| dc.description.abstract | The shadow of marriage lies within the dawn and dusk of Scripture. The world begins with the marriage of Adam and Eve (Gn 2) and ends with the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19). The overarching goal of this study is to show that marriage in every culture is a covenant between a man and a woman that is formed when commenced by consent (“leaving”), continued by commitment (“cleaving”), and concluded by consummation (“one flesh”).
Debate has persisted throughout the ages as to the way marriages in different cultures express God’s ideal. How deeply may marital forms be influenced by the surrounding culture? How would a Roman, Jew and Greek of the past understand Paul, and for that matter, how about a Tsonga in the 21st century?
Feminist theology has forced the church to think more carefully about the roles and definition of marriage. The first purpose of this study is to establish exegetical conclusions on marriage from Eph 5:21-33, including the placement of v. 21, the meaning of “submit” (ὑποτάσσω), the duties and motivations of the wife, the meaning of “head”, the duties and motivations of the husband, and Paul’s use of Gn 2:24.
But should the conclusions from Eph 5 be adapted, reorientated and adjusted to fit one’s cultural milieu? The second goal of the study states that while there is some correspondence in Paul’s household code with the Roman, Greek and Jewish culture of his day, much of what the apostle says is fundamentally countercultural—from the nature of submission to the husband, to the kind of love a husband has for his wife, to the role of parents post-marriage.
The third design of this study states that one can answer the question “What is marriage?” by highlighting what philosophers call the material, formal, efficient and final cause of a particular action. The material cause of marriage—the components—
is a covenant, a chosen relationship of obligation under oath. The formal cause of marriage—the chronological and biblical form by which this covenant takes place—is consent, commitment and consummation. Consent is a kind of pre-commitment by the man toward his future bride and her family; commitment should be expressed in a formal, public covenant ceremony by oaths (which is a sincere declaration for God, and by extension, the Church and State); consummation is sexual intimacy that could result in pregnancy. The efficient cause of marriage—the performers in creating this covenant—is primarily God (regardless if the prospective spouses are worshippers of Him) but also the prospective husband and wife. The final cause of marriage—which is the goal of the covenant—is God’s glory, companionship, sanctification, and procreation.
So, does culture play any role in the formation of marriage? The fourth purpose of this study answers “yes”. Though the laws of marriage are timeless, cross-cultural and foundational for every society, the customs within marriage express themselves differently in each people group. Marital consent, commitment and consummation may look differently in some ways among the Tsongas, yet all within the confines of biblical norms. The Tsonga people have a host of beautiful customs that can and should be implemented within the marriage union, as long as those traditions remain subordinate to the inerrant word of God. | en_US |
