What Does the Bible Say About Marriage? A Protestant Biblical Overview
"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." — Hebrews 13:4
This single verse captures the Bible's dual posture toward marriage: profound affirmation and solemn warning. Marriage isn't just tolerated — it's called honourable, a strong word implying dignity and worth Hebrews 13:4. The marital bed is described as undefiled, meaning sexual intimacy within marriage carries no shame before God Hebrews 13:4.
Yet the verse doesn't stop at celebration. It pivots sharply to judgment: God will hold whoremongers and adulterers accountable Hebrews 13:4. This pairing isn't accidental. The honor of marriage is inseparable from its boundaries. Paul reinforces the permanence of the bond in 1 Corinthians 7:39, noting that a wife "is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth" — a commitment that only death dissolves 1 Corinthians 7:39.
Protestant View of Marriage
"The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord." — 1 Corinthians 7:39
Protestant theology grounds its understanding of marriage firmly in Scripture, treating it as a God-designed covenant rather than merely a cultural institution. Hebrews 13:4 is a cornerstone text — "Marriage is honourable in all" — affirming that marriage isn't a concession to human weakness but a genuinely dignified estate Hebrews 13:4. Reformers like Luther broke sharply from medieval views that elevated celibacy above marriage, pointing to passages like this to argue that marriage is a holy calling.
Paul's practical counsel in 1 Corinthians 7 adds important nuance. He's clear that marrying is not sinful: "if thou marry, thou hast not sinned" 1 Corinthians 7:28. He does acknowledge that married life brings its own pressures — "such shall have trouble in the flesh" — but he never frames marriage as spiritually inferior 1 Corinthians 7:28. Protestants generally read this as pastoral realism, not a demotion of marriage.
On the question of permanence, 1 Corinthians 7:10 is unambiguous. Paul writes, citing the Lord's own authority: "Let not the wife depart from her husband" 1 Corinthians 7:10. This isn't merely Paul's opinion — he explicitly attributes the command to Christ Himself 1 Corinthians 7:10. Protestant traditions take this seriously, though they differ on the narrow exceptions Scripture may permit for divorce and remarriage.
Remarriage, when it does occur, carries a condition: it must happen "only in the Lord" 1 Corinthians 7:39. A widow is free to remarry whom she will, but that freedom is bounded by faithfulness to God 1 Corinthians 7:39. This phrase encapsulates the Protestant conviction that marriage is never purely a private or secular matter — it always exists within the context of one's relationship with God.
Key takeaways
- The Bible calls marriage 'honourable in all' and the marital bed 'undefiled' — it's a dignified, God-approved institution (Hebrews 13:4) Hebrews 13:4.
- God Himself will judge whoremongers and adulterers, showing that the honor of marriage is inseparable from its moral boundaries Hebrews 13:4.
- Marrying is not a sin — Paul states plainly in 1 Corinthians 7:28 that 'if thou marry, thou hast not sinned' 1 Corinthians 7:28.
- Marriage is a lifelong covenant; a wife 'is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth,' according to 1 Corinthians 7:39 1 Corinthians 7:39.
- Remarriage after a spouse's death is permitted, but must occur 'only in the Lord' — faith sets the boundaries of freedom 1 Corinthians 7:39.
Discussion
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