Marriage was ordained by God, and the family is His divine foundation for every generation.
The doctrine of marriage and family teaches that marriage is a sacred covenant between one man and one woman, established by God Himself, and that the family is His foundational institution for human society and the church.
A godly home reflects Christ’s relationship with His church and serves as the training ground for faith, love, and obedience.
This doctrine flows directly from our Statement of Faith and connects with The Doctrine of the Church and The Doctrine of God the Father.
Genesis 2:24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
1. Marriage Is Ordained by God
The doctrine of marriage and family begins in Genesis. Marriage was not created by culture but by the Creator. It is one man and one woman united for life under God’s covenant. Any deviation—whether fornication, adultery, or same-sex union—is a corruption of God’s design.
Matthew 19:4–6
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Malachi 2:14–16
Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away.
Marriage is not man’s institution; it is God’s holy covenant meant to last a lifetime.
2. Husband and Wife Have Distinct, Complementary Roles
The doctrine of marriage and family teaches that while husband and wife are equal in worth and value before God, they have distinct roles ordained by Him.
The husband is the head of the home, responsible to love, lead, and protect. The wife is his help meet, called to respect, support, and nurture her family in the fear of the Lord.
Ephesians 5:22–25
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.
Colossians 3:18–19
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
God’s design for marriage brings unity, order, and blessing when lived in submission to His Word.
3. Children Are a Heritage from the Lord
The doctrine of marriage and family declares that children are a blessing, not a burden. Parents are commanded to train their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The home is the first church and the first classroom of faith.
Psalm 127:3–5
Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Fathers are to lead by example, and mothers are to guide with love and truth. Together, they model godliness before the next generation. We must have a Biblical view of marriage and the husband is the leader in all things within the home.
4. The Home Reflects Christ and the Church within the Doctrine of Marriage and Family
The doctrine of marriage and family reveals that marriage is a divine picture of Christ’s relationship with His church.
The husband’s love for his wife should mirror Christ’s love for the church, and the wife’s respect reflects the church’s devotion to Christ.
Ephesians 5:31–32
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
The Christian home should not only function well but shine brightly as a testimony of the Gospel.
5. The Family Must Stand Against the World’s Corruption
The doctrine of marriage and family calls believers to reject the world’s redefinition of marriage, gender, and sexuality. The Bible makes clear that any sexual relationship outside the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman is sin.
Hebrews 13:4
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Romans 1:26–27
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
As the world grows darker, the Christian family must grow stronger — rooted in Scripture, grounded in love, and guided by the fear of the Lord.
Application and Affirmation
The doctrine of marriage and family calls every believer to honor God’s design, protect purity, and raise a generation that loves truth.
The strength of the church begins in the home; the strength of the home begins in submission to God.
Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Affirmation:
- Marriage is a divine covenant between one man and one woman.
- Husband and wife have equal value but distinct roles.
- Children are a heritage and should be trained in the faith.
- The Christian home reflects Christ and the church.
- The family must resist cultural corruption and remain faithful to God’s Word.
