Conclusion: To marry or not to marry

To Marry or not to Marry

We believe there are several important factors that are relevant today when considering whether to marry or not.

26 I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife ? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife ? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you marry, you have not sinned ; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you

(I Cor. verses 26-28)

1. We will call the first factor for consideration"because the times are evil" factor. This, we expect, will become more and more pronounced as we move closer to the Parousia or Christ's return. The "Present distress" Paul mentioned in the above scripture portion may have been referring to one or more of the following reasons. He may have been referring to persecutions, troubling times or to the moral conditions of a sin-city, that resembled the spirit of some of our own times and towns. There is no doubt that ancient Corinth was that kind of a city as it had glorified prostitution in its midst.

Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus

Jeremiah was commanded ‘not’ to seek to marry from his own homeland because of the tumultuous times and the character(?) of the people and the impending judgment of God.(Jeremiah 16: 2) Similarly, today there is a large moral and spiritual vacuum within the immediate communities where families dwell and seek support. In many places and countries including our own there is a trend of degradation within the mainstream culture to which many families lie exposed and are made hostage. A boiling point may not have been reached everywhere but a lewd spirit is prevalent in many places powered by the new media and technologies. It then follows that lots of grace and faith will be required for family relationships to thrive in an atmosphere often hostile to them. Even if we don't want to sacrifice our right to marry like Paul, yet like Jeremiah, the option to indefinitely prolong marriage, remains on the table for us when conditions for it are not right!

Jesus wept for The Jewish nation as he foresaw the troubles that were to overtake it. During His passion, when women wept at the sight of his suffering, He told them, "Weep rather for your children". He knew that what was coming would be horrendous.

2. The second important factor to consider is the Bible's open declaration that there is another estate, other than the married life, that is at least equally blessed, if not more(I Corinthians Ch. 7). Paul belonged to such a blessed estate and encouraged others to follow suit and we know what a powerful life he lived. Therefore, we should not feel unfavored just because we have remained single while others have married as long as we live for The Lord, remain pure before others and shun fornication. We might even be the ones who are 'lucky' as the single life provides for a freedom, power and focus that is impossible for those who are married.

3. Lastly, the question begs to be asked, "Are we(you) moving and deciding in faith when it comes to such issues?" Faith is a heavenly deposit toward an earthly purpose and we should make sure we have a strong guidance and a peace within our heart when we move to make big decisions concerning marriage. It's an irreversible covenant. We should not take The Lord's commandments concerning taking a divorced person for marriage lightly as their marriage might not be dissolved in the sight of heaven. Never do things out of desperation when forming a union but out of faith, love and a clear guidance from the Holy Spirit given individually and/or confirmed corporately.


Besides considering the usual social, economical, psychological and yes aesthetic qualities, everyone would do well to reflect on the above(rarely articulated)biblical insights while they pray about what God would have them to be or to do when it comes to issues of singleness or marriage.

Pray incessantly, but I think we have already mentioned that several times.

We need not stress more, that one seek to always be equally yoked!

For God's sakes, make yourself happy, rejoice whether you are married, single or somewhere in the middle. "Rejoice, I say again rejoice" You are not alone in whatever you are going through. Millions of people share your plight and God has promised to be with you and see you through. Amen?

May the Holy Spirit give you insight in all things!

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Finally: We admit, like many other compositions by men, the above article is susceptible to human error and can be wanting or incomplete. A few of the statements above verge on the theoretical rather than the practical; they were included because often theory serves as the track on which practice moves. One has to then test it out to see if it actually works. We have tried to lay some tracks and we will let you be the judge of their usefulness. Our charismatic leanings will become apparent and we hope we have put in ample scriptural support for our arguments so Christians across all denominations can digest what we are saying.

The vastness of the subject makes it impossible to comprehend everything about it or capture it in so few words. Therefore, in such places where it seems inaccurate or impractical feel free to ignore it. There are many comprehensive works written by others that cover the practical side of marriage, courtship and singleness we hope the above essay simply wets your appetite to pray, read and study more. God's Word is the final authority on all things pertaining to life and faith.

Amen!

* Tzietle is the name of the lady who plays a matchmaker from "Fiddler on the Roof"


Bible's Translations Used:

Torrey, R. (1995, c1897). The new topical text book : A scriptural text book for the use of ministers, teachers, and all Christian workers. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos research Systems, Inc


We have used mostly KJV or NASB which are word for word translations. In a few places we have made exceptions and we have employed a 'dynamic equivalence' translation like the NIV. We did so to make certain verses to be easily readable. We have tried to employ these renditions of the scriptures only in places where we believed that they have not taken away from the main thought(s) communicated in the originals.