The Design of Marriage: Christ and the Church

By Scott Kranz

When God created marriage, he did so with a much more significant intention than a relationship between two people. Through our relationship with God, we can better understand our marriages. And through our marriages, we can better understand God. Explore the design of marriage and the lessons it teaches about our relationship with God himself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973616214

Scott Kranz

Scott Kranz is a software engineer in San Diego, California. As a young man he decided he was not willing to blindly follow a tradition that had no merit. In his dedication to reason and his relentless search for truth he has studied science, philosophy, and every major theology to uncover the ultimate foundations of existence and man's purpose. He has determined that among all dominant worldviews, Christianity most consistently aligns with reality, and has dedicated his continued study to better understand the nature of God and his creation.

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Copyright © 2018 Scott Kranz.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-1622-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-1621-4 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/31/2018

Contents

Preface

Dedication

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: What Marriage Is Not

Chapter 3: What Marriage Is

Chapter 4: The Covenant

Chapter 5: God’s Example

Chapter 6: The Role of the Husband

Chapter 7: The Role of the Wife

Chapter 8: Breaking the Marriage Contract

Chapter 9: Marriage Under Attack

Chapter 10: Conclusion

Afterword

Appendix

Preface

This study is not primarily a study about marriage. While it will prove useful for understanding and improving marital relationships, its primary purpose is to deepen our understanding of our relationship with God. As such, both married and unmarried persons should be able to find great value in this exploration of the truth of God’s Word.

Dedication

To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the reason and inspiration for my writings. And to my wife Jessica, without whom this book never would have happened.

Chapter One

Introduction

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5:31-32 (KJV)

I n the middle of Ephesians Paul gives a glimpse of a profound mystery that has too often been read over too lightly by Christians. The parallels between marriage and the relationship between Christ and the church are often recognized, but Christians have stopped short of fully uncovering the message God is portraying in these inspired words. A thorough investigation of scripture reveals a recurring, reinforced theme regarding God’s marital relationship with the church. Delving into this relationship gives us greater insight on our relationship with God as well as our relationships with others.

In the beginning of Genesis, God lays down the framework for everything that exists. This includes the material, spiritual, and relational realms. As creation was taking form it was continually described, And God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). But continuing on, one verse stands out in stark contrast to the rest.

The LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.

Genesis 2:18

What does this statement mean? Had God made a mistake when creating Adam? Was the original creation flawed? Is marriage a solution for the failures of the original design for man?

In The Truth Project Dr. Del Tackett refers to this as The Divine Pause. God knew his plans for the world, and his creation had not yet been completed. This was not a fault in the original design, but rather a clarification. Genesis 2:18 serves as a beacon so that the significance and design of marriage is not overlooked. Immediately, woman is created and then follows the iconic description of marriage.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Genesis 2:24 (KJV)

For millennia readers of scripture have stopped here and accepted the helpful description of marriage. But that is not all that this verse describes. It took over a thousand years after this initial writing before Paul clarified it, but in his letter to the church at Ephesus Paul expands on God’s original words.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5:31-32 (KJV)

God was not simply bestowing his blessing of marriage in Genesis 2. He was describing his own relationship with us. He was providing a model and a tool that would point us not only to each other, but to a deeper understanding of our relationship with God himself.

Chapter Two

What Marriage Is Not

I n order to properly understand what marriage is, it is important to recognize what marriage is not. In the modern church marriage has often been misrepresented or overly emphasized. Marriage has blindly become an expectation and a goal for many people, without checking on God’s will. It may surprise many Christians,