6. Marriage in St. Paul's Treachings.pdf

Marriage in St. Paul’s Teachings

Marriage in St. Paul’s Teachings • St. Paul left extensive writing on matters of sex and marriage but to understand them is not easy. • His ideas contradictory and seems unable to distinguish marriage from single life. • He compared marriage to the relationship between Christ and Church but he also mentioned about chastity. • In another writings he mentioned marriage as a gift of vocation from God; and at the same time recommended it as a lesser evil for those who cannot be celibate in their life. • The thing is they are all valid.

Marriage in St. Paul’s Teachings • About marriage and sexuality : – It is good for man not to touch a woman (celibacy) – Since sex is always a danger, let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband (marriage vs. pre-marital / adultery) … do not refuse each other except by mutual consent (agreement to procreate), …then only for an agreed time (continence) …leave yourselves free for prayer (chastity) … then come together again in case Satan take advantage of your weakness (extra-marital / adultery / concubinage)

Marriage in St. Paul’s Teachings • About marriage and sexuality : • Paul’s ambivalence was a reaction to opposite extremes existing in Greek society – Sexual promiscuity vs. Asceticism (reject sex: marriage) – He counteracted to promiscuity by praising continence and the second by emphasizing the value of sexual act in marriage and dignity in marriage.

• Preference for single life is understood in the perspective of the eschatological reality – He expected the world to end soon – Reason he did not mention the importance of children

Marriage in St. Paul’s Teachings • Paul’s ideas remain even if the end of the world did not happen. – One of these is the pronouncement on: • The value of sexual act in marriage – right of husband and wife • “the husband should give his wife her conjugal rights and the wife gives her husband his’’ – • as “marital debt” • Stressing further the value of the act Paul upholds that indulgence can be made if there was common consent • The value of sexual act is the unique moment between husband and wife to belong to one another in a mutual dependence (1Cor.7:4)

Marriage in St. Paul’s Teachings • Highly theological in the context of marriage is found Ephesians 5:21-25, 2832. • Why this ruling to submit? Paul explains – as Christ is the head of the Church, and since marriage symbolizes the ChristChurch relationship, it follows that the husband is the head of the wife.

Marriage in St. Paul’s Teachings – The key points to understanding: • “Submission” • “Leadership” – To submit to husband … + “as they regard the Lord” • The kind of submission expected of them • Not automatic, not thoughtless but • Submission in love that reflects the love He pours on us.

Marriage in St. Paul’s Teachings • Women/wives should not be bothered by this order – Christ’s headship, leadership is not ‘Authoritarian’ • He loved us and gave his life for us • He came to serve not to be served • His leadership of loving and in loving service which is what expected husbands to give their wives. – In taking these injunctions: • it can be concluded that the heavier obligations go to the husband’s not the wife to her husband.

Marriage in St. Paul’s Teachings • St. Paul’s ways of teaching have shown some evidences that He still affirmed the hierarchical man-woman relationship of his time. • But he brought new perspective by giving it the Christological explanation – Which is to focus attention on the link between Christ and the Church, – How this kind of link be the model for the husband and wife relationship – Paul strengthens further, the unitive (love-element) of marital relationship that was envisioned and expressed by the authors of Genesis and confirmed by Christ.

End of Lesson