrisy since human desires are conventionally critical.
Important Issues in Christian Marriage
Marital conflicts and communication are among the three most vital issues in Christian marriage. In perspective, the success of a Christian marriage is determined by how the partners communicate and solve their conflicts. These 2 aspects influence the period that a marriage lasts. Research informs that open communication facilitate solving of marital problems whereas couples in broken marriages attributed it to communication issues. A good communication approach would calm any availing angers and arguments between couples, which prevents the expansion of their social repulsion. In a Christian marriage, communication should be composed of such qualities as peaceful talks, transparency, compassion, and reconciliation. These four components not only identified by researchers but also the Bible determined the most basic requirement of marriage which is communication. Speaking peacefully ensures that the couples are willing to dwell on the resolutions and avoid nagging on the faults. They choose the right words in order to maintain a calm atmosphere that encourages each person to resolve the dispute. Hypocrisy may alter the attitude of conflicting partners and must be replaced by transparency where each person strives to neglect their differences. Therefore, their willingness to forgive each other and set aside the differences can only be set via good communication.
The other issue vital in Christian marriage is knowledge of what it means as well as its purpose. A Christian marriage has a standard purpose to every couple bound by it. The marriage has many roles that ought to be met. This aspect implies that couples must understand their roles and way forward after marriage. They must have reliable counsel on how they can make their marriage lives successful. For instance, the couples should know each other intimately before marriage in order to warrant that they are compatible, willing, and happy to live together. In essence, the partners should have time to study each other since a Christian marriage is a life-long experience that should not be broken.
Lastly, divorce remains a controversial issue in the current legal setups where governments have rules to resolve issues facing Christians in marriage. Some argue that marriage should remain intact since their vows united them. Others believe that although marriage vows should not be broken, villain may make such commitment unattainable in a lifetime. Christianity holds that couples should be committed to their vows in marriage at all possible cost. It entails perseverance and hardships to keep the promises they made to each other.
Theology and Marriage
The legal contract of marriages does not necessarily apply to the sacrament vows between husband and wife during Christian marriage. The principles of grace and love are exempted to allow the growth of passion. Although the beginning of marriage has juridical and legal attributes, they are not its core base. When God create a man and women as described at the beginning of Genesis, He introduced the purpose to life between 2 people of different sex. By creating sexuality and giving it purpose for Adam and Eve, God distinguished that man was not similar to other animals created. God had created all forms of animal but Genesis emphasized that the woman was specially created to assist the man. By creating the female from the man’s rib, they became incomplete without each other. In essence, the human sex was an art specially designed by God. In this respect, God had everything to do with the creation of marriage from the beginning.
The prevailing human understanding display marriage as a human institution governed by custom and law. However, Christians understand marriage as a sacrament where all vows are made one by the Eucharist. The ceremonies were made together in unity in a Eucharistic ceremony but later extended to single separate ceremonies. In this perspective, Christian marriage cannot be practiced without the consideration of theology as God is the center of the vows. The vows take place in presence of God. The theology of marriage is composed of pureness usually identified as virginity. Marriage does not only appear as a simple relation between the couples but also an event celebrated by the society. It is a church reality and act of show to other people. It teaches other people on how to live in love. The love between a man and woman becomes the unconditional love that shows to all people. Like a love between God and humanity, marriage commitment cannot be broken. In this perspective, it is arguable that Christian marriage has a concise connection with the theology of marriage where God becomes the art and endorser of marriage. The community learns from a Christian marriage. However, the legal and judicial issues appearing n the community in modern society must be solved to prevent bigger problems.
Works Cited
Avery, Morgan. Marriage Miracle: The 7 Struggles That Destroy Christian Marriages & How to Overcome Them. Nashville, TN: Christian Book Council, 2010. Print.
Cloutier, David. Love, Reason, and God's Story: An Introduction to Catholic Sexual Ethics. Winona, MN: Anselm Academic, 2008. Print.
Lepine, Bob. "What Makes a Marriage Distinctively Christian?" What Makes a Marriage Distinctively Christian. N.p., 2013. Web. 11 Aug. 2016.
