The Bible teaches that God knows every detail of our lives. He has created us and given us gifts, skills and abilities (Ps 139:13) and He knows all the days of our lives before they come to be (Ps 139:16). Acts 17:26 explains that God even determines where we will live! From these scriptures we see a picture of a God who is concerned with the details of our lives; and that includes marriage.
With Physical intimacy between a Man and Woman a little physical touch can very quickly lead to more. If you didn't want to light a fire you wouldn't strike a match.
The Bible is clear that any divorce is a tragedy. God intended marriage to be a life-long commitment between Man & Woman.
When God created marriage at the beginning of history he explained that when a man and woman are married, they become joined together as ‘one flesh’ (see Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6). This union is designed to be a permanent bond until death separates it (see also Matthew 19:6). It is worth noting that God created marriage long before he gave the Law to Moses. The strong bond of marriage goes beyond a legal contract.
The Apostle Paul writes about head-coverings in 1 Corinthians 11. As we try to apply his teaching to our own time it is very important for us to understand the culture that the apostle Paul was writing into.
In Greece during the 1st century the clothes men and women wore were very similar in style apart from the head-covering which was only worn by women. The uncovered hair of a woman was considered sexually arousing and was believed to provoke lust in men. So it was normal, dignified and socially appropriate for women (especially married women) to wear the head-covering.
Before exploring the question of polygamy (being married to more than one person at the same time), it is important to understand God’s intention for marriage.
The biblical pattern for marriage is that it is between one man and one woman. In Matthew 19, Jesus quotes from Genesis Chapters 1-2 to see God’s intentions for marriage:
You are right that it is difficult to bless nasty people. Our natural response is to hate those who make life difficult for us, and to fight back when we are attacked.
We can see in the Scriptures the general principles of how Christians should interact with those in authority over them such as employers. Before we look at them, it is worth bearing in mind that too often we are quick to criticise and complain about those in authority over us and the decisions they make. A lot of the time, employees simply do not possess all the information they would need to make an informed opinion. We should hesitate to jump to conclusions about the decisions those in authority make, and trust they are making a good choice.
Sometimes a relationship is difficult because of the other persons actions or attitude, and sometimes it is difficult because of our own actions and attitude. Normally, it is a bit of both! It is very easy to look at the other person and see their faults without looking at our own and you must avoid this danger. The Apostle Paul speaks about this kind of issue in Romans 12:17-18: “17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
The verses about Onesiphorus in 2 Timothy 1:15-18 are a challenge to us, as they remind us that a divine calling to follow Jesus Christ wholeheartedly will inevitably have a cost on family life. However, the Bible is clear that for those who answer the call of God on their life the cost is both necessary and worth it. In Matthew 10:34-38 Jesus speaks about how just turning to Him in faith may cause you to be distanced from your family:
