Is marriage a union of one man with one woman?
ANSWER:
“I say this so that you'll understand. This is the adult class, and we're mostly all married people, probably ninety percent. And I hope the young women and men understands, or boys what I... To understand me just to explain something. If a man takes to himself a wife, a woman, and she becomes his wife, and they live together as husband and wife for hun--for fifty years, they're just as clean and pure and unadulterated if they'd never knew one another. That's--that's God's program. But for that man or woman to go and live with another man or a woman, that perverts, makes illegitimate children born. But if they live together in that perfect harmony, that's God's way. But Satan comes around and puts lust in the man or the woman, and they live contrary to those marriage vows, and that's perverting. It's the very same sexual affair, but it's perverted. So that's what Satan does with God's correct thing. He perverts it. That's what Satan is doing today with the real genuine (listen), to the real message of God. He perverts it, makes something else, makes it appear to be something that it's not.” [Perfection, Jeffersonville, IN 56-0610]
“I like to think of weddings. I've had the privilege of marrying quite a few people. And I think when I bring a young man and a young woman down to the altar, and see them come down through the church, and she, pretty with her wedding garments on, and the veil over her face and hanging down; and the bridegroom straight, dressed beautiful, and young, and full of vigor and as they walk down there in their very best of life, and take that marriage vow, I think there's something sweet about it. There's something sacred, because that it reminds me that there will be another great wedding someday, when Christ's bride will come walking down the corridors of glory. The Bridegroom will have everything ready. There'll be a wedding and a supper. How we love to think of setting across the table from each other, and shaking one another's hands, and tears running down our cheeks. And to think, He will come around, wipe all tears from our eyes, say, "Don't cry. It's all over now. Enter into the joys of the Lord that's been prepared for you since the foundation of the world." Oh, brother, that will make us love one another more.” [The Marriage Of The Lamb, Phoenix, AZ 62-0121e]
“Marriage in one sense is a type. The earthly marriage here is a type of the heavenly marriage. Now, let's go over it just for a few moments, to rehearse it a moment. The first thing there is, there must be a decision made. The first thing takes in natural marriage is a decision has to be made. The young lady has to make her decision whether she wants this young man, and the young man, whether he wants the young woman. There has to be a decision made, and you have to make it. She must be the only woman in the world that you love, and he must be the only man. If it isn't, then you made a wrong decision. And that's the same way it is by making the decision for Christ. The first thing you have to do, is make up your mind whether you're going to serve God and take Him as your Saviour; or, you're not going to do it. Are you going to serve the world, are you going to serve Christ? You have to make up your mind. There has to be a decision made. When you make up your mind that you're either going to serve God or mammon, then you take your choice. But the decision has to be made.” [The Marriage Of The Lamb, Phoenix AZ 62-0121e]
“We find out that the forecast foretells future events before they happen. Strange as it seems, that almighty God foretold, and took the welfare of the Baby, Jesus, and revealed it by a dream, what to do. Now that God, in this secondarily way, to His Own Son, revealed it to Joseph by a dream. The Bible said He did. Yes, sir. Now, Joseph was a good man, he was the son of David, and he was espoused to Mary. Now I'd like to pass this on, before we go further. "Espousing," in the East, was the same as MARRIAGE, is betrothal. As soon as they--as they were espoused, they were married. When that sacred vow between them was taken, read Deuteronomy 22:23, and you'll find out that when this woman and man agreed to be married (yet they did not take the vows for months later), if they even broke that vow, they were guilty of adultery. That's right. When they was espoused, they were just the same as marriage. The law had not given them rights to live together as husband and wife yet, but before God, when they promised one another, their words were sealed in God's Kingdom. And, to break that, was just committing adultery. And now Joseph was "espoused" to Mary. If minister brothers, if you'd study that right good, it'd clear you up on this marriage-and-divorce case that's so--so hard and different amongst the people today. Now notice Joseph, her husband, being a just man, see, now we find out that this could not be broken.” [We Have Seen His Star, Tucson AZ 63-1216]
“On the case of marriage and divorce, I've asked you like a brother, hold your peace until you hear from me. Hear? Just go right on as you have lived. I'm taking up too much of the time there. "We were married twenty-one years ago (yeah)... justice of the peace." Sister dear, brother dear, one time a salesman was telling me he walked into a church (He was a Christian.) up in Connecticut or somewhere up there, great big church, just went in to pray. It wasn't--he was a Pentecostal, but he went in there to pray. And said when he got in there and knelt down in the church to pray... said he was riding along, was tired, kind of homesick, he's a salesman, and he's selling stuff, and said he--for--to factories. And he went in there to--to make some buys or something, then he come by the church, thought, "I'll go... I believe I'll go in and pray." The door's open; said, he went in. Didn't hear nobody, so he knelt down and started praying. After he was praying there, stayed about a hour, said, directly he heard some doors slam or something; he thought it was a custodian or something of the church. Said, after while he noticed here come--he heard somebody talking. He slipped up there to look, and looked around to see whether it was the custodian. It was a man and woman standing before the altar holding one another's hands, said, "I take you, dear, to be my lawful wedded wife." See? She said, "I take you, dear to be my lawful wedded husband." "Why," he said, "this is a strange thing," said, this Pentecostal, he said, "this man and woman getting MARRIED without a preacher." See? And so he just set down and waited; and after they made their vows to live true to one another, only death would separate them, they put their arms around one another, kissed each other, turned around and walked out smiling. He said, "Just a moment." He said, "I'm kind of curious; I'm a stranger." Said, "You all getting married?" Said, "Yes." "Without a preacher?" He said, "No." Said, "We been married forty years." He said, "We got married right here at this altar forty years ago, and every year we come back and renew our vows." That's a good idea. See? But as far as married, when you promise her, she takes your word; you take her word; and God takes both your word.” [Questions And Answers, Jeffersonville, IN 64-0830m]
Bible References: I Timothy 3:2, 12 ; Titus 1:6
[Answers provided by Bro. Ken Andes, Minister, Lynden, Washington USA]