Marriage in the Bible: What Does the Bible Say?

The covenant of marriage is a wonderful thing when it’s working well. A marriage built on a strong foundation of love, honor, and trust brings forth joy and happiness. This is the model of marriage in the Bible, where man and woman are yoked together for the rest of their lives, just as God intended.

Sadly, many couples experience marital struggles that may have many different causes such as broken trust, infidelity, communication issues, and opposing life goals. Broken relationships in married life can be devastating to the whole family, causing heartache and misery instead of joy and happiness.

More and more couples are seeking couples’ counseling to help to restore their marriages. Re-learning how to communicate, how to trust, and how to cherish each other are important aspects of a biblical approach to marital counseling. Christian marital counseling focuses on God’s view of marriage in the Bible.

The Bible is full of wisdom that all married couples can learn from, however – regardless of whether you’re experiencing marital struggles or not. Learning what the Bible says about marriage allows you to build your relationship on a solid biblical foundation that can significantly benefit your married life.

Marriage in the Bible: 5 Bible Verses about Married Life

We’re going to be looking now at five Bible verses about love and marriage that show how God views the sacrament of marriage.

Love is Patient

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-6

1 Corinthians 13 is frequently recited at weddings, even for couples who don’t have Christian beliefs. It’s not hard to see why this passage is such a popular and important set of Bible verses for married couples. In these three verses, we’re shown a snapshot of what love is through God’s eyes.

Whether you are just embarking on married life or have been married for decades, the principles in these verses are the foundations on which your marriage should be built. Patience is one of the bedrocks of a strong relationship, while jealousy (which these verses show has no place in love) is one of the most common causes of relationship breakdown.

Consider your own relationship with your spouse. Are you living out your married life in accordance with this definition of love? If not, then perhaps you and your partner could commit to spending time together meditating on these verses and putting the principles into practice.

Biblical Guidelines for Marriage

For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. – Ephesians 5:25-33

Understanding that marriage is modeled on God’s relationship with the church, which is often referred to as the “bride of Christ,” can be a powerful revelation. In this passage, we get a glimpse into the sacrifices that sometimes have to be made in the covenant of marriage. Jesus died for His bride, the Church, a potent illustration of the depths of love in a marriage.

These guidelines for marriage show a level of reverence and respect for your spouse that is, sadly, often missing from many relationships. It’s easy to take your partner for granted, especially after several years of marriage. It’s important, then, to come back to these verses for marriage if you feel that you have lost some of the depth of love that you had when you first embarked on the adventure of married life.

Bringing God into Your Marriage

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12

At first glance, this verse may seem to be advocating for some kind of polyamorous or non-monogamous relationship but that couldn’t be further from the truth. While marriage is, of course, a covenant between two people who publicly declare their love for one another in front of friends and family, there is, in fact, a third person in the marriage – God.

When you and your spouse share a strong faith in God, your marriage will be stronger than if you didn’t share your faith. Faith is being in relationship with God, and when you enter into the covenant of marriage, you are both bringing your relationship with God into the mix. This is what this verse is speaking of when it talks about a triple-braided cord.

Bringing God into your marriage makes for a more reinforced relationship that is less likely to be broken or damaged by outside influences. That doesn’t mean you won’t ever experience struggles – we live in a fallen world, after all – but you will be better able to withstand the storms when they come.

Don’t Allow Others to Cause Division in Marriage

But Jesus responded, “He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts. But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” – Mark 10:9

When Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees about His stance on divorce (which Mosaic Law permitted), He revealed God’s view on the sanctity of marriage. His words hint at the notion that many marriage breakdowns and divorces are caused by others. This isn’t always the case, and there are situations where divorce may be the only solution, but God views marriage as a permanent covenant.

If you’re facing marital difficulties, it can be worthwhile exploring together, perhaps with a Christian counselor, what is causing the disunity. It may be that other people – friends or family – are influencing your thoughts and feelings more than you realize. For example, if your mother doesn’t get on with your spouse, her negative influence can color your own relationship with your partner.

It’s also common for situations to have an impact on your marriage – such as work pressure and/or having to work long hours due to a demanding boss. If you can recognize these kinds of influences on your marital struggles, it can be helpful to return to Jesus’ words.

Loyalty and Kindness

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. – Proverbs 3:3-4

When you first marry, and the relationship is fresh and new, loyalty and kindness come easy. You may think that you will never feel differently about your spouse but over time you can easily slip into a kind of rut.

These words of wisdom from Solomon are important Bible verses about love and marriage. Coming back to them can help to rejuvenate your relationship and help you to recommit to living out your marriage as God intended it.

Explore More Biblical Wisdom for Marriage with a Christian Counselor

You’re certainly not alone if you’re finding that there’s a strain on your marriage. While these verses can help with understanding God’s view on marriage, you may also want to consider meeting, as a couple, with a Christian Counselor who is experienced in Biblical marriage counseling.

With a Christian counselor, you can explore your difficulties, learn how to communicate more effectively with each other, and delve deeper into what the Bible says about marriage.