have ratified their covenant.This
sacrament is viewed as a“mystery”
(Ephesians 5:31-32) in which God’s
involvement can never be completely
comprehended by humans (Hahn,2004).
In Christian marriages,couples trust that
God has a divine,holy purpose in and for
their union,whether or not they
understand this mysterious component.
Covenant Involves Renewal.The
covenantrelationshipbetweenahusband
andwifecarrieswithitrolesand
expectationswhicharethen
communicatedtothechildren.This
covenantiscontinuouslyrenewableasa
family’sneedschange.Thus,themarriage
intowhichacouplewedsmayseemvery
differentfromthemarriageinwhichthey
rearchildren,orthemarriageinwhich
theylatercareforagingparents.Yet,inthe
contextof thistext,theseareallformsof a
continuouslyrenewedcovenantbetweena
manandawomanbeforeGod.
Relationship
The state sees marriage as a legal
institution.Some see marriage as an
economic unit.The Bible sees marriage
as a spiritualrelationshippatterned after
a couple’s spiritual union with God.Such
a relationship may defy cultural
expectations that men and women act in
certain ways.In Christ,a couple is free to
act as God calls them to act—to be what
God calls them to be.This can be a very
liberating experience in a world of
marriage stereotypes and expectations.
The principle ofmutual submission
characterizes much of the Bible’s
discussion of marriage.In Ephesians
5:21,Paul begins a classic passage about
marriage with the theme of mutual
submission:“And further,submit to one
another out of reverence for Christ”
(NLT).Such a relationship is possible
when both marriage partners first submitthemselves to the authority of Christ.
Paul then describes how this concept of
mutual submission works in a marriage.
“For wives,this means submit to your
husbands as to the Lord”(v.22 NLT),he
advises the women.To the men he says,
“For husbands,this means love your
wives,just as Christ loved the church.HeWhy Marriage and Family?©iStockphoto.com/Jadin
Marriage is a spiritual relationship
that requires mutual submission.