The Mystery of Marriage - Pt 1

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:1-7 ESV).

As we continue our journey through the Apostle Peter’s first letter, we come to our reading today. In order to thoroughly understand the principles in this passage, unraveling it from the misinterpretation so common today, we must look at Ephesians 5:31, which is a quote from Genesis 2:24. In the next verse (verse 32), Paul looks back on this quote and says, “This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” The picture I’ve chosen today was taken nearly 50 years ago, December 21, 1969. In case you have some question how I might be able to say that with such specificity, it is entirely due to the fact that it is from Mary and my wedding. Even after five decades, I am still amazed at the incredible mystery of God’s work in marriage. The Scripture gives us some help. The Apostle Paul’s answer is: the marriage union is a mystery because its deepest meaning has been partially concealed, but is now being openly revealed by the apostle, namely, that marriage is an image of Christ and the church (cf. Ephesians 5:32). So marriage is like a picture for something more than a man and a woman becoming one flesh. It stands for the relationship between Christ and the church. That’s the deepest meaning of marriage. It’s meant to be a living drama of how Christ and the church relate to each other. If you want to understand God’s meaning for marriage, you have to grasp that we are dealing with a copy and an original, a metaphor and a reality, and parable and a truth. And the original, the reality, the truth is God’s marriage to his people, or Christ’s marriage to the church. While the copy, the metaphor, the parable is a husband’s marriage to his wife. Bromiley says, “As God made man in His own image, so He made earthly marriage in the image of His own eternal marriage with His people.” This “mystery” will be the basis for understanding Peter’s instruction. Today, understand that God’s desire in our marriages is His glory and our good. Good times and bad are all working to this glorious end. In that we may praise Him to the highest!