But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
From the beginning of the creation God Himself directly made mankind male and female before the fall, and this is Christ's plain testimony that God created all things and humanity, to be believed against evolution even when nature cannot be explained. Woman was made not inferior but equal yet differing, a fit help and companion from man's side to complement one another in a union joined by God that no one but He can sunder, and marriage was thereby established as a divine, holy and sacred institution. That original order is the exclusive, indissoluble union of one man and one woman as one flesh never to be separated, given with the Sabbath in Eden as the possession of all humanity and not of the Jew alone, with binding force for all time. God's perfect beginning remains the rule and ideal, while the looser permissions concerning divorce under Moses were granted only because of hardness of heart and sinful conditions and were no part of that design, so Jesus points back to the beginning to reprove corruption and restore marriage to first principles. Marriage is therefore not a temporary contract to be ended at will, divorce is justified only for fornication or adultery and not by ordinary selfish differences, and polygamy and plural unions depart from God's institution and bring sorrow and ruin as shown in the divided households of Abraham, Jacob, David and Solomon.
Creation Order Established
From the beginning of the creation God directly made humanity male and female, before the fall, and marriage was established then as a sacred institution. This making of man and woman belongs to God's plan for their union, and what was not His plan from the beginning is not thereby established as His ideal for the present. It is Christ's plain testimony that God created all things and humanity directly, to be believed against the nebular hypothesis and evolution even when the mysteries of nature cannot be explained.
Woman was not made inferior to man but as an equal yet differing element, a fit help and companion taken neither from his head nor his feet but from his side. Husband and wife complement one another, and God joins them in a bond that no one but He can sunder. They are joined in marriage never to be separated, united not only in their own life but in the life of their offspring. God blessed the couple and made them to bless one another and honor Him in a covenant joining husband, wife and God, signified by marriage vows signifying the institution's righteousness and God's approval.
Marriage was thereby established at creation as a divine, holy, sacred institution whose sanctity comes from its creation and does not depend on the later giving of the law that protects it. The original order is the exclusive, indissoluble union of one man and one woman as one flesh, joined never to be separated, which no person should undo. Polygamy was contrary to God's order and was never divinely instituted or commanded, but departs from His institution.
Marriage and the Sabbath are Edenic institutions given to the infant race as the possession of humanity and not of the Jew alone, the alphabet of all growing knowledge to guide to nobler destiny. The law of the beginning is supreme for all time with universal and binding force transcending Hebrew and Mosaic legislation, so that as the fourth commandment guards the Sabbath the seventh commandment guards marriage. God's perfect beginning remains the rule and ideal, and marriage has not been abolished or changed. Practices, corruptions, and later laws concerning marriage and divorce permitted under the Mosaic code because of human hardness, blindness, and existing sinful conditions were not part of that original design but were given only to ease the effects of sin.
Faithful Marriage Required
Jesus points back to the beginning to reprove corruptions and restore marriage to first principles. From the beginning of creation God made male and female as two equal but differing elements joined in marriage never to be separated, united not only in their own life but in the life of their offspring. Departure from God brought loose conceptions of marriage and divorce for any cause, which God suffered in past blindness but now in the increased light of Christ requires men to leave in order to come back to first principles. Marriage has not been abolished or changed despite Moses' concession about divorce for human hardness of heart, for the creation of male and female leads to the joining of husband and wife as one flesh which no person should undo. The law of the beginning is supreme, and whatever institutions were given to man then were given for all time, giving marriage and its related institution the Sabbath a permanent character and authority that transcend Hebrew legislation in universal and binding force as the possession of humanity and not of the Jew alone, the alphabet of all growing knowledge to guide to nobler destiny.
The verse belongs to the New Testament law respecting divorce that gives the true standard. In God's sight a man should not divorce his wife except for fornication or adultery, and following this instruction does not violate civil law. Marriage is governed by God's original purpose, not treated as a temporary contract that either spouse may end at will, and remarriage after divorce on grounds other than scriptural ones conflicts with that standard. Divorce over ordinary disagreements when neither spouse has committed adultery is rejected, for differences that grow from selfishness do not justify divorce.
Selfish differences should instead be met with respect, willingness to yield when conscience is not at stake, kind conversation, prayer, and confession of faults.
Polygamy was contrary to God's order and was never divinely instituted or commanded, for God made humanity male and female establishing the original order of one man and one woman. At creation God established marriage as the exclusive union of one man with one woman, and Jesus points to that beginning order to condemn plural and mercenary unions. Abraham, Jacob, David and Solomon violated it and reaped sorrow, division, jealousy and ruin in their divided households, proving that no man can sustain more than one body with powers given for one. Their histories were established as living types and chart lessons, and Jesus in Mark 10 points His finger to them for admonition to those upon whom the ends of the world are come, calling back to one whole heart and one true loyal love. Marriage joins one man and one woman in a sacred, indissoluble union, and polygamy departs from God's institution.
Violations of marriage by patriarchs do not cancel or lessen the sacredness of the institution itself. God made humanity male and female at creation before the fall, establishing marriage as a sacred institution whose sanctity comes from its creation and does not depend on the later giving of the law that protects it. As the fourth commandment guards the Sabbath the seventh commandment guards marriage.
Protestant churches have broken the true standard by loose doctrine and practice, while Roman Catholic doctrine and practice respecting divorce keeps much closer to it. Protestant churches should bring their practice nearer to this New Testament standard rather than to human ideas, and earnest effort is being made to do so. Failure to do so shows belittling of the authority of Scripture and exalting human standards above it.
From the beginning of the creation God Himself directly made mankind male and female before the fall, and this is Christ's plain testimony that God created all things and humanity, to be believed against evolution even when nature cannot be explained. Woman was made not inferior but equal yet differing, a fit help and companion from man's side to complement one another in a union joined by God that no one but He can sunder, and marriage was thereby established as a divine, holy and sacred institution. That original order is the exclusive, indissoluble union of one man and one woman as one flesh never to be separated, given with the Sabbath in Eden as the possession of all humanity and not of the Jew alone, with binding force for all time. God's perfect beginning remains the rule and ideal, while the looser permissions concerning divorce under Moses were granted only because of hardness of heart and sinful conditions and were no part of that design, so Jesus points back to the beginning to reprove corruption and restore marriage to first principles. Marriage is therefore not a temporary contract to be ended at will, divorce is justified only for fornication or adultery and not by ordinary selfish differences, and polygamy and plural unions depart from God's institution and bring sorrow and ruin as shown in the divided households of Abraham, Jacob, David and Solomon.
Creation Order Established
From the beginning of the creation God directly made humanity male and female, before the fall, and marriage was established then as a sacred institution. This making of man and woman belongs to God's plan for their union, and what was not His plan from the beginning is not thereby established as His ideal for the present. It is Christ's plain testimony that God created all things and humanity directly, to be believed against the nebular hypothesis and evolution even when the mysteries of nature cannot be explained.
Woman was not made inferior to man but as an equal yet differing element, a fit help and companion taken neither from his head nor his feet but from his side. Husband and wife complement one another, and God joins them in a bond that no one but He can sunder. They are joined in marriage never to be separated, united not only in their own life but in the life of their offspring. God blessed the couple and made them to bless one another and honor Him in a covenant joining husband, wife and God, signified by marriage vows signifying the institution's righteousness and God's approval.
Marriage was thereby established at creation as a divine, holy, sacred institution whose sanctity comes from its creation and does not depend on the later giving of the law that protects it. The original order is the exclusive, indissoluble union of one man and one woman as one flesh, joined never to be separated, which no person should undo. Polygamy was contrary to God's order and was never divinely instituted or commanded, but departs from His institution.
Marriage and the Sabbath are Edenic institutions given to the infant race as the possession of humanity and not of the Jew alone, the alphabet of all growing knowledge to guide to nobler destiny. The law of the beginning is supreme for all time with universal and binding force transcending Hebrew and Mosaic legislation, so that as the fourth commandment guards the Sabbath the seventh commandment guards marriage. God's perfect beginning remains the rule and ideal, and marriage has not been abolished or changed. Practices, corruptions, and later laws concerning marriage and divorce permitted under the Mosaic code because of human hardness, blindness, and existing sinful conditions were not part of that original design but were given only to ease the effects of sin.
Faithful Marriage Required
Jesus points back to the beginning to reprove corruptions and restore marriage to first principles. From the beginning of creation God made male and female as two equal but differing elements joined in marriage never to be separated, united not only in their own life but in the life of their offspring. Departure from God brought loose conceptions of marriage and divorce for any cause, which God suffered in past blindness but now in the increased light of Christ requires men to leave in order to come back to first principles. Marriage has not been abolished or changed despite Moses' concession about divorce for human hardness of heart, for the creation of male and female leads to the joining of husband and wife as one flesh which no person should undo. The law of the beginning is supreme, and whatever institutions were given to man then were given for all time, giving marriage and its related institution the Sabbath a permanent character and authority that transcend Hebrew legislation in universal and binding force as the possession of humanity and not of the Jew alone, the alphabet of all growing knowledge to guide to nobler destiny.
The verse belongs to the New Testament law respecting divorce that gives the true standard. In God's sight a man should not divorce his wife except for fornication or adultery, and following this instruction does not violate civil law. Marriage is governed by God's original purpose, not treated as a temporary contract that either spouse may end at will, and remarriage after divorce on grounds other than scriptural ones conflicts with that standard. Divorce over ordinary disagreements when neither spouse has committed adultery is rejected, for differences that grow from selfishness do not justify divorce.
Selfish differences should instead be met with respect, willingness to yield when conscience is not at stake, kind conversation, prayer, and confession of faults.
Polygamy was contrary to God's order and was never divinely instituted or commanded, for God made humanity male and female establishing the original order of one man and one woman. At creation God established marriage as the exclusive union of one man with one woman, and Jesus points to that beginning order to condemn plural and mercenary unions. Abraham, Jacob, David and Solomon violated it and reaped sorrow, division, jealousy and ruin in their divided households, proving that no man can sustain more than one body with powers given for one. Their histories were established as living types and chart lessons, and Jesus in Mark 10 points His finger to them for admonition to those upon whom the ends of the world are come, calling back to one whole heart and one true loyal love. Marriage joins one man and one woman in a sacred, indissoluble union, and polygamy departs from God's institution.
Violations of marriage by patriarchs do not cancel or lessen the sacredness of the institution itself. God made humanity male and female at creation before the fall, establishing marriage as a sacred institution whose sanctity comes from its creation and does not depend on the later giving of the law that protects it. As the fourth commandment guards the Sabbath the seventh commandment guards marriage.
Protestant churches have broken the true standard by loose doctrine and practice, while Roman Catholic doctrine and practice respecting divorce keeps much closer to it. Protestant churches should bring their practice nearer to this New Testament standard rather than to human ideas, and earnest effort is being made to do so. Failure to do so shows belittling of the authority of Scripture and exalting human standards above it.