Of Marriage & Family

Definition and Purpose of Marriage

Confessional Text

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the holy channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race⁹⁷.

Scriptural References

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Ephesians 5:21-6:4

Submitting to one another in the fear of God

All scripture quotations are from the ESV (English Standard Version).

Historical & Theological Background

Historic Christianity has always defined marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman for life. This reflects God's creational design (Genesis 1-2) and Christ's teaching (Matthew 19). The Reformers emphasized marriage's covenantal nature against Rome's elevation of celibacy. Marriage is not merely a contract or social arrangement but a sacred covenant reflecting Christ's relationship with His church (Ephesians 5). Its purposes include companionship, procreation, and a holy context for sexual intimacy.

African Contextual Commentary

In modern Africa, marriage faces attacks from multiple directions: traditional practices like polygamy, Western sexual libertinism, cohabitation, homosexuality, and easy divorce. This statement affirms biblical marriage: one man, one woman, for life. It protects against both traditional polygamy and modern sexual confusion. Additionally, many African Christians enter marriage with wrong expectations, viewing it primarily as a means to social status or economic advancement. This statement presents marriage's true purposes: reflecting Christ and the church, providing companionship, sanctifying sexuality, and raising godly children. African believers must reject cultural distortions and embrace God's design.