“What does it mean to leave and cleave?”……Answer: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:24 KJV). Other translations render “leave and cleave” as “leave and be united” (NIV), “leave and be joined” (NASB), and “leave and hold fast” […]

“How should a Christian wedding be different from a non-Christian wedding?”……Answer: The primary difference between a Christian wedding and non-Christian wedding is Christ. Christians who marry are making a commitment to Christ, as well as to each other, and that commitment should be obvious to everyone who attends the wedding. In a non-Christian wedding, the […]

“What does the Bible say about a common law marriage?”……One online encyclopedia defines common-law marriage as follows: “Common-law marriage, sometimes referred to as informal marriage, is a form of interpersonal status in which a man and a woman are legally married. The common-law marriage is a verbal or written contract between a man and a […]

“What is the Christian view of engagement?”……Answer: In the Bible, there were three steps the Jewish people had to take when getting married. The families first had to agree to the union, and then a public announcement was made. At this point, the couple was betrothed, or engaged. Finally, they were officially married and began […]

“Can a Christian virgin marry not a virgin?”……Answer: The ideal situation for Christian marriage is, of course, when both parties are virgins, having understood that marriage is the only place in God’s eyes for sexual relations. But we don’t live in an ideal world. Many times, a person raised in a godly home and saved […]

How does one handle conflict in a marriage (or any relationship for that matter)?”……Answer: Because of the fallen nature of man, conflicts in relationships are a fact of life, even for believers in Christ. Loving communication doesn’t come naturally or easily to anyone. For unbelievers, remedy for conflicts is difficult because without Christ humans do […]

“What constitutes marriage according to the Bible?”……This is a difficult question to answer because the Bible nowhere explicitly states at what point God considers a couple to be married. There are three common viewpoints: 1) God only considers a couple married when they are legally married. 2) A couple is married in God’s eyes when […]