MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

I do NOT celebrate PRIDE month because of any personal animus toward the LGBTQ community. I do NOT celebrate because I am convinced that our Creator, at the beginning, designed marriage to function between one man and one woman without gender confusion or dysphoria (Genesis 1-2).

Jesus confirmed this original design in a conversation about marriage and divorce found in Matthew 19. He pointed His listeners to the original marriage design in Genesis and said,

Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man put asunder (Matthew 19:4-6; MEV).

In his Word Studies of the New Testament, the Greek scholar, Dr. Marvin Vincent, says that the aroist (past) tense of the Greek word translated as “what” (not “those”) in verse 6, indicates that Jesus is referring to "the original ordinance of God at the creation." The renowned British New Testament scholar, Dr. F.F. Bruce, agrees, saying, “He does not say that every marriage is made in heaven but that marriage itself is made in heaven.”

It is this original marriage design between one man and one woman--marriage made in heaven--that Jesus says must never be manipulated, divided, or "put asunder." I, therefore, can only celebrate marriage as ordained and instituted by God in Creation and confirmed by Jesus in the New Covenant.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, historian, and Bible teacher. His numerous books, including one on marriage entitled Who's the Boss?, are found on Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.