Marriage or singledom for Christians - which is the better option?

[Dalit]

I think the market as you call it has always been iffy, people are sinners, how could it be otherwise? It’s not the people that my hope is in but my hope is in God. The God who loved people enough to save them from His punishment for sin. He took that punishment on Himself and offers us grace in return. Not only does He do that...His help doesn’t stop there, He will continue to help us in our lives and make our lives better and that also includes what people think as non Christian..your wants and desires.
@Dalit brought up that those desires should just be living for God..though she might not have been serious about that, but living for God isn’t what people may think at first. I think living for God is His being first in your life and you can’t do that on your own, God helps you with that when He begins a new creation in you, your wants and desires change to things that God would call good..marriage, children. How do I know this? Because it’s happened to me.

Oh, believe me, I'm perfectly serious about living for God.

I think some would live perfectly well for God as singles in line with 1 Corinthians 7 and all the other single men and women mentioned in the Bible. It might even, gasp, be better than marriage.

And @Robin is absolutely right about the pool of potential marriage partners not being ideal. 20 years of dating "Christian" men who were religious versions of my father has shown me that. My father is a narcissist but not a Christian. The supposed Christian narcissist is worse.

 

[manama]

I want to send Lisa on tinder for a day.

 

[Dalit]

I want to send Lisa on tinder for a day.

Yes!

 

[Robin]

I want to send Lisa on tinder for a day.

I love this idea.

 

[justjess]

And I think that was only Paul’s opinion not God’s command.

I thought the Bible was in its entirety the infallible word of god?

 

[justjess]

What? I thought the bible was the literal word of God? Paul inserted his opinion into the Bible? Oh my LOL!

Beat me to it... lol

 

[Haich]

Paul ft God - the marriage remix

You couldn't make it up.

 

[Lisa]

The supposed Christian narcissist is worse.

Ya, that’s true..but God help with anything that happens in your marriage even that, don’t ya think?

Oh, believe me, I'm perfectly serious about living for God.

Than I’m not sure what you and @Vytas were talking about before...

I thought the Bible was in its entirety the infallible word of god?

Yep it is.

 

[justjess]

Ya, that’s true..but God help with anything that happens in your marriage even that, don’t ya think?


Than I’m not sure what you and @Vytas were talking about before...


Yep it is.

You are a walking oxymoron...

If the entire Bible is the infallible word of god, then Paul’s “opinion” would either 1) also be the infallible word of god or 2) wouldn’t be included in the Bible.

There can’t be two contradicting ideas/beliefs/edicts present in the same bible if all of it is the infallible word of god.

 

[DavidSon]

If you recognise that many people don't believe in God then you can't use your faith and his intervention as a way to support marriage in this day and age. Congrats to your niece though, I really do wish them the best.

Don't things get even worse according to your beliefs though? So for people that don't believe in God that means there is no hope anyway.

But Jesus didn't advocate marriage as a command. If I remember correctly he only brought it up in a response to a question about divorce. God doesn't say anything about it in the NT.

Well we have to agree this thread is about marriage in Christianity, though I hope no one minds hearing from other faiths/perspectives.

Looking at human culture (including their religions), marriage between woman and man is the most natural thing ever. I've heard one opinion that the desire to procreate is the strongest instinct in the universe lol. Science has shown that it even has to do with pheromones or the sound of each others' voices. We are the result of billions of years and nothing will stop the force of nature.

From what I know every faith has their monastic traditions for male and female, but those are the extremes. It's only for the brave few. To live without the affection of your own family can crush your being. I think that's why the religions regard their saints, ascetics, holy men and women, etc. so high because of how special it is.

I feel terrible for the growing segment of younger people I've met who don't aspire to the natural blessing of marriage. Their choices are made out of the despair of modern society and will never bring spiritual fulfillment.

 

[Vytas]

Ya, that’s true..but God help with anything that happens in your marriage even that, don’t ya think?


Than I’m not sure what you and @Vytas were talking about before...


Yep it is.

That's continuation of old conversation.

 

[Lisa]

You are a walking oxymoron...

If the entire Bible is the infallible word of god, then Paul’s “opinion” would either 1) also be the infallible word of god or 2) wouldn’t be included in the Bible.

There can’t be two contradicting ideas/beliefs/edicts present in the same bible if all of it is the infallible word of god.

Paul was saying he wishes, not that it is.

 

[Todd]

Paul was saying he wishes, not that it is.

So the Bible contains Paul's wishes and not all of it is the infallible word of God. That's the point @justjess is trying to make, but as usual the point is going right over your head...

 

[elsbet]

Somehow I don’t think Robin will have the same answer.


Marriage is a holy institution, God ordained it since the beginning with Adam and Eve and just because people think it’s too hard nowadays to have it be highly thought of doesn’t mean that’s true.

In fact it’s such a big deal that Jesus tells us that people will still be marrying in the tribulation

Matthew‬ ‭24:37-38‬ ‭​

For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.​

‭‭

I think that was an illustration of how oblivious they were to the conditions that brought on the deluge.

 

[Dalit]

Ya, that’s true..but God help with anything that happens in your marriage even that, don’t ya think?


Than I’m not sure what you and @Vytas were talking about before...


Yep it is.

Umm, no. Get some counseling and wisdom and avoid marrying the Christian narcissist. Seriously. Better to be single than an exhausted doormat, trying to please someone who's never pleased because he loves himself first and he never loved you for you, just who he could mold you and make you to be. Are you really this clueless? Smh. Stay with Cinderella and some day your prince will come. I choose reality.

 

[JoChris]

So the Bible contains Paul's wishes and not all of it is the infallible word of God. That's the point @justjess is trying to make, but as usual the point is going right over your head...

Contrast verses:
[apostle Paul said] 1 Corinthians 7:7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.

Matthew chapter 19
[Jesus said] Matthew 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

How does Paul contradict Jesus there?

 

[elsbet]

LOL! That is just plain riduculous. Paul or any of the other authors of Bible likely never even imagined what they were writing was going to become the Bible. But the omnipotent, omniscient creator of the Universe who supposedly protects his word and made sure there is no error, mistranslations, or additions to the his word, "didn't mind" that Paul inserted his own personal opinion? Seriously?

If you've read the bible, you should know he did. What an odd line of mockery you've taken. It certainly is revealing though.

 

[Todd]

If you've read the bible, you should know he did.

Know who did what?

 

[Todd]

Contrast verses:
[apostle Paul said] 1 Corinthians 7:7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.

Matthew chapter 19
[Jesus said] Matthew 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

How does Paul contradict Jesus there?

I never said Paul contradicted Jesus here. I was simply pointing out the absurdity of Lisa’s statement about “Paul’s wishes” being in the Bible. The level of comprehension and discussion skills on this forum is seriously lacking sometimes.

 

[JoChris]

I never said Paul contradicted Jesus here. I was simply pointing out the absurdity of Lisa’s statement about “Paul’s wishes” being in the Bible. The level of comprehension and discussion skills on this forum is seriously lacking sometimes.

You are guilty of that yourself. 1 Corinthians chapter 7
There are multiple phrases/ verses in that chapter where the apostle Paul is **openly** saying he is giving his OWN opinion on whether Christians should be married or not, not a commandment from God.

6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment... [therefore not Paul]

12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: ... [therefore Paul's opinion, not commandment]

17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk... [therefore not Paul's commandment]

35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. [therefore not a commandment of Paul]

Don't those verses sound like Paul wishes for the Corinthians to consider his advice and then make the decisions for themselves according to their conscience?