Marriage is
a permanent, committed partnership between a man and a woman. It's in
the Bible, Matthew 19:5-6, TLB. "And that a man should leave his father
and mother, and be forever united to his wife. The two shall become one-no
longer two, but one! And no man may divorce what God has joined together.
How should husbands relate to their wives? It's in
the Bible, Ephesians 5:25-28, TLB. "And you husbands, show the same
kind of love to your wives as Christ showed to the church when He died for
her…That is how husbands should treat their wives, loving them as parts of
themselves``. For since a man and his wife are now one, a man is really doing
himself a favor and loving himself when he loves his wife!
Husbands should honor their wives. It's in the
Bible, I Peter 3:7, TLB. "You husbands must be careful of your wives,
being thoughtful of their needs and honoring them as the weaker sex.
Remember that you and your wife are partners in receiving God's blessings,
and if you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not get ready
answers."
How should the wife relate to her husband? It's
in the Bible, Ephesians 5:22-24, TLB. "You wives must submit to your
husbands' leadership in the same way you submit to the Lord. For a husband
is in charge of his wife in the same way Christ is in charge of His body the
church. (He gave His very life to take care of it and be its Savior!) So you
wives must willingly obey your husbands in everything, just as the church
obeys Christ."
Does that mean the wife must do all the "give and
take"? No! Marriage requires submission by both partners. It's in the
Bible, Ephesians 5:21, NIV. "Submit to one another out of reverence for
Christ."
What counsel forbids physical or verbal spouse
abuse? It's in the Bible, Colossians 3:19, NIV. "Husbands, love
your wives and do not be harsh with them."
For a successful marriage, determine to settle
misunderstanding at once. It's in the Bible, Ephesians 4:26, TLB.
"If you are angry, don't sin by nursing your grudge. Don't let the sun go
down with you still angry-get over it quickly."
Keep the relationship growing in unity and
understanding. It's in the Bible, Ephesians 4:2-3, TLB. "Be humble
and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's
faults because of your love. Try always to be led along together by the Holy
Spirit, and so be at peace with one another."
How should society view marriage? It's in the
Bible, Hebrews 13:4, NIV. "Marriage should be honored by all, and the
marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the
sexually immoral."
By what commandments has God guarded marriage? The
seventh and the tenth. It's in the Bible, Exodus 20:14, 17, NIV.
"You shall not commit adultery." and "You shall not covet your neighbor's
wife."
What is the only acceptable reason that Jesus gave
for ending a marriage? It's in the Bible, Matthew 5:32, NIV. "But I
tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital
unfaithfulness, causes her to commit adultery, and anyone who marries a
woman so divorced commits adultery."
For how long is marriage intended to last? It's
in the Bible, Romans 7:2, NIV. "By law a married woman is bound to her
husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released
from the law of marriage."
What instruction is given about who to marry?
It's in the Bible, II Corinthians 6:14, RSV. "Do not be mismated with
unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and iniquity? Or what
fellowship has light with darkness?"
Romance and the gift of sexuality are blessed by
God when exercised within the bonds of marriage. It's in the Bible,
Proverbs 5:18-19, TLB. "Let your manhood be a blessing; rejoice in the wife
of your youth. Let her charms and tender embrace satisfy you. Let her love
alone fill you with delight."