The Biblical Definition of Marriage

The definition of marriage and the right to be treated equally have been a big debate for such a long time. There was a time when I had struggled with the subject and it was that struggle that pointed me to a new direction in my faith. I decided to stop listening to man tell me what God says and start going directly to God. I decided that I would no longer simply read the scripture, but decided it was time to study it. I decided to no longer depend on what man says but depend on what Holy Spirit says. With that said, understand that I do believe that assistance from other men and women of God is necessary in my studies, not because they are always right, but because they can help me understand things a little bit better or can even point me in a direction that would be more helpful to me. If I am given advice or explanation of a specific scripture, I take what I have learned and bring it to God. I let the Holy Spirit tell me what is right, what is wrong, what is important, and what is not. After all, isn’t that what a Christian is supposed to do? Christianity is about building, maintaining, and strengthening a personal relationship with The Father through the teaching of The Son and the counsel of the Holy Spirit.

Having a relationship with someone means spending time with that person, talking to and listening to that person. It’s the same thing with God; and who better to teach me the scripture and help me understand and get to know God than His Son Jesus who teaches us by way of The Holy Spirit as promised in John 14:25-26. In order for me to be in the spiritual place where I can do this I had to strengthen my faith; feed my spirit with the bread which is His Word and be truly able to let God lead me in all decisions I make. I had to learn how to really be confident in and truly believe the promises that our Lord has made. Then and only then can I start having that relationship. I wanted to know what God wanted for me. I wanted to know how God feels about who I am. So, I needed to focus more on the infallible Lord God and less on fallible man. Allow me to share with you what I have learned in the past 23 years of studying and building my relationship with The Father. In regard to the definition of marriage; today it is believed that marriage is between one man and one woman. Many Christians say that creation proves it because of Adam and Eve. So, let’s take a look at that shall we?

In the second chapter of Genesis we read about how God took a rib from Adam and created a woman from that rib. When she is presented to Adam he says “this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.” The author of Genesis [Moses] further states that “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” It is because of what Adam said and what Moses said that so many believe that the biblical definition of marriage is that it is between one man and one woman. However, the biblical definition of marriage is much more than just Adam and Eve. Lamech [Gen. 4] had taken 2 wives for example. In the books of Genesis, second Samuel and first kings we also find that David had 7 wives and many concubines, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, Gideon had many wives; the list goes on. If you read through Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, much of the Old Testament, you will find that women were property. A woman was property of her father until married at which time she becomes her husband’s property. The woman’s desire, according to God, is to be to her husband and he will rule over her. Don’t get your panties in a bunch; I’m not making this up.

The definition of marriage, according to the bible, is about business transactions, property, polygyny, and procreation. Now, Polygyny is when one man has two or more wives; polygamy is when either man or woman has multiple partners. Biblically, it was polygyny that was normally practiced. There is so much more about the role of a woman and how wives were treated. My point is what? The biblical definition of marriage is obviously NOT simply between one man and one woman. The scripture that proves this totally outweighs the one scripture so many turn to prove their definition of marriage. I wonder how many of the one man one woman people are truly all about the biblical definition of marriage? A lot would have to change huh? 

Religious Liberty & Gay Marriage Part 2 - The Definition of Marriage

In the beginning, the book of Genesis, Moses writes about creation. We know that God created formed man out of the ground [Adam] and we know that He formed woman [Eve] from one of Adam’s ribs. When Adam is presented with the woman Adam said “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man”. Moses then writes that “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Nelson, 1997, pp. Genesis 2:23-24). This piece of scripture is what many Christians turn to in order to prove that the definition of marriage is a union between one man and one woman.

The problem with this is that they are wrong [my opinion] and here is why I say they are wrong; in ancient Israel polygyny is the norm, which means many wives. Polygamy is many partners of either gender. Solomon, for example had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. That can be found in the book of First Kings. In second Samuel you can find that David, the apple of God’s eye, had seven or eight wives and Jacob also had multiple wives. Many of our Christian fathers had many wives and many concubines. These guys were blessed. In case there’s doubt, let’s look at something God said to David; “thus says the Lord God of Israel; I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping” (Nelson, 1997, p. 2 Sam. 12). Did you see what I saw? God gave David the wives. W-i-v-e-s; plural. I am sure that with further research and study you will find more like it in ancient Israel, but for now, I just wanted to provide some biblical scripture that shows the biblical definition of marriage and, as you can see, it was not between one man and one woman, but between one man and many women. Women were used very much like property to be sold or taken; whatever the agreement or situation happened to be.

This doesn’t necessarily show just cause for gay marriage does it? Maybe not, but it does show that marriage was not biblically defined to be between one man and one woman. With that said, allow me to make clear that I do not believe in Polygamy or Polygyns; I am all for monogamy. Now, we are made male and female for the purpose of procreation; to be fruitful and multiply; to subdue the earth. Just read Genesis; God is pretty clear about that. This has nothing to do with a loving, committed, and monogamous relationship between two people. It’s not all about sex people. Sex is just a part of the relationship. If you think about it, biblically speaking, sex was supposed to be for the sole purpose of procreation. But let’s be honest, man realized the enjoyment and did it whether or not there was a plan for children. So, things changed regarding the act. If you want to believe that marriage is only defined as the union between one man and one woman, then you better follow the original plan for sex and only do it when you’re ready to have kids. That would be interesting.

Ok, so this is a bit longer than I planned; I did want to get into the whole religious freedom/religious liberty thing. That will just have to wait until next time.

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Religious Liberty & Gay Marriage; Time To Ruffle Some Feathers

Recently I have noticed and read posts on social media about the Supreme Court case regarding gay marriage. There is apparently some concern about religious liberty and concern for non-profit colleges should there be favor for gay marriage.  There are a few things I would like to share and point out. It is of no surprise that I am all for marriage equality; that’s right, marriage equality. There is no such thing as gay marriage just like there’s no such thing as gay money; which, by the way, no one has a problem taking. So, it would come as no surprise that I would be blogging about this. Let’s tackle first the concern about non-profit businesses, colleges, and churches.

I will not pretend to understand tax exemption in its entirety. I do know that exemptions are much like tax deductions and paying less [or no] taxes depending on the organizations and the donors. What I will say is this; I do not believe that churches should be tax exempt, but should pay taxes like everyone else. Why do I say that? Because it is biblically sound; because I am going by what Jesus said in response to the Pharisees when they asked about paying taxes. Jesus answered first with a question while holding a denarius in His hand and the question was “whose image and inscription is this?” The answer was Caesar. Then Jesus said “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Nelson, 1997, pp. Matthew 22:20-22). I don’t think it can be made any clearer that taxes must be paid; period. He did not give a pass to anyone. You hypocrites; you dare to use the Bible and God’s word [incorrectly by the way] to condemn the union of two people of the same gender, yet you blatantly disregard what our Lord said regarding the payment of taxes. Shame on you.

The next issue I want to touch on is Religious Liberty; what is it; what does it mean? How about we break it down a bit just so that there’s no confusion; by definition, liberty is basically having the freedom of choice to act or speak without restraint (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2015). According to Article 18(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights, “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice, and teaching”. The First Amendment reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…………”. What does that mean? It means that the government cannot set up a single religion for all people to worship alike. In other words, it is unconstitutional for the government to set up a single religion that we all must follow. We have the freedom, the right, to choose.

With that said, religion is not a business or a college. Religion is about a relationship with God through the means of worship, trust, belief, and faith in God. If you want to run a business then run a business; your faith has nothing to do with it. If you can’t or won’t handle the fact that you have to pay taxes according to God, or that your faith has nothing to do with baking a cake, then you have some issues. Personally, if you won’t bake me a cake for my wedding I would just go elsewhere, but that’s me; I pick and choose my battles and I understand and accept that not everyone would do the same as me. The fact of the matter is that your business has nothing to do with worship or with God. If you won’t follow all that God has said, then don’t bother cherry picking the bible for that which suits you or is financially convenient for you.

So, this is the first part of my rant. I will have the other half shortly because no, I am not done yet. There’s still the whole “Definition of Marriage” crap that gets thrown around as if the correct definition is being given. I also want to touch a little more on religious liberty according to the intent of the founding fathers. It’s a hoot.

 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Jesus). What does it mean to be pure in heart? I believe that Jesus wants for us to have the ability to love as He loves; with no strings attached and with no reservation or exceptions. A person with a pure heart will love his neighbor, his family, his friends, and even his enemy. How can we love our enemy when we have feelings of hate, anger, bitterness, disgust, or any other fitting description of how we feel about our enemies? When we are asked to love as He loves, it’s not about a feeling but is about an action. We are to put action in our love for others. We do this by helping those who are need and yes, we have to include our enemy. Pray for our enemies, help our enemies when they need help; give of ourselves to our enemies the same way we would our loved ones; the same way Jesus does. Practice forgiveness of others and allow the love of our Father through Jesus flow through us.

              To be pure at heart means to have full faith and confidence in the promises of God without reservation; to be like a child who has that ability to love, to believe and to accept without a second thought. Jesus wants us to change our way of thinking, our way of loving, and our way of believing. Jesus said that “unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (p. Matthew 18). We know we can’t physically change into a child, but we can change the direction of our spirit and our mind from the things in our lives that do not match up with the things of God; with the teaching of Jesus and to the things that are of God and the teaching of Jesus. How do we do that? Trust in the One who created us in His image and His likeness. Redirection is always difficult but is necessary if we are to be pure in heart because I know that for me, I want into the kingdom and I want to see God. Be happy in knowing that if you are pure in heart; loving others, forgiving, showing mercy toward others, accepting God’s word through the life and ministry of Jesus, you will see God.

 

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are The Merciful

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Jesus). As followers of Jesus, again, we are to follow and obey His teachings and His commandments. We are to always strive to live our lives the way He wants us to; the way He lived His life while on this earth. Jesus IS the model of mercy. Jesus taught about mercy in the parable of the unforgiving servant (pp. Matthew 18:23-25); He had shown mercy to the woman caught in adultery (pp. John 8:1-11); and He displayed the ultimate act of love and mercy through the act of forgiveness when He bore our sins us on the cross.

What is the difference between mercy and forgiveness and is there a difference? By definition, mercy is having compassion for or showing forbearance to an offender (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2015). Because of that compassion, we can then show that mercy by acting on it; and acting on it means forgiving the offender; the act of forgiveness offers absolution; a pardon. Paul teaches that the wages of sin is death (p. Romans 6:23); he also teaches in chapter 3 that we are all fall short of God’s glory; we all sin (Nelson, 1997). In order to show mercy we must be willing to forgive. We have to be willing to let the offense go without retribution on our part and trust that God will deal with the offense and the offender at His time. We have to remember that we do sin; every single human being on this earth regardless of race, ethnicity, religious background, sexual orientation, etc. We were all offered mercy through the forgiveness of our sins because Jesus took that penalty for us. Remember that the wages of sin is death. Jesus paid that price for each and every one of us. Be happy to show mercy because you will receive mercy.

Now, I get that not everyone can accept this as truth; I won’t judge. But let me say this, common sense says that a tree does make noise when it falls regardless of whether or not you are there to hear it or see it; barking comes out of the mouth of dogs thousands of miles away whether we hear it or not. God is real and His love, mercy, forgiveness, and offer of eternal life are also real whether you believe it or not. Be blessed.

 

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Jesus). I don't believe that Jesus is talking about a righteousness portrayed by the Pharisees or one who is smug or holds his nose up so high he gets a nose bleed. No, I believe the righteousness spoken of here is about being in right standing before God; a person of ethical and moral standing according to God’s Word. The hunger and thirst spoken of is not the same as being hungry for a burger or thirsty for a shake as these are about the physical part of us. I believe that Jesus is speaking about a spiritual hunger and a spiritual thirst. Knowing that I am not perfect and I will never meet total righteousness, I can still remain steadfast in seeking and understanding God’s Word. When I thirst or hunger for righteousness, I am not looking for man’s approval of me; I am looking for God’s approval. If you earnestly seek God, continuously talk to Him and make it your desire to know Him more, then you’re on the road to righteousness.

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are The Meek

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Jesus). As Christians we are called to be like Jesus; to follow His teachings and to go to all the earth sharing the gospel of The Christ as He had commissioned His disciples to do in the book of Matthew, chapter 28 and verse 19 (Nelson, 1997). Do not be confused as some have been. Jesus did not say to be a god or to be Him. During His three years of ministry on earth He consistently said “follow me”. Following Him, His teaching, and His commandments is what a follower of The Christ does; this is why we are called Christians.

One of many qualities that Jesus has is that He is meek. He is humble and gentle; and He calls for us to have this same quality; among others. Some may believe that being meek is the same thing as being weak; “turn the other cheek” blah, blah, blah. No; that is not at all what it means. Think of it this way; it’s about being patient with others, being kind and gentle. It’s about being compassionate and being humble. There is nothing weak about any of this. And, for the record, the whole “turn the other cheek” statement is not about being a doormat or a punching-bag; it’s simply about walking away and about forgiveness. Blessed are those who show kindness, who are humble, and who are gentle; that’s what I believe He is saying.

“For they shall inherit the earth”. I have found that many times the word “earth” can also mean land. Considering the fact that we have already inherited the earth and were given dominion over it from the time of creation, I would think it safe to believe that He speaks of His kingdom. There are many mysteries about what Jesus has spoken of and the kingdom is one of the mysteries. Personally, as I continue to study His word, I do believe that the kingdom can be twofold; it can be within us as Christ lives in us and He is the kingdom. I also believe that the kingdom is that which will be revealed at the second coming.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”. Be kind, be gentle, humble yourself in the sight of God, and be patient, for the kingdom is within reach.

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.