I know someone at work who just did the vows before eachother part. No ceremony and no state licence. Then they "sealed the deal" as he put it and they call eachother husband and wife. They just committed themselves to God as a couple.
Then there's my cousin who goes through the whole Catholic Pre-Cana rigamaroo and wants to do it right.
I say. Forget the whole wedding mess and Work on those pesky years in the middle! |
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---Nicola on 5/6/08 |
No, biblical marriage was a man taking a women to his house having a party to let every one know who the wife is. Consumation of the marriage sealed the deal. |
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---dan on 5/6/08 |
The marriage relationship is entered into when a man and a woman commit themselves to each other, before God, as husband and wife, and then consummate that commitment with the sexual union. There is NO command or precept in the Scriptures that says that some man is to "marry" the couple. God created and ordains the institution and He gives no command in the Scriptures where He calls for a man to serve as the agent of approving the marriage. They are to be married before God first and foremost. |
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---righteouswarriors on 5/5/08 |
Excellent question. Modern marriage consists of two components. One is the joining of a man and woman before God. The other is a legal contract enforced by the state. State laws dictate how people must be married (license, witnesses, authorized person to perform the ceremony). I don't believe God looks at any of that stuff for a marriage to be right in His eyes. |
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---ralph7477 on 5/5/08 |
If you are christians and decide to get married in a registry office, that is fine by God, marriage is honourable, but it is the marriage bed that should not be defiled. As long as you are both believers and living according to the word of the Lord, get married where you want, God recognises this. But if you are both christians, through obedience you should be at a church and therefore your Pastor could bless you after in your home. Financially couples do not want the church wedding. |
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---maxine_edgarf on 7/31/07 |
has anyone ever heard of REPENTANCE?? there seems to be a lack of that in the disscusion. Justs a thought. thank you |
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---derek on 7/14/07 |
I read in the news today that actress Tori Spelling is now an ordained minister (via the internet) and has officiated her first ceremony...for a gay couple. Now, of course, this isn't a marriage AND it's not right before the Most High. I just found it interesting that an actress who stole some other woman's husband can become a minister online and even have the authority to legally marry two people (or preside over civil unions for gay couples). |
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---AlwaysOn on 7/10/07 |
We got married at "The Little White Chapel' in Vegas. They have several people who are authorized to marry people. We had requested a REAL minister and that's what we got. Scriptures were read and it was quite a lovely service! |
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---NVBarbara on 6/29/07 |
Besides a judge, clergy, ship captain or JoP, in some states ordinary people can be ordained to officiate legal marriages. Also, county clerks, Salvation Army captains, congressmen & other legislators, Supreme Court justices (active or retired), commissioners, etc. Clergy includes shaman/medicine men, wiccan priests & priestesses, recognized cult & occult leaders (including church of satan). All can legally marry people in certain states. For which is right before the Father, what does the bible say? |
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---AlwaysOn on 6/29/07 |
There are four legal authorities who are bonded to perform a marriage ceremony. A pastor, minister or priest. A justice of the peace, a judge serving on the bench and also a captain of a boat, if he is bonded to perform the ceremony. they are all legal in North America. In some states, men are bonded for wedding chapels, as long as they are residents of Las Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City and are citizens of the country. |
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---ashley on 6/28/07 |
No. A pastor is not the only authority.I know a justice of the peace(judge) has the authority to marry persons. You can go to the court house and be married for a small fee by a judge. Do more research and you might come up with other authorities who can do this. |
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---Robyn on 6/28/07 |
There is no such thing about being married in governments' eyes or in a pastor's eyes and not being married in God's eyes. If you are married by whatever means- you are married. If its a wrong marriage or becomes wrong though divorce then its wrong and disapproving to God regardless of who married them.
That's my biblical Opinion. |
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---Brent on 6/28/07 |
NO!! God is the one who joins together whom He will join together. The marriage ceremony is only to settle the paperwork,nothing to do with whether or not they are married in Gods eyes. Many thousands have been married by their pastor and aren't in Gods eyes. Thus the high divorce rate. If people would marry the one God made for them that would not be! On the other hand, many have been married by a justice of the peace and are joined by God. Pastors do not have "all power" as some would think. |
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---pat on 6/27/07 |
I understand, Jared. I'm not on the Pen Pal system, however, I have looked at your denomination online. I had a totally different impression of who the denomination was and am pleased to have learned something new. Thank you. ;) |
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---AlwaysOn on 11/16/06 |
Alwayson, if you want to know more about the denomination i'm a part of I'd tell you more but I don't want to on the blog. jared9463 |
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---Jared on 11/15/06 |
Oh, I didn't get that impression at all, Jared. I was the one being nosey about your denomination. lol Thanks for clarifying all the same, though. :) |
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---AlwaysOn on 11/14/06 |
Ok, I just want you to know that I wasn't pushing my denomination I was meaning that different expressions of faith see the uniting of 2 people in different ways. |
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---Jared on 11/14/06 |
Jared, you mentioned that in your denomination marriage ceremonies were done in a unique way. I was just wondering which denomination you were speaking of. Thanks for the reply. |
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---AlwaysOn on 11/14/06 |
I am a member and minister in the Evangelical Friends Church in the Mid America Yearly meeting. Why? |
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---Jared on 11/14/06 |
Jared, what denomination are you? |
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---AlwaysOn on 11/14/06 |
IN my denomination a pastor doesn't have to marry a person, infact they can only witness the union that God has brought together. (so in my denomination a justice of the peace officiating a marriage is just as good as anything) I think marriage is in the heart, commitiment is marriage not a cerimony. Cerimonies are nice but not the real deal. |
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---Jared on 11/13/06 |
At the begining of my denomination the 2 that were getting married would say their vows together and then the entire church would sign as witnesses (with noone officiating) I've gone to a couple wedding like that in my lifetime (usually between 2 widows) And the service is almost more powerful then anything else. |
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---Jared on 11/13/06 |
Jared - no, a justice of the peace can too.
Really? I know that makes them legally married but does it make them married under God? I know a deacon who is a Justice of the Peace and I've often wondered how he can uphold his church beliefs and still marry people outside of church. |
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---grace3869 on 11/13/06 |
no, a justice of the peace can too. |
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---Jared on 11/12/06 |
Christian Guy you say " If a girl has had more than one guy, a pastor should not officiate the wedding. UNLESS a girl is a virgin or widow and the man she marries is HER ONLY" Why not "If the guy has had more than one girl, a pastor should not officiate the wedding, unless the guy is a virgin or widower and the girl he marries is his only" etc. etc. |
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---M.A. on 10/31/05 |
Lily if Jesus called them husbands then I strongly suspect that he KNEW that they had been husbands. He makes a distinction by saying that "the man you are now living with is NOT your husband". This would surely infer that the others had all been actual husbands. |
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---M.A. on 10/31/05 |
hmm Lily,
You really don't believe that when a man and woman decide to live together as husband and wife "with or without a license" that God blesses it do you? Last time I checked, when a man and a woman are not legally married but live as though they were, it is FORNICATION. |
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---Cyndi on 10/31/05 |
Lily, are you married? If so how?
Christianet guy, (Huh? "Christianet guy") What test does the pastor use to know if the female is a virgin or not? Do you think she would lie about it? |
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---Elder on 10/31/05 |
"No" While it's nice to be married by a pastor, (and I was 42 years ago), you don't have to be. Marriage is a legal requirement, therefore, you can be married by anyone licensed by the state. (It can be a Justice of the Peace, for example) But, a couple has to be legally married by someone. (We are told in the Bible to obey the authorities in government and marriage is one of the governments requirements.) |
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---WIVV on 10/31/05 |
God has set up the civil authorities as well. They are supposed to be servants of Him. If they are unbelievers it would be the same as a Pastor that is an unbeliever.
Eli was a servant of YHWH, himself unrighteous, yet stood as High Priest. Before Samuel took the mantle from Eli, Eli had to give it to him. |
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---David7647 on 10/24/05 |
How can a justice of the peace ask God to invoke his blessing? what if he isnt saved, Do you think God will hear his request? I am getting married for the second time after being a widower. I certainly do want a man of the cloth who is saved to perform my marriage ceremony. |
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---clark on 10/24/05 |
If I ever marry again, I think that I will get a justice of the peace to do the job and ask him (or her) to invoke God's blessings on my marriage. |
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---lee on 10/5/05 |
christianen Guy:
If everybody thought like you nobody would be married. How many virgins in this society do you know? Especially, in a society that promotes fornication. You've just excluded prostitutes, unwed mothers, most teenagers whom the lord has given another chance through salvation. Why shouldn't they be blessed in marriage? |
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---nia on 9/29/05 |
No, pastors performing marriages is a custom. A couple can be "right before God" without any pastor pronouncing that they are married. Each state has their own individual laws on what they recognize as a legal marriage. In some states pastors are required to be certified or licensed to do this service. If this is a concern, then the couple should check with the county court house in their state to see what is legally acceptable. |
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---Eloy on 9/28/05 |
Why would a christian decide to have a series of casual sex? Remember, the Samaritan woman had casual sex with men and Jesus called them 'husbands'....My understanding is when a man 'sleeps' with a woman they become one flesh... and yes, if someone is having a series of casual sex it is a series of 'marriages' and divorces...it is my opinion. |
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---Lily9364 on 9/28/05 |
Most marriages are UNHOLY UNIONS so that pastors should keep away from marrying couples. More often the church gives God's blessing on marriages that God forbids. If a girl has had more than one guy, a pastor should not officiate the wedding. UNLESS a girl is a virgin or widow and the man she marries is HER ONLY, the pastor should stay away from marrying couples. |
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---christianet_guy on 9/27/05 |
There is a lot of marriage now days according to Lily's definition. Everytime a woman "decides" to sleep with a man, she is married to him. And everytime she "decides" not to sleep with him, they are divorced. For shame! Every couple I have met that are living in sin or in a "common law" marriage has a problem with commitment. |
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---Sally on 9/27/05 |
Lily ... so a series of casual living-togethers is a series of marriages and divorces?
Surely there needs to be commitment & an intention to be permanent? |
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---alan8869_of_UK on 9/27/05 |
My opinion is, when two people, MAN & WOMAN have agreed to live together as husband and wife,that is marriage and is right b4 God, with or without a marriage certificate. Same as when one or two of these people decide not to 'share the bed' it is divorce already. |
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---Lily9364 on 9/27/05 |
A pastor does not have to marry two peolple for it to be right before God. God recognises the earthly authourities like,court, and the parents, it is possible to have a wedding in the court, it is also possible to have a local wedding blessed by the parents of the bride and Groom and as long as the two people getting married are doing so in the Lord, and they have prayed and God says go ahead, then the important thing is not a pastor, but God! |
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---bola on 9/27/05 |
A pastor does not have to marry two peolple for it to be right before God. God recognises the earthly authourities like,court, and the parents, it is possible to have a wedding in the court, it is also possible to have a local wedding blessed by the parents of the bride and Groom and as long as the two people getting married are doing so in the Lord, and they have prayed and God says go ahead, then the important thing is not a pastor, but God! |
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---bola on 9/27/05 |
Pat, anyone that is married legally is married in the sight of God if the union is not sin against nature.
He may not bless the union because He can't due to disobedience by the parties involved. |
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---Elder on 9/26/05 |
A pastor is a man he is not God. To be right before God one would put God as the foundation in thier marraige together. this is what makes a marraige right in God's eyes |
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---Shaz on 9/26/05 |
A civil ceremony will probably not ask God to bless the union,as a pastor would,but God is there.Sure,it's good to say that God doesn't worry about all the legalities of a wedding ceremony,but He has told us to obey the laws of the land-filling out the forms & signing on the dotted lines.Either way,the marriage is right before God.I don't think 2 people standing alone on a beach vowing to be true to each other constitutes a marriage,even if they ask God's blessing.They did not follow the laws of the land. |
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---Ann5758 on 9/26/05 |
1 Mtw: 19:1-12 God joins a wife and a husband. A married couple is one flesh.
2 Biblicly ceremony has played an important role in marrige. It is not neccesary for marrige.
3.Read 1 Corinthians 7:12-14 closly; note what Paul has to say about sanctification of unbelievers here.
In the end God's word tells us it is his institution not ours, but in a Godly manner we can contibrute to a succesfull marrige. Man's law means naught, man's customs mean naught, but man's spirit counts. |
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---Carl on 9/26/05 |
USUALLY, a JP does not include God in the marriage ceremony. The word says "What GOD has joined together..." How can GOD join the couple together when he is totally left out of their vows? 2 Peter 2:10 talks about those who DESPISE AUTHORITY." Marriage is NOT legal according to LAW (authority) unless there is a legal marriage liscense. Being "joined" as man & wife physically doesn't make you married- it makes you a fornicato |
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---Sissy on 9/26/05 |
a maried man or woman is bound to stay with his or her unbelieving partner for the rest of his or her life? if a man married a unbelieving man or woman without knowing the fact of the bible would devource solve the problem. remember it was a mistake the person did not know the fact s of the bible. Will God hold us guilty for the things we do not know? |
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---carol on 9/26/05 |
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