Yes, even in situations where one is Christian and the other isn't, they've been joined together.Philip wrote:Ah, K, but as this says, " 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" - I take that to mean that 1) marriage is a spiritual union that 2) GOD has "joined together."
So, surely we're not equating a "marriage" between two unequally yoked persons (where at least one of the two is an unbeliever) as being a union that GOD has joined together. Now, of course, Paul said to not divorce if you are a believer and married to an unbeliever. But I'm pondering the issue of a person that has divorced, became a Christian afterward, can he not marry? Or a believer whose spouse has abandoned him?
Issues discussed here: http://www.gotquestions.org/remarriage-adultery.html
I sure would hate to have to wrestle with this situation.
Consider Adam and Eve. When were the married?
When God gave Adam Eve, or when they became one flesh.
Or take what Jesus says of the Samaritan woman at the well, that she is married.
To which she responds, he's not my husband. Did Jesus think himself mistaken? I don't think so.
Since Jesus knew a whole lot more about her life and could tell her everything about her life.
So then, Jesus obviously meant she was married in a different context? What context? She was living with the guy perhaps, and having sex with him outside of some sort of traditional wedlock. That's what I think.
BUT, Jesus concedes that in society terms, indeed she was not married to that guy Jesus called her husband.
Or take Paul's words not to sleep with prostitute because don't you know you become one?
What else is that, but being married. Married before God even if in social terms such is not marriage.
Nonetheless, they having been united like hand in glove: and that is by purposeful design physically and spiritually.
That's just the way God designs things to work. And whether we like it or not, we become one with who we sleep with.
BUT, that God sees us as married after sexual consummation, does not necessarily mean God approves of our decision.
Nonetheless, God does allow two people to come together who may not be equally yoked because that His design only related to one man and one woman coming together (regardless of their belief, religion or otherwise).
Consider the fuller passage that you quote from:
- “FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, 8AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9“What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
To state another way, He respects our decision to be joined to someone unsaved, and vice-versa, simply by allow His natural design of marriage to work within humanity. Just like if you jump of a cliff or bridge, God is going to respect that decision and let gravity plummet you downward; if we choose to unite ourself to someone unyoked, he'll oblige that decision.
Anyway, if you disagree after having explained further here, that's fine. We'll just have to disagree.
But, what I've written is heavily built upon a recognition of Natural Law theory. And such is a powerful argument for marriage only being possible between a man and woman.
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