Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ukma!seismo!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: chappell@symcom.math.uiuc.edu (Glenn Chappell) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: The Laws of the Old and New Covenants Message-ID: Date: 27 Mar 91 04:23:38 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Math Dept., University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign Lines: 35 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article balistik@nevada.edu (SHAWN HICKS) writes: >When you or anyone says 'marriage' what do you mean? Are you refering to the >social/legal marraige where a Justice of the Peace declares you wed or are >you refering to a religious wedding? Usually christians get wed in church and >register that marriage with the government so that it can be legally >recognized. Sexual activity outside marriage in the christian church is a sin. I'd like to point out that the idea of "marriage in the church" is not found in the Bible. (Marriage *to a believer* is...but that's a different concept). Indeed, I would doubt that the early church performed marriages at all, since when Christianity began, it was not recognized as a legal religion by the Roman Empire. Thus, any marriage ceremony performed within the church would not be recognized as legally binding. Although the Bible does not talk about "marriage in the church", it certainly does talk about "marriage". It can be reasonably assumed, then, that what the Bible means by "marriage" is just what was commonly meant by "marriage" when spoken of by the people of that time. Now, we live in a time when, increasingly, the definition of "marriage" is being questioned, so "what is 'marriage'" is an increasingly difficult question to answer. However, I would suggest that alot of this speculation is rendered moot by the fact that we are told (in the Bible) to submit to the governing authorities over us (certainly only so long as such submission will not cause us to disobey God). Thus, "if you want to get married, get legally married (at least)" makes an awful lot of sense. GGC <>< P.S. I gather, from the article that I am following up, that the writer comes from a Catholic background, as is really wondering what the R.C.'s have to say about all this. I wouldn't have any idea about that.