The Apostles on Marriage

The Apostle Paul writes:

“But to avoid fornication, each one have his own wife, and each one have his own husband;

The wife has no power over her body, but the husband does; Likewise, the husband has no power over his body, but the wife does;

Do not deviate from each other, except by agreement, for a while, to practice fasting and prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you with your intemperance” (1 Cor. 2:4,5).

Estimated reading time: 5 min.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, in one of his best conversations, said this about love and marriage:

“Love is an amazing feeling, but it is not only a feeling, it is a state of the whole being. Love begins at the moment when I see a person in front of me and see his depths, when suddenly I see his essence. Of course, when I say: “I see,” I do not mean “I perceive with my mind” or “I see with my eyes,” but “I perceive with my whole being.” If a comparison can be made, then in the same way I perceive beauty, for example, the beauty of music, the beauty of nature, the beauty of a work of art, when I stand in front of it in amazement, in silence, only perceiving what is in front of me, without being able to express it in any way. in a word, except the exclamation: “My God! How wonderful this is!..” The mystery of love for a person begins at the moment when we look at him without the desire to possess him, without the desire to rule over him, without the desire to take advantage of his gifts or his personality in any way - only we look and are amazed at the beauty that has opened up to us.”

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Wednesday, July 12, 2022 12:34 + to quote book

The Holy Apostle Paul said great words about the relationship between husband and wife in marriage: Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the Head of the Church. But just as the Church submits to Christ, so do wives to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her. This is how husbands should love their wives as they love their bodies: he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and warms it, just as the Lord does the Church, because we are members of His body, from His flesh and from His bones. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and the Church. So let each of you love his wife as himself; and let the wife fear her husband (Eph. 5:22-25, 28-32). How the Apostle Paul exalts the marriage union! Can there be a higher likening of marriage than likening it to the union of Christ and the Church? This is an ascension to the unattainable heights of the holiness of the marriage bond between a man and a woman. The Lord heads the Church, just as the head crowns our body, for it contains the brain, the most important of all the organs of our body. From Christ, as from the root, all members of the Church feed on the holy Divine juices - our life is in Him, and therefore the Church is holy. And in marriage, from the husband, as from the head, comes all the best necessary for the prosperity of the family. There are different types of love: there is the love of a husband for his wife, a wife for her husband, the love of parents for their children, the love of children for their parents. There is also a higher form of love - for all people, because in every person we must see the image of God. There is the most perfect degree of love, the highest and most holy - love for God. In any matter, one must gradually ascend from the simple to the higher. Therefore, let marriage serve us for the purpose of teaching love. Marital love is easy, because it is supported by the strong, incessant desire of one flesh for another, it is strengthened by an inextricable bodily connection. The bodies of a man and a woman complement each other, and through this a new person is born into the world. But carnal love should not be the goal of marriage. In it we must learn higher love: we must love our wife not for her flesh, but for her pure soul and kind heart. The wife has what the husband does not have; she spiritually complements him, and vice versa. Therefore, in the relationship between spouses, those characteristics of the spirit, mind and heart that are characteristic only of a man and only a woman should manifest themselves with enormous force. In marriage, a man finds a great replenishment of his essence, the treasures of his spirit from the treasures of his wife’s soul. The coarseness of a man’s heart is compensated by the tenderness and purity of a wife’s heart, for a woman’s heart is much subtler, more capable of spiritual love. And the wife must remember that God initially gave a man greater bodily strength than she had, and mental strength in most cases far superior to the strength of the female mind. When communicating with her husband, she must make up for her lack of strength and depth of mind with his knowledge, his strong will. A man and a woman must become one body and one soul in marriage. From their union something higher should be born, uniting all the good and great that is in each of them. Isn't this enrichment?! Isn't this the grace of God?! Isn’t this the whole secret of marriage, the deepest meaning of the marriage union? Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky).

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To be more blessed

This is what the Apostle Paul says at the conclusion of chapter seven, considering the situation of Christian widows who have the opportunity to marry:

“A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; if her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she wants, only in the Lord. But she will be happier if she remains like this, according to my advice ; but I think that I also have the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 7:39-40)

Marriage or celibacy is not a condition of salvation or a sign of a person's spirituality. The Apostle Paul also denounced heretics who hindered marriage with their destructive heresies. In 1 Timothy the apostle wrote:

“The Spirit clearly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars, having their consciences seared, forbidding marriage and eating what God created so that those who are faithful and know the truth ate with thanksgiving." (1 Timothy 4:1-3)

I have seen many times how people tend to sympathize with those who do not marry, especially women who do not marry. It is not right. And some women who have not been proposed to retain bitterness in their hearts toward God for remaining unmarried. This is not good. Everyone should understand that just as marriage is a gift and blessing from God, celibacy is a gift and blessing from God when you can serve God without worries and fully. Only in this way, in full service and worship of God, can an unmarried person experience true happiness. And those who are married should be careful about how they speak in the presence of unmarried people, and how they express their opinions about marriage. May God help us all to serve the Lord with dedication, and for those who are married not to distract each other from serving, but, on the contrary, to help and support.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Faith Comes By Hearing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have been very impressed with the ministry of this mission producing audio materials for peoples who do not yet have a Bible printed in their language, especially for those who cannot read.

This mission began its activities on the initiative of a man who, together with his wife, decided to sell his fortune and buy a bus, so that he could then travel from place to place and preach the Gospel. So they went and served together with the children. The initiative belonged to the husband, but how could he carry out such a ministry if his wife loved comfort more than God? It was because the hearts of both were so dedicated to Christ and the gospel that God was able to use them in miraculous ways, and many, many people heard the message of salvation through the ministry they carried out.

In this context, I want to ask you, what is your marriage like? Has it made you more effective in the gospel, or has it made you unfruitful? Why? Is it because you are someone who loves comfort more than God?

This is also an opportunity for singles to reflect on the importance of marrying only someone who loves God with all their heart and is willing to sacrifice everything for the gospel. May God help us with this!

Translation - Elena Stoler

About Sarah

God took one letter from Sarah - this is the number 10, i.e. law, and also gave grace (h). She became the mother of nations and from her came kings.

(Genesis 17:6)

And I will greatly, greatly favor you, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

Sarah - princess, mistress, leader (Wikipedia).

Grace is unmerited favor

The first thing you need to accept is that without grace there is no successful marriage.

(Genesis 17:15)

And God said to Abraham: Do not call your wife Sarah, but let her name be Sarah;

Abraham and Sarah were old in years when God changed their names and their strength returned.

God wants to give you grace, accept it and strength will return to you.

(Genesis 17:16)

I will bless her and give you a son by her; I will bless her, and nations will come from her, and kings of nations will come from her.

God gave grace to Abraham and he became a father.

(Prov 19:22)

A man's joy is his charity, and a poor man is better than a deceitful one.

Charity is kindness, grace.

Grace makes a person attractive, grace attracts us to Jesus.

About marriage and relationships in the Church

The Lord advises choosing a pious, grace-filled sister (according to faith) as a wife. If grace is not earned grace, then there will be many occasions when husband and wife will need an extra dose of grace. If a wife has not forgiven her husband, then he knows that he does not have to earn her forgiveness. He will ask for forgiveness first, even if he is not to blame.

Intelligent wife from God

(Prov 19:14)

House and property are an inheritance from parents, and a reasonable wife is from the Lord.

Reasonable - wise.

If you find an intelligent wife, then she is from God. It was the Creator who blessed you with it. A wise wife is simply beautiful, because God adds beauty to wisdom. Even if she is not beautiful on the outside, wisdom gives inner beauty. Inner beauty is brighter than outer beauty.

David and Abigail

David and Abigail
David wanted to kill Nabal, who had treated his people badly. Nabal was married to the wonderful Abigail. David sent messengers to kill Nabal for mistreating his people. David was stopped by Abigail. There is a lesson here for us in wise communication. She managed to convince David.

(1 Samuel 25:3)

The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife was Abigail; this woman was very smart and beautiful in face, and he was a cruel and evil-tempered man; he was from the family of Caleb.

The first thing mentioned is the mind of Abigail.

Need and sorrow

In the context of the persecutions of those times, the apostle wrote:

“Due to real need , I recognize for the best that it is good for a person to remain like this. Are you connected to your wife? don't look for a divorce. Are you left without a wife? don't look for a wife. However, even if you get married, you will not sin; and if the girl marries, she will not sin. But such will have tribulations according to the flesh ; and I feel sorry for you.” (1 Corinthians 7:26-28)

The tribulations associated with the problems of those times would have affected those who were married more strongly, and the apostle wanted to protect them by saying that it was better not to marry.

To serve the Lord without worries or distractions

This is another reason for someone to remain single, and the apostle Paul describes it as follows:

“And I want you to be without worries. An unmarried man cares about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord; But a married man worries about worldly things, how to please his wife. There is a difference between a married woman and a girl: an unmarried woman cares about the Lord, how to please the Lord, in order to be holy in both body and spirit; but a married woman worries about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to put bonds on you, but so that you serve the Lord decently and continually without distraction.” (1 Corinthians 7:32-35)

And the last reason...

Abraham

(Genesis 17:4-5)

This is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations, and you will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations;

The Lord added a letter from His name to Abram's name

Abraham is the father of many (Wikipedia).

Jews don't have numbers like we do. They have letters of the alphabet designated by numbers. The letter “h” is 5 (the number of grace).