Without a doubt, the Bible contains more timeless wisdom and guidance for love and marriage than any other book. And yet, with over 66 books and 30,000 verses, it can feel a little (okay - really) overwhelming.
That's where this post comes in.😉
In the rest of this article, we'll simplify it for you and help you quickly find the best verses, passages, and books within the bible for any occasion, including:
- your wedding day and wedding ceremony
- growing together in your marriage's earlier days
- deepening and strengthening your marriage as time goes on
- understanding God's purpose for Christ-centered marriage
- doing bible study or survey of biblical texts on your own or with your spouse
- getting a big-picture, biblical view of marriage
It's also important to zoom out a little and understand what a marriage relationship is all about. It's great to include a few bible verses in your wedding ceremony, but God's heart is that your marriage would be richly blessed as you build it around him. (Which will also protect it from adultery, unfaithfulness, and divorce.) Doing that requires the 30,000 foot view, so that's where we'll begin.
If you're mainly here for the verses, though, that's okay.😊 You can go to the section that appeals most to you through the links below. 👇
The Best Books In The Bible About Marriage And Love
As you explore what the Bible says about love and marriage, it's essential to consider Christian marriage from a big-picture, biblical perspective. That includes looking at whole books of the Bible, and not merely isolated verses. That's because the Bible isn't a resource manual of largely disconnected verses grouped according to topics like love and marriage.
While that can be frustrating at times, God's Word is primarily a unified story of... well, everything. His creation, our rebellion and redemption in Christ, and the final chapter where all will be made well again someday. It is a love story between God and his people that is reflected in our own marriages.
Getting this wide-angle perspective will help make sense of your wedding day, marriage, and how it cannot only survive but thrive, grow, and flourish even when challenges arise.
Let's take a quick tour of relevant passages and scriptural principles when it comes to marriage.
Genesis 2:18-25: The Beginning of Marriage
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
The account of Genesis 2:18-25 reveals the very beginning of marriage, a good thing that God Himself established for the well-being and companionship of humanity. Earlier in Genesis 2, everything else that God created was 'good.' But here, for the first time, Adam's loneliness was 'not good.'
So God did something about it: he created Eve, establishing the first marriage, a true partnership between the man and the woman. She was literally created from part of Adam, physically symbolizing the importance of unity, intimacy, and the mutual dependency God intended between spouses.
The English in verse 23 doesn't really do Adam's reaction justice - he was blown away by Eve in every way! They were supposed to enjoy each other, and they did.
Genesis 3:1-7: The destruction of marriage
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Sadly, their ecstasy did not last as Adam and Eve, desiring to be like God, became like the serpent who deceived them. Everything in God's good world was ruined, including marriage. If you want to know why marriage and intimate relationships are so hard, it all started here.
The tragic events described in Genesis 3:1-13 (the fuller passage) serve as a sobering reminder of the devastating consequences that sin can have on marriage, unraveling the intimate bond that God intended for husband and wife.
- Sin creates division: Adam and Eve's disobedience leads to shame and blame, causing them to hide from God and each other.
- Sin distorts roles: Eve's desire to rule over her husband and Adam's inclination to dominate her reflects a power struggle that disrupts God's design for marriage. And, instead of mutual submission and cooperation, sin introduces a hierarchy that breeds conflict and inequality.
- Sin introduces brokenness: The brokenness caused by sin affects their ability to trust, communicate, and love one another fully.
Basically, it was a complete dumpster fire. This is why the 'fairy tale' version of marriage, sex and intimacy we sometimes see in movies and TV shows just isn't true. Or, can only be part of the story amidst very deep struggles and loss.
As we'll see later, though, the story doesn't end there. Through Christ, we can begin to rebuild and restore the biblical foundation of marriage.
Proverbs: The Wisdom Of Marriage
The Bible is amazing in its diversity. For those who love to get to the point and pithy sayings, Proverbs is your book. (Although they do force you to think; one of my Old Testament professors encouraged us to reflect on just one each day.)
Rather than telling us exactly what to do, Proverbs provides general principles that must be applied to our real lives - and marriages - with wisdom.
Here are some examples that apply to marriage:
- An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. (Proverbs 12:4)
- A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1, NIV) (Husbands especially are prone to anger.)
- He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22)
Proverbs also encourages husbands to cherish, honor and value their wives in verses like Proverbs 31:10: 'An excellent wife who can find? She's far more precious than jewels.'
Song of Songs: The Romance Of Marriage
Did you realize there's an entire book in the Bible dedicated to romantic love?
The Song of Songs (or, Song of Solomon) celebrates the romance of marriage, affirming the deep love and desire between a husband and wife. Through vivid - and I mean vivid - imagery and metaphor, it depicts the joy and pleasure that can be experienced within the covenant of marriage.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
like twin fawns of a gazelle
that browse among the lilies.
6 Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,
I will go to the mountain of myrrh
and to the hill of incense.
7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling;
there is no flaw in you. (Songs of Songs 4:5-7)
Let's just say God isn't a Victorian. While marriage has many purposes - and ultimately to point to his relationship with us through Christ - one of them is passion and physical pleasure that remind us of his passion for us.
The Song of Songs encourages us to embrace the romance and passion that marriage offers, reminding us that love is an essential part of our human experience. Its words resonate with our longing for connection, belonging, and profound intimacy.
In truth, though, Song of Songs addresses many issues common to relationships and marriage, including attraction, dating, courtship, intimacy, conflict and commitment. For an in-depth, enjoyable resource check out Tommy Nelson's download video series. It's old, but fantastic.
Hosea: The Challenges And Perseverance Of Marriage
The Bible is full of surprises. Like the time God told his prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute. It sounds crazy... until you realize that God intended it to reflect the spiritual prostitution his people were committing against him (Hosea 1:2-3). (Which is true of all of us.)
In Hosea, we witness the profound challenges and unwavering perseverance that marriage requires, revealing a powerful testament to the enduring love and faithfulness of God towards His people.
The story of Hosea and his wife Gomer is a vivid portrayal of the complexities and struggles that can arise within a marital relationship. Hosea's love for Gomer, despite her unfaithfulness, reflects the unconditional love and forgiveness that God offers to His people through Christ.
This book reminds us that marriage isn't always easy; it requires commitment, patience, and the willingness to work through difficulties to avoid adultery, cheating and divorce. It teaches us that love isn't just a feeling, but a choice and a commitment to stand by our partner even in the face of challenges.
Malachi 2:13-16: The Covenant Of Marriage
As we continue our exploration of the biblical perspective on love and marriage, we turn our attention to Malachi 2:13-16, where we encounter the profound significance of the covenant of marriage.
A covenant is a promise, a legal, binding contract between two parties. In this case, between a husband and wife. A covenant highlights the importance of commitment and loyalty, no matter what.
This means divorce should be a last resort, as it disrupts the sacred bond established by the covenant of marriage. It's not something we resort to when we're simply unhappy.
Understanding the covenant of marriage creates the kind of safety where we can experience the deep intimacy and fulfillment God designed for marriage.
The Limits Of Marriage: 1 Corinthians 7
Sometimes the church can make it seem like marriage is the be-all-end-all. As if, somehow, single Christians are second class.
But that's not how Paul saw it. He chose to remain single. And of course, Jesus was not married, either.
Paul actually saw marriage as second-best:
7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (1 Corinthians 7:7-9)
While he certainly supported marriage, he understood that having a spouse means our time and attention are split between God and our spouse, not to mention any children that may come (1 Corinthians 7:32-35).
In addition, marriage necessarily involves marrying another sinner, which has a way of creating new challenges even as it solves others. So, scripture warns us against putting all our hopes there.
Ephesians 5:21-33: The Meaning And Redemption Of Marriage
In Ephesians 5:21-33, the true essence of marriage is finally revealed.
The meaning of marriage, as depicted in Ephesians, goes beyond the mere union of two individuals. It's a sacred bond where husbands and wives are called to love and respect one another, just as Christ loves the church.
As Tim Keller puts it, marriage and the gospel explain each other. More specifically, marriage is meant to be a sign pointing to God's relationship with us through Jesus.
31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:31-33)
This is the North Star of marriage. If something I've done - or am about to do - doesn't reflect the way God relates to me through Jesus, it doesn't belong in my marriage. On the other hand, this biblical view of marriage invites us to embrace selflessness, sacrificial love, and mutual submission.
Christ has redeemed us, and in calling us to marry other redeemed sinners, he has redeemed marriage as we point to his unconditional, extravagant love.
The End And Consummation of Marriage
In a post dedicated to marriage, it sounds strange to say it, but marriage won't last forever. At least not as we know it.
Matthew 22:23-33
In this story, members of the religious establishment try to trap Jesus, asking him a question about a woman who has been married seven times. They want to know, in heaven, which of these men she will be married to. (Never mind, they didn't even believe in the afterlife. But I digress.)
Jesus's response has profound implications for marriage in heaven:
For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven (Matthew 22:30).
I remember being so disappointed when I first heard this! I love my wife so much that it's hard to imagine not being her husband in heaven. (I'm still holding out hope that maybe, somehow, it means something other than what it plainly appears to.)
Revelation 21:1-4
The footnote to Matthew 22:30 is that God has something far, far better for us than human marriage in heaven: being married to him!
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:1-4)
Everything that we ever hoped for in marriage here - indeed, everything we ever hoped for here, period - will be fulfilled in heaven when we finally get to live with God, forever, without the barriers, sadness and pain we experience now.
We will finally arrive at the destination that the sign of marriage here on earth was pointing us to all along. The chasm will be every bit as great - no, far greater - than the difference between a road sign pointing to your favorite place and the place itself.
Why This Biblical View Of Marriage Matters For Your Marriage
You may be wondering why this wide-angle view of biblical marriage matters for your marriage. If you're asking, 'So what?!,' congratulations for staying engaged and awake. 😉
I don't want to take too long on this right now, but having this biblical framework of marriage in mind will help you very practically in several ways.
- Understanding that God created marriage to be deeply good (see Genesis 2) will help you avoid the 'marriage as ball and chain' mentality we sometimes see in our culture. The limits marriage imposes on us bring freedom, similar to the way a fish finds freedom by staying in the water.
- Recognizing that all human marriages take place in a fallen world (see Genesis 3) helps us set reasonable expectations. This helps us avoid the 'butterflies and violins,' Disney-like view of marriage where we expect it to fulfill all our dreams. When we hit rough patches with our spouse, we won't be crushed because we knew they were coming.
- Knowing Jesus has redeemed us and our spouse will give us hope and courage for our marriages. If God shows us we need to work on selfishness, for example, we understand we don't have to overcome it on our own by simply trying harder or following a series of steps some marriage expert lays out. The power of sin is broken, God's Spirit lives inside us, and there's always hope for a fresh start.
There are many other practical benefits to understanding God's view on marriage, but these are some of the primary ones.
Bible Verses for Weddings
Now that we understand what marriage is all about, let's turn our attention to some bible verses you can use for weddings, growing in your relationship with your spouse, and other occasions. Some of them are not marriage-specific, but as counselor Winston Smith notes in his excellent book Marriage Matters, any verse on relationships will be relevant for marriage, too.
Where possible, I've also tried to include more context to help you understand what the passage is aiming for, and to make it more suitable for readings at a wedding, which are typically longer than a verse or two.
Since I've already taken some time to provide a framework for marriage above, we'll just get right to the verses.
Commitment and Love
1. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39)
2. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10)
3. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8)
4. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
5. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:2-3)
6. May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13)
7. Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18)
8. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. (1 Peter 1:22-23)
Oneness And Unity in Marriage
9. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:18-25)
10. My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he grazes among the lilies. (Song of Songs 2:16)
11. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)
12. ...submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:21-33)
13. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17)
Marriage As A Picture Of The Gospel
14. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:31-33)
15. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)
Following Christ's Example
16. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
17. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
18. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12)
We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
Celebrating Marriage As A Foretaste Of Heaven
19. Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Revelation 19:7-9)
Old Testament Wedding Verses
Union in Marriage
20. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28)
21. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” ...Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:18-24)
22. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
23. Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go
until I had brought him into my mother's house,
and into the chamber of her who conceived me. (Song of Songs 3:4)
24. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. (Song of Solomon 8:6-7)
Faithfulness in Marriage
26. But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.” (Malachi 2:14-16)
27. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:3-4)
Verses to Bless a New Marriage
Blessings from God
29. Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. (Psalm 127)
30. Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. (Psalm 128:1-3)
Gospel Wedding Passages
God's Plan for Marriage
31. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:6-9) (See also Ephesians 5:31-33.)
So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. (Matthew 19:6)
Bible Verses for a Strong, Lasting Marriage
Pursuing God First
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act. (Psalm 37:4-5)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Love and Commitment
Oneness in Marriage
32. Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
33. Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the Lord.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it. (Song of Solomon 8:7)
Husbands And Wives
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. (Ephesians 5:25-30)
Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. (Colossians 3:19)
Sacrifice And Love
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14)
Putting Your Spouse's Needs First
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11)
Unity, Partnership, And Gratitude
Togetherness
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. (Ecclesiastes 4:9)
What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. (Mark 10:9)
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:31)
I thank my God in all my remem,brance of you. (Philippians 1:3; see Paul's other letters where he encourages their recipients.)
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)
Faith And Trust
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3-4)
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
Respect And Consideration
Let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:33)
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. (Colossians 3:18-19)
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)
Enduring Love, Perseverance And Strength
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:3-6)
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)
Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14)
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:1-2)
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Forgiveness, Reconciliation And Teamship
Teamship In Overcoming Problems
Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom. (Song of Songs 2:15)
Restoration And Forgiveness
Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offenses. (Proverbs 10:12)
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:13)
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
Purity In Marriage
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:27-30)
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:15-20)
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4)
The Blessings and Joy of Marriage
Marital Happiness
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (Genesis 2:18)
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. (Psalm 128:1-2)
Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. May her breasts satisfy you at all times; may you be intoxicated always by her love. (Proverbs 5:18-19)
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones. (Proverbs 12:4)
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22)
House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. (Proverbs 19:14)
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. (Proverbs 17:6)
An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:10-11, 28-30)
As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat in his shadow,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banqueting house,
and his banner over me was love. (Song of Songs 2:3-4)
My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
11 for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away. (Song of Songs 2:10-13)
My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he grazes among the lilies. (Song of Songs 2:16)
You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
10 How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much better is your love than wine,
and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! (Song of Songs 4:9-10)
My beloved has gone down to his garden
to the beds of spices,
to graze in the gardens
and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine;
he grazes among the lilies. (Song of Songs 6:2-3)
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Bible offers profound insights on love and marriage, providing a solid foundation for married couples seeking guidance, spiritual growth, and wisdom.
From the big-picture view of marriage to the practical guidance in the New Testament, the Scriptures offer a wealth of books, verses and passages that can enrich your not only your wedding day but the rest of your lives.
By immersing ourselves in these biblical truths, we can cultivate a love that's grounded in God's timeless wisdom and experience the fullness of joy in our marriages. Through the power of the gospel, you can not only overcome real-life challenges and major problems, but truly enjoy a healthy marriage and the blessing of God.