What do we mean when we say that marriage is from God?

Marital love in the life of the believer is a mystery that we practice within our living faith, and not merely to fulfill our sexual desires or our social needs by establishing a family according to the laws of nature. Marital love, first and foremost, is the acceptance of God’s work in our life to satisfy us from every aspect in this world, in order that we may be elevated to the joyful eternal life. If heaven is, in its essence, a communion of love and a life of unity with God (who is heaven’s focal point), then a true marital life is in essence a union based on marital love, through which the two become one.

St. Clement of Alexandria says, “Our Savior went to a wedding to sanctify the origin of human life.” “Marriage is more than human it is a miniature kingdom, which is the little house of the lord.” “Marriage is a sacred image that must be kept pure from any defilement. It is fitting to rise with Christ from our slumber, and then go back to sleep with gratitude and prayer.” “Hearts of beloveds have wings … Love can turn into hatred if mutual disrespect crept in.” “Whoever seeks only the physical pleasure turns his marriage into adultery.” And, “Who are the two or three who gather in the name of Christ with the Lord in their midst (Matt. 18:20)? By three does he not mean husband, wife, and child? A wife is united with her husband by God (Prov. 19:14).”¹⁷¹⁵

St. John Chrysostom says, “Thus when a certain wise man says, ‘It is by the Lord that a man is matched with a woman’ (Prov. 19:14), he means this: God made marriage, and not that it is He that joins together every man that comes to be with a woman. For we see many men and women that come to be with one another for evil, even by the law of marriage, and this we should not ascribe to God.”¹⁷¹⁶

1712 Origen, Commentary on 1 Corinthians 3.34.42–45.

1713 Tertullian, To My Wife (Ad Uxorem) 2.8 (ANF 4:48).

1714

Tertullian, To My Wife (Ad Uxorem) 2.8 (ANF 4:48) amended.

1715 St. Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis, Books 1–3 , 3.10.68.1 (FOTC 85:298).

1716 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 23.1 (NPNF I/11:511) amended.