Marriage in the New Testament:

GOSPELS

“… the man who divorces his wife and

marries another is guilty of adultery against
her. And if a woman divorces her husband
and marries another she is guilty of adultery
too.”
Mark 10:12
Some Pharisees approached him and asked, Is
it against the law for a man to divorce his
wife, He answered them, what did Moses
command you? Moses allowed us they said
to draw up a writ of dismissal and so to divorce.
Then Jesus said to them, it was because you
were unteachable that he wrote this
commandment for you.

Mark 10:1-12
But from the beginning of creation God
made them male and female. This is
why a man must leave his father
and mother, and so the two
become one body. So then, what
God has united, man must not
divide. Back in the house the disciples
questioned him again about this, and he
said to them, the man who divorces his
wife and marries another is guilty of
adultery against her. And if a woman
divorces her husband and marries
another she is guilty of adultery too.

Mark 10:1-12
 It has also been said: anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal.
But I say this to you: everyone who divorces his wife except for the case of fornication,
makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 5:31-32
 Is it against the law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever? He answered,
have you not read that the creator from the beginning made them male and female and
that he said: this is why a man must leave father and mother, and cling to his wife, and the
two become one body? They are no longer two but one body, so then what God has
united, man must not divide.

They said to him, why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal be given in cases of
divorce? It was because you were so unteachable he said that Moses allowed you to divorce
your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say to you, the man who
divorces his wife, I am not speaking of fornication and marries another is guilty of
fornication.
Matthew 19:3-9
 “What God has
joined together, man
must not put
asunder”.
 Two Properties of Marriage

Unity and
Indissolubility

NO = 1. Extramarital relationship
or any form of fornication
2. Divorce and re-marriage
 Marriage in Saint Paul’s Teaching

For the married I have something to say, and this is not from me but from the Lord: a
wife must not leave her husband or if she does she must either remain unmarried or else
make it with her husband nor must husband send his wife away.
1 Corinthians 7: 10-11
 Yes, it is not good for man to touch a woman; but since sex is always a danger,
let each man have his own wife and each woman her husband….do not refuse each
other except by mutual consent, and then only for an agreed time, to leave yourselves
free for prayer, then come together again in case Satan should take advantage of your
weakness to tempt you.
1 Corinthians 7:1-2,5
 Paul’s Message
• Sexual Promiscuity vs. Extreme form of
ascetism
• Self-control (1 Cor. 7:1,7)
• Value of Conjugal Intercourse. (Sexual Act in
Married Life) (1 Cor. 7:3,4)
• Dignity of Marriage (1 Cor.7:7,20)
The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her
husband. For the wife does not own her own body but the husband does;
likewise the husband does not rule his own body but the wife does.
1 Corinthians 7:3-4
 Marital Debts
Right

Privilege Duty
Wives should regard their husbands
as they regard the Lord, since as
Christ is the head of the Church and
saves the whole body, so is a
husband the head of his wife. And as
the Church submits to Christ, so
should wives to their husbands, in
everything. Husbands should love
their wives just as Christ loved the
Church and sacrificed himself for her
to make her holy…

Ephesians 5:21-33
 Paul’s Message
For the Wife: For the Husband:
“The wife submits herself “The husband should love
to the husband almost his wife”
everything”
 Submission and Leadership
• It is not slavish but submission on LOVE.
• It is not authoritarian but loving in service.

Weightier Obligation is the

husbands’, and
not that of the wife to her husband.
 …To sum up, each of you must
love his wife as he loves himself and
let every wife respect her husband.

`
 GUIDE QUESTIONS

What are the similarities of the scriptural passages in their discourse about marriage?

What is the argument “against marriage”?

What are the counter arguments in favor of marriage?

Identify any relevance of the scriptural passages to the reality and contemporary
understanding and practice of marriage.
As a group:

1. In this lesson, which teaching of the Holy Scriptures on marriage

are actively present in the married couples you know?
2. Write a one-page essay for submission: Imagine that your friends
as young couple are having trouble with each other and are much
tempted to break up with their marriage. Write down what you
would tell them to stick together. Use the Sacred Scriptures
and the teachings of Christ as your basis and as your guide.