How would theonomy teach us to view marriage today in America? Obviously there are cultural details that were present in the OT that aren't present in the Western culture today. Would the standing law be that "Marriage is honorable" and then it would be dependant on your culture?

Does there need to be a ceremony for that marriage covenant to be a true covenant simply because it is the way of our culture? Would it be sinful without the ceremony if the two believers never joined to anyone else?

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Ryan Barnhart - Pastor of OGBC
Husband to a beautiful wife, Father to two beautiful girls
"But by the grace of God I am what I am." I Corinthians 15:10

"I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms. And in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer." - John Paton

Marriage in a church before the covenant community is better than a marriage by the Justice of the Peace (assuming all parties are Christian).

Marriage by a Justice of the Peace is better than living in sin.

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J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College

In the Old Testament times it wasn't living in sin to not participate in a marriage ceremony. The man left his father and mother and was joined to his wife. Genesis 24:67, "And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." That seemed to be a covenantal marriage in the sight of God without a wedding ceremony.

Did that begin to change when there were marriage feasts? Does anybody know the custom of when that began to change and ceremonies became a part of marriage?

Marriage teaches you to live in the real world instead of building abstractions in the air. Then you stop being a theonomist!

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Chris Stamper
Park Cities PCA
(Dallas, TX)

You could have a point there. There was a (rather heated) thread on PB about 3 years ago concerning when and what validated a marriage (was it the oath, the church, or consummation?)

So, were any conclusions drawn? Do you have a link to the thread, or a hint as to what keywords will turn it up in a search?

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~James Helbert~, Wytheville, VA
Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church, RPCUS
TheBibleAlone.com / The Edinburgh Inn
"Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” - Zechariah 3:2

I haven't had any luck...er, providence, with the search functions. I think a guy named tolle et lege was the one doing it.

Not necessarily. The text may well assume that there was a wedding ceremony at some stage; it doesn't have to be explicitly reported for there to have been one.

If marriage is a covenant one must assume some sort of a formal (covenant) ceremony somwehere at sometime.

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Marty

From Creation to New Creation via Redemption

I am not sure why we would necessarily assume this, since the bible never says that there must be a ceremony before a marriage is legitimate.

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Mark Li
International University Church
New South Wales, Australia

I think it is what is in our hearts that really counts. As long as it is done for love (not law), it's okay. Love covers all sins.

I wish there were a rolling-on-the-floor-laughing-with-tears-in-my-eyes-and-sackcloth-on-my-head-banging-against-a-wall smiley.

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R.Vic Bottomly
Providence Reformed Baptist Church, Tacoma, WA

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

That's a good point, Marty. What we can't assume though is that the covenant ceremony was the same throughout the course of history.

Doesn't the bible say that love is the end of the law? Quit imposing your rules, mon. Just go with it..

That's real funny until you have to deal with "Christians" (non-members) that act like that in your church.

Oh, I was just summarising Reformed ethics essays.

I know, Jacob. I wasn't lashing out at you, rather at the mindset of some professing believers. If they wanted to argue against the culture of marriage ceremonies that's one thing. But they just want to avoid marriage altogether by living together, and that flies in the face of "Marriage is honorable."