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 Vol. 3, No. 7 

Page 18

July, 2001

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What About "Same-Sex" Marriages?

by Jerry W. Joseph

[Gospel Gleaner, Vol. 16, No. 3, p. 17.]

In today's news, you hear much about what is called "same-sex" marriages. What is promoted by such is a man married to a man or a woman being married to a woman. What about such marriages? Are they approved of God? In discussing such issues, many want to leave God out of the picture. Some are more concerned about the feelings and the thinking of man than the will of God. As we turn to the Bible, we can see, understand and know how God feels about "same-sex" marriages.

"The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (Matthew 19:3-6).

Concerning marriage, God from the beginning ordained that it was to be male and female to be joined together. In Genesis 2:18, we read that God said,

"And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man" (Genesis 2:21-23).

God made "woman" not another "man" for man. As one has said, God gave Eve, not Steve, for Adam!

Notice the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:1-3,

"Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband."

Paul said that a "man" is to have his own "wife" and a "woman" is to have her own "husband." It is not "man" with "man" or "woman" with "woman."

"Same-sex" marriages are contrary to God's plan. Marriage is to be between "man" and "woman." This has been true from the beginning. "Same-sex" marriages are not pleasing to God for they constitute a homosexual relationship. Homosexuality is condemned by the Scriptures (Genesis 19:1-14; Leviticus 18:22-23; 20:13; Romans 1:26-32; 1 Timothy 1:8-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Since homosexuality is condemned by God and "same-sex" marriages are homosexual, we must therefore conclude that such marriages are not approved by God.

Since God is the originator of marriage, he knows what is best. We had better listen to God and make our marriages according to his will. Let us build our marriages upon his Word and they will be pleasing to God.

Copyright © 2001 Louis Rushmore. All Rights Reserved.
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