Arguments for Eternal Marriage
1. Adam and Eve given to each other in perfection in the presence of the the Father. This was on Earth, but Earth will become a part of Heaven.
2. Explanation that Jews will be as the angels and not married nor given in marriage doesn't apply to Christians who will be made "higher than the angels" (Heb 1, Gal 4).
3. Told to love our spouse as Christ loves the church, and tthe love of Christ does not end in death. (Eph. 5: 25-27)
4. Christ resurrection ended the sting and victory of death (1 Cor 15:55).
5. In heaven we will know as we are known, so why would the love for our spouse not be magnified instead of just diluted. If you love your spouse, you will want to be with them, and if that be the case, you would in effect be common law married anyways.
1 Cor. 13: 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
6. Paul's explanation that woman are free to remarry and its not adultery (1 Cor. 7: 39, Rom. 7: 2-3) suggests they had eternal marriage and felt committed still to their eternal spouse even after death. Ezek 44:22 proves the Jews had no problem with remarriage after death. Even priests could remarry the widows of other priests. So, Paul bringing the issue of remarriage up, doesn't make sense unless the circumstance of the Christian marriage was different than that of the Jews.
Ezekiel 44:22 They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.
7. Paul says that man is not without the woman neither women without the man in the Lord.
1 Cor 11:11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
8.The keys given to Peter say "what is bound on Earth shall be bound in heaven" (Matt 16:19).
9. The Bible says "What God hath joined, let no man put asunder" (Matt 19).
10. If this doctrine were clearly set forth in the Bible, there would be no need for the Restoration.
2 comments:
In discussing marriage you quote many nice passages of the New Testament but you leave out the most important passage - the direct and unambiguous words of our Saviour found in Matthew 19. Unlike the other passages His words are clear and unmistakable.
He also clarifies why divorce is unacceptable and states that not all are to marry in this life.
I agree with Anonymous above, that Christ did not allow any divorce of married people, only of engaged people who's fiance committed fornication.
Thus there is no such thing as divorce.
And when you understand this, you understand that every marriage in the world (unless one was forced into it and didn't give their consent) will be eternal in the next life.
All remarriages will be null and void and people will have to repent of them.
The greatest argument for 'Eternal Marriage' is that Christ doesn't allow any divorce and thus requires all to stay completely faithful to their spouse, no matter how evil they may be (though separation for safety issues is ok, as long as one remains faithful and doesn't date or remarry).
If a marriage wasn't eternal then Christ would not require people to endure a life alone if their spouse was wicked, unsafe, or abandons them or dies, he would just let them find someone new, if they weren't going to be with their spouse in the next life. There would be no point in the suffering of being alone if the marriage wasn't eternal.
Thus Christ's law on marriage proves he knows all marriages are eternal, for his law applies to all and every marriage, unless one was forced into it without consent, for that's not a real marriage, that's slavery.
And even if our spouse dies Christ expects us to stay faithful to our marriage covenants, for Christ showed that marriage is eternal when he returned and showed himself to Mary, his wife, who he of course showed himself to 1st and came back to comfort her.
There are countless testimonies of people in every religion who's deceased spouse frequently visits them and talks to them and still watches over and waits for them to join them.
Christ clearly showed that deceased resurrected spouses can visit their living spouse and embrace them, talk to them, teach them, eat with them, etc.
Christ never said remarriage after the death of a spouse was ok. For he knew that they were still 100% completely married and must still keep their vows.
Christ taught that you can tell false prophets and false churches like the LDS because of how they preach and practice 'contrary' to his teachings.
And Christ also condemned all polygamy, past & present, when he taught that married men can't marry another woman, or it's adultery, even if he divorced the 1st one 1st, for the marriage is still intact, there is no such thing as divorce, and thus no way any man or woman to marry another spouse without committing adultery.
You also seem to think the Bible is perfect and without errors or that God wrote it. Far from. It probably has far more errors in it then truth, and we need to take everything the Bible says with a huge grain of salt and judge it's truthfulness on whether it is in harmony with Christ's teachings or not.
For the Bible was written and translated and condensed over and over by very fallible and probably unrighteous men with agendas and biases. The same as LDS scriptures were written by Joseph and other leaders.
Just because someone ancient or modern called themselves a prophet and claimed to speak for God or say God condoned or told them to do something, doesn't mean God did.
Christ warned us over and over about falling for false prophets who look and act the part but inwardly are wolves intent on deceiving people.
True followers of Christ can see right through false prophets like Joseph Smith, Brigham Young or any church leaders today in the LDS Church, for they have never lived the true teachings of Jesus Christ.
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