Marriage: Its Purposes and Its Challenges

  1. Eight “P” Purposes and Two “P” Benefits of Marriage

  1. Partnership: “And God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make an help-meet for him.’” (Gen. 2:18) Note also two “P” Benefits: Productivity and Prosperity (Eccl. 4:9-12)

  1. Procreation: “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.” (Gen. 1:28)

  1. Protection : “Be not afraid. Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” (Neh. 4:14)

  1. Provision : “If any provide not for his own house, he is worse than an infidel.” (I Tim. 5:8) “If any would not work, neither should he eat.” (II Thessalonians 3:10)

  1. Parenting : “Raise up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Prov. 22:6) “And thou shalt teach My words diligently to your children (at all times).” (Deut. 6:7-18)

  1. Pleasure : “How fair is thy love, my spouse; how much better than wine.” (Song of Solomon 4:10)

  1. Purity__ : “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (Ex. 20:14) “To avoid fornication, every man should have his own wife, and every woman her own husband.” (I Cor. 7:2)

  1. Permanence: “Rejoice with the wife of thy youth!” (Prov. 5:18) “Let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth; she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant.” (Mal. 2:15)

*Other Scriptures: Gen. 2:24; Lev. 20:13; Mk. 10:9; I Cor. 6:9; I Cor. 7:10-11; Rom. 1:26-27

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  1. Three Major Challenges to the State of Marriage in America Today

  1. Optional : More than half of all marriages are now preceded by cohabitation. Only an estimated 10% of cohabiting couples are still together after five years.

  1. Disposable: Fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce, up from under 10% in 1960.

  1. Redefinable: Recognition of same-sex “marriages” opens the door for bigamous, polygamous, polyamorous, adult/child, pederasty, and intra-family “marriages”. The standard for marriage and the family will be destroyed. Children are the ultimate victims.