What does the Bible teach about marriage?

from the old testament

• Perhaps the most significant point about marriage in the Bible is its use as a metaphor for the relationship between God and His people. The entire book of Hosea is a story about the unfaithfulness of Israel as allegorized by Hosea's wife, a not-quite reformed prostitute.
• Though the marriage bond is extremely close and God sets some requirements for roles in marriage, individuals are still held morally responsible for their actions. So morally troubling actions are not excused by pointing to one’s spouse. For instance, Abigail, the wife of foolish Nabal, did the right thing by giving proper compensation to David for his protection of her husband’s holdings even though she went behind her husband's back to do so (1 Samuel 25).
• The role of wives and children is not to increase a man's blessing on earth; wives and children are the blessing (Genesis 2:18; Psalm 127:3-5).

from the new testament

• Marriage is the only legitimate place for sex (1 Corinthians 7:2-5).
• The Bible shows that marriage is defined or ordained by God alone (Matthew 19:5-6). For instance, contemporary ideas about divorce and same-sex unions do not supersede what God created marriage to be.
• Each spouse must deny his or her natural self-centered inclinations in favor of what is best for the relationship. Husbands must love with self-sacrifice (Ephesians 5:25). Wives should understand that every team has a leader, and God has given that role to the husbands (Ephesians 5:22-23).
• In Ephesians 5:32, Paul applies the metaphor to the church age. John also uses that metaphor in Revelation 19:7-10 where he describes the marriage supper of the Lamb.
• Though the Bible does not say marriage is mandatory (1 Corinthians 7:38; Jeremiah 16:2; 1 Corinthians 7:7-8), it shows that God has given marriage and children to humankind as blessings (Genesis 2:18; Psalm 127:3-5).

implications for today

“Love is all you need”—at least that’s what the Beatles told people in the 60s. Sixty years later, and many people think the same—-that the main requirement for marriage is how you feel. The many “Love is love” signs on lawns across the U.S. confirm that.

But feelings aren’t the guiding principle behind marriage in God’s eyes. Our Creator knows what’s best for us, including in our relationships. He has ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman for one lifetime. That’s why believers should never support any other definition humankind creates and calls “marriage”—same-sex unions, polygamy, multiple divorces and remarriages without biblical reason, etc.

To defend these deviations from the Divine intent for marriage, some point to the polygamy practiced by Old Testament figures as “proof” that God approves of it. But allowing something is not approving of it. As Jesus points out in His discussion of divorce with Jewish religious leaders of the day, God may overlook our sin temporarily, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the ideal (Matthew 19:3-9). Jesus reiterated the ideal as heterosexual monogamy. Marriage is God-ordained, and like anything in life, we should honor the Lord in our marital union.