Marriage in a Pluralistic World: The Need for a Biblical Understanding of Order in Families, Societies & Nations

By George Nwachuku MBA Ph.D

Pluralism has adversely affected how the idea of marriage and its practice build families, in a lot of ways. The reverence given to diversity for what it is, and its ever increasing options in the 'private sphere' at the expense of a sacramental marriage, have led to a different belief system, and ways of fulfilling marriage. To the extent that they have jeopardized that intricate bond that unites an adult male and his adult- bride in holy matrimony, leading to one-flesh union.

The lack of this true knowledge of God as to the reason for marriage is the principal cause of the disorder that is now found in families, societies and nations. It is necessary to recover the lost ground and re-establish families, societies and nations on that pat of Life, fine-tuned for unity, and success.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781950034383

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

A. Definition

Biblical marriage is the union of an adult male and his bride, an adult female, before God in holy matrimony. This; - in order that they may become one flesh. Marriage is oneness; whereby, plurality (two) becomes a unity (one); just as God, being a Trinity (three persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit), is also a unity. Marriage is that intricate bond that holds two people (male and female) together as one. They are, - a family, in an interdependent life; whereby, they complete and satisfy each other. Marriage is God’s system of mimicking among humans that love which primarily dwells in the Godhead. To this end, marriage is systemic: it is God’s system of structuring humanity into families, groups (societies), and nations; for effective governance, in an ordered universe. Marriage is geared unto life, thus, instantiating lives on earth in an ordered systemic format. Therefore, a true marriage is God’s system of aligning all that will believe in Him, - in a structured setting, constituting of one family;- the Bride of Christ. This was the overriding intent of God when He made the first family – Adam and Eve – that they may believe in Him, having been loved by Him (Malachi 1), as a husband loves his bride. That their offspring may do likewise, loving their bride, constituting a righteous, and holy generation, as later reconstituted using Israel (1Peter 2:9). In view of this, all humanity constitutes the Bride of God in essence, but for the fallen (Gen. 3). Now, only they that will believe in Christ, the savior, are the Bride of Christ.

God, being righteous, holy, and perfect, created humans so they may be as He is, righteous, holy, and perfect. Therefore, they have the similitude of God in them; they are made in His likeness, fine-tuned for deep relationship. God created humans for marriage as His Bride, so that He may not be alone. For that reason, He made the woman for the man, so then he may not be alone; companionship was in view. In essence, God is Spirit; therefore, He created each human to have spirit, thereby, belonging with Him in the spirit world; and gave them bodies that they may also belong to the world of physicality; - from which He formed man out of the ground (earth), adama. The woman (Eve) did God build like a master architect, using the man’s (Adam) rib. God, in creating humans, established spiritual marriage – oneness between God and humanity – requiring humanity to be in His image and His likeness, so that they can think His thoughts, and be disposed to do only things that God will do - always choosing the right way, the right works, and the right outcome or production / action. God made humans as physical beings to occupy space on Earth, and subjected them to time, so that man may know days, seasons, and years – a functioning productive necessity for testing. He rewards those that do good works / actions. To that end, God established physical marriage on earth so that humans may demonstrate physically in ‘time’ what He had earlier demonstrated spiritually without ‘time’ – a Husband that loved His Bride (having loved them, even before He created them, physically)(Eph. 1:4).

Believers in Christ are the true image of God, because Christ has repositioned them to that high place in God from which they had fallen, in view of Adam’s disobedience. For, Adam, being God’s son, was supposed to believe in his Father, looking and acting like him, living life by His word. Instead, he chose to instantiate the Devil’s will by heeding to the Devil’s counsel through his wife. Although, humanity had fallen from that standard as the image of God, she was saved and restored by the work of the Lord Jesus, which is appropriated through faith and baptism; - bringing humanity to God’s original plan, as made known in Genesis 2. It is necessary that man and wife be one, just as in the spiritual marriage between the Lord Jesus and His Bride, the Church, made them one (Ephesians 5). This is the biblical understanding of marriage that He who is Spirit, God, has made humanity to have spirit, as well as body, so that they may glorify Him in the spirit, and in the body; by living ordered lives. To this end, spiritual marriage precedes physical marriage, whereby, man as the head takes responsibility over the female (family) before God, who had first taken responsibility in loving believing humanity, His own female (family). It is evident that today’s culture lacks this biblical understanding of marriage. Such a lack of biblical understanding is made worse by pluralism as in the United States. Like other countries that have become pluralistic, many believe that there is now no one ordered way to live, as well as no one systemic plan, for ordering lives on earth, or even a designed path for marriage.

B. Problem and Setting: Marriage in a Pluralistic World

Today we live in a pluralistic world. Pluralism could be explained as a powerful engagement with diversity; whereby, its desire is to reach across lines of difference with understanding, encountering commitments, and its language is that of dialogue.¹ In this search for a common ground, core principles are forfeited. The problem with pluralism is that it claims that all of the different religions are salvific.² Salvific, in that all of the different religions have independent saving power of the Divine.³ This assumes that all religions are from God and are established or endorsed by Him as a way to reach Him. It is also claiming that each has the power to provide deliverance from sin and death. Therefore, it asserts that irrespective of the multiple or plural approaches to God, God saves through all of them, and delivers through them from sin and death. This multiplicity of ways is contrary to the traditional Christian or biblical way of life as has been made prevalent in the theology of marriage. For, the plural salvation methodology is opposed to the one (single) approach to salvation in the name of the Lord Jesus; Christ as the only Savior. Pluralism opposes this one way approach, assuming that God can be known, and that He works through all of the religions, saving people. That the love of God can be known, and is evident in all religions, and that the saintliness of some religious leaders (wise men) constitutes background and proof.

Having defined pluralism, religious pluralism is the worship of God in many religions, as religion is seen of as the vehicle of trust in, and worship of the Supernatural Deity.⁴ The main point is that God cannot only be reached by Christians, but by Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews and others: that all people can access the same God. This means that a Christian can go to a mosque and worship the God of the Bible. It also means that the differences in the core principles that determine how to live on earth do not matter. That it does not matter that Christians are told by the Bible to marry one wife, not many; as other religions allow as right before God, who has only one Bride - the law abiding people of God. That it does not matter that God cannot be in bed with both a legitimate wife, as well as a prostitute (the unbeliever). One may wonder why Paul warned that what agreement does righteousness have with unrighteousness, and what familiarization does the profane has with that which is sacred (unequal yoke) (2 Cor. 6: 14-16). It is evident that when God is worshipped in many religions, the society has become plural, as is portrayed in cultural varieties and living styles.⁵

Pluralism, as explained above, is now commonplace (worldwide), but is prevalent in the United States of America, Switzerland, and other European countries. The research of Martin Baumann showcases this fact, for the Roman Catholic Church has even led others into this line of reasoning and way of practicing religion, as seen in Lucerne, Switzerland. The Roman Church has allowed its leaders to use religious products, such as love songs, and other hymns from other religions in the worship of the Almighty God. Also,- the Roman Church gave part of the Lucerne Church building (basement) to a non-Christian religious organization for worship services. Baumann, then, concluded that the changes we see taking place in the religious sphere, are pointers to the change in societies.⁶ Besides religious pluralism, other kinds of pluralism do exist.

D.A. Carson argued that philosophical pluralism is the worst kind of pluralism, for it is mixed up with the new hermeneutic; - and that its product is deconstruction. All interpretations are taken to be culture - conditioned, and no interpretation is meant to be the objective truth.⁷ This means that everything is given a new interpretation based on the new society that is now pluralistic; whereby, the traditional is seen as based on the culture of its days, which is now subject to redefinition and reinterpretation. Even the Bible is portrayed as being written for the culture of its time, and not at all relative to the day’s culture. Deconstruction becomes the rule. Even if God had spoken the truth to live by, in that marriage is between a man and his wife, those words are now for previous generations; for the deconstructionists have stated so: thus, no interpretation or truth should have the power to be classified as objective truth. To them, all truth is subjective.

Carson argued that this kind of mindset has led to secularism. The drive towards secularism has led the way to religious pluralism. Carson lists the factors which have led the way to be the following: post - modernism ideology; cherished pluralism; philosophical pluralism; the influence of radical hermeneutics, and empirical pluralism.⁸ Post - modernistic ideology is that which states that words have no meaning and that objective truth does not exist, as all truth is subjective. Post - modernists argue that words have no meaning, even, the words of God. They found that God’s words are given weight, and it is that which orders humans in living righteously, holily, and perfectly; so that humans may attain the expected life. Instead, post modernists are insisting that words are meaningless. To them, this means that the Bible is not relative to the ordering of life on earth, for every man’s word constitutes truth to him. Consequently, on this ground they believe that God is gagged. This leads to philosophical pluralism where the death of God or His gagging opens up the opportunity for them to be lord over their own lives; whereby, their words constitute the truth that is reality, as no objective truth exists any more. Armed with this mindset, all interpretations are subject to reinterpretation and deconstruction. Biblical events and principles are to be deconstructed to say what they want it to say. Marriage is now not based on structure (gender), or according to a design pattern and purpose, but between any two people, irrespective of gender. The argument is not based on design which draws in the designer, His purpose, and will; but the intent and purpose of the person seeking marriage. It is not about the Creator’s order that they should be joined as man and wife; or to multiply and be fruitful (Gen. 1), filling the earth and subduing it; but of the man’s will and word, to suit his illicit desires, which is contrary to reason.

Empirical pluralism, as defined by Carson, is the sheer diversity of race, value systems, heritage, language, culture, and religion in many Western and some other nations.‘ To that end, Carson stated as follows:

There are substantial numbers of Hindus and Buddhists who emigrated to the West, and they are now slowly winning converts…Numerous studies document the rise of New Age religions and the revitalization of various forms of neopaganism. Not long ago witches’ covens were virtually unknown; now they advertise in the newspapers. Current immigration patterns are bringing in more and more people with little heritage in the Judeo-Christian tradition, and this fact doubles the impact of the number of people within the country who for various reasons have lost or abandoned the tradition.

It has been eagerly reported by the New York Times, neighborhoods have designed strategies to keep the Church out; by manipulating zoning laws, as well as using litigation, as reported on the 24th of March, 1994. Carson added that it was the same New York Times that used to publish the sermons of Spurgeon in its Monday Morning Edition that has turned against the Christian tradition.⁹ In addition, Carson stated that in Cherished Pluralism, this diversity found in the culture is cherished and celebrated. Such celebrated pluralism is defined by Os Guiness as ‘the process by which the number of options in the private sphere of modern society rapidly multiplies at all levels, especially, at the level of worldview, faith, and ideologies.‘ And that choice has become valuable in itself, and now, change is the reason to live, Carson stated.¹⁰ In the same way of thinking, post modernists have proposed in philosophical or hermeneutical pluralism that there is no religion that has the right to declare itself as true or right, for pluralism is the creed. In this regard, the hermeneutics of old belong to the modern era, where reality is said to be understood through scholarship and science; of the hope that knowledge is revolutionary. Radical hermeneutics refers to that where all interpretations are subjected to cultural conditions. All texts are interpreted based on the social environment, allowing the interpreter the right to deconstruct, taking away parts of the texts, against its framework. The effect of this is seen in the fact that 74 percent of American people believe that God exists, as the only God, the creator of all things. However, among these, 64 percent agree that absolute truth does not exist.¹¹

In view of the above, it is quite clear that the bond of marriage is overlooked in the post - modern era: an era where the grounding of this bond is quieted. God is Truth, who established marriage in line with the order of living in society. The absence of a biblical understanding of the role of marriage is directly related to the problems with marriage today, such as social divorces and remarriages, desertions or abandonments, and easy divorce laws. These have resulted in unfaithfulness to the vows of mutual love made before God, the inventor of the marriage system that structures humanity, male and female; instantiating people on Earth. This has also resulted in untrustworthiness, disunity, and disorderliness in relationships. The point of contention is that disorderliness in families, results in disorderliness in societies and nations.

C. Background of the Problem

The United States culture has become secularized, and has fallen off that pedestal of strict adherence to Christian principles. America (USA) was founded by men who came here in search of freedom, a place where they shall be free to worship the Almighty God without interference by the government of the day; unlike that which was existent in Great Britain (England) and other European countries. These pilgrims risked their lives so that they may serve God, the Creator of all institutions, including that of marriage. It is on this ground that President Lincoln urged the nation in his days to perpetuate its principles – its Christian traditions (freedom). This backsliding of the United States into secularism began with the rise of scientific inquiry to a position of god - ship (able to solve all of life’s problems) as ushered in by the Enlightenment, leading to the scientific revolution; science given preeminence over all others. But in essence, it was God that gave science its assignment that it may work in concert with theology: theology is to take care of the spiritual (Personal God), while science, the physical. This was not acceptable to the worldly scientists, for they took science as their god, separating it from theology.

This descent in enmity with God has now led to the conception of the non -existence of an absolute truth. Post-modernists, besides the lack of belief in an absolute truth, declare that words have no meaning, having seen that God is a speaking God, whose Word is Law, determining how to live. In order to determine how humans should live, having sidelined God, they say that God’s Word is meaningless, Carson stated. They have forgotten that the foundation of all words and speech is in God’s Word. If words have no meaning, and all words are meaningless, then one may wonder how they understand one another. This confirms that the core of their argument is false, for God’s Word has meaning and is Law. If not, there would be no existence outside of God, no light or darkness, heavens or earth, birds, fishes, sea animals, or land animals, no human on earth. Post - modernists exist and speak, but they have no idea how they came to be, empowered, and thus able to speak. God is a self - existing Being that caused all things to be, making man in His own image, to be a speaking being as He is. God’s Word is His law and bond, so He made man that his (man’s) word shall be his bond and law, as found imbedded in His divine will, plan, and purpose. Therefore, the taking of an oath before God, like that of marriage, is a serious business.

Carson argued that this belief in the meaninglessness of words has fostered secularism; as well as New Age theosophy, the rising biblical illiteracy, the Cosmic Christ approach, and rugged individualism.¹² Secularism, in fact, is that trend when society tips toward irreligion: the elimination of religion or its marginalization. Carson, quoting Peter Berger, defined secularism as ‘the process by which sectors of society and culture are removed from the domination of religious institutions and symbols.‘ New Age Theosophy employs pantheistic approaches to seeing God, some of which are confined to ecology or rabid feminism, from which one can become actualized, fulfilled, or made aware of; for the idea of a God that judges actions is unacceptable. Carson worries that the major problem is that in an environment like this, the listener to a Bible preacher may likely hear the wrong things, which are not what the preacher intended, as people’s way of understanding the meaning of words, has been affected.

Furthermore, the rising Bible illiteracy, even among college students, is alarming. This is not surprising, in view of the fact that the Bible is kept away from schools: the exclusivity of Christ is unattended to. In addition, the Cosmic Christ approach, involves the addition of Christ to the Eastern polytheistic understanding of