Marriage

A special relationship between a man and a woman that is legally binding. Marriage began in the garden of Eden as a way for human beings to give and receive love and companionship. When God created Eve for Adam, this was the first marriage.

Later, some men had more than one wife. The Bible never says this is good; it simply tells what the people did. In fact, the Old Testament includes many stories about problems that arose when men had more than one wife.

The Bible gives many instructions about marriage. Husbands and wives are to love each other, submit to each other, enjoy each other, and respect each other.

Marriage is sometimes used in the Bible as a word picture of God’s relationship with His people. In the Old Testament, God is described as the husband and the people of Israel as His bride. Later, when Jesus came to earth, He described Himself as the Bridegroom and the church as His bride.