Featured Must a Marriage be legally licensed to be accepted by God?

Depends on what one calls being "legally married."

All marriage is a matter of common law. IOW, nature and nature's God defines marriage. Common law marriage is not "shacking up," and there is no state in which mere cohabitation for any amount of time defines a common law marriage.

 

What is marriage?

 

Jesus said the Man that she was with now "Shacking" was not her husband. John 4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

 

Yes, it would be. All remarriage before the death of a spouse is adultery as clearly taught by Jesus and the Apostle Paul.

Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him. And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who madethem at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."

A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

 

I was not born for another 3 years so i can't really comment first hand about what went on, but my grandfather is Dr. Everett (Sileven) Ramsey. My father was the associate pastor of Fath Baptist Church at that time, and my mother (Everett's daughter) a school teacher at the school. Wow, I didn't realize that people actually knew about this.

 

In our state, if you present yourself as married you are, by common law, and if you split up it DOES require a legal divorce even though you have no marriage certificate.

Two caveats: in some parts of the world, many do believe the govt intrusion has become so bad they must as matter of concience not adhere to govt rules. So no marriage certificates, avoidance as long as possible of birth certificates, ss type numbers or id's, etc. In those cases I can see accepting the people's marriage as viable according to their, but not the state's, culture.

But there are other folks who just seem to want to rebel against any perceived authority. In their case, I would direct them to the story of Timothy. The law was fulfilled and he need not be circumsized, but he submitted to it so as not to have his ministry sidelined. Rebels should just get the license.

 

I beg to differ that all remarriage before the death of a spouse is wrong. Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 tell a different story. Infidelity is a reason for divorce.

 

Here is Romans 13:1-2

Seems to me that Paul is saying that those who have the rule over us are there because God allows them to be there. Actually intends them to be there. Laws are for our benefit. And marriage laws fit that category.

 

In my opinion, no ministry is under obligation to support another ministry. A ministry is free to decide the parameters of their associations. If churches don't want to support this couple for whatever reason, that is their right. To argue the fine points of maritual law is meaningless.

I personally wouldn't support them either. If they really in their hearts want to serve the Lord then they should be willing to take away any doubt about their relationship and make it legal and show that they are committed to each other for life. I might want to be a missionary overseas but if I expect to be allowed into that country I will need a passport. I can find no Biblical reason for this but the reality is what it is.

 

Well I'll be . . .

 

No one is stopping them from spreading the gospel. Unless of course they are under house arrest and being denied the ability to communicate with others in the outside world.

 

I think you missed my point. Let me put it this way. If I as a missionary choose to have a tattoo in a clearly seen place on my body, to me it is not a sin. But to many people it is a sin. To actually have the tattoo done would cause some to reject my ministry, and actually hinder me from being a blessing and a help to those very people; in other words, it would hinder my service for Christ. So why would I do that? Why would I not instead choose to sacrifice my own preference and forego the tattoo so I can serve God better?

So if this couple has a true, Bible based conviction against registering their marriage with the government (personally I don't see how that is possible, but it's none of my business), fine and good. But if it's just a preference, they are hindering themselves from ministering to the people who oppose them on only that one issue.

 

Christians are not discrediting their ministry, they are.

Your speech about Baptists on this issue shows you don't understand the issue in question.. I can tell you of many Church of God, Assemblies of God, Lutheran, and other denominations who would tell you the same stuff. This isn't a Baptist thing.. this goes across the board because it is a biblical and Government one. Viva la Christianity!!

If we are to be accused let it be for the sake of righteousness and to give no reason for the enemy to blaspheme nor be a rock of stumbling or offense to other believers. On top of that you have the laws of the land which Christ and the Spirit of the Living God stated we are to follow and obey, unless they contradict or go against the express Word of God. For them, in the least on this issue, to not do so in accordance with our laws, places them in open and rebellious sin and they need to openly repent.

These people, according to you, are doing this to make a point.. That says enough right there. It doesn't matter what is right, what matters is that they cause division over an aspect that can removed and set to nothing the unity of believers that could be given to them.. all for their personal opinion and not the glory of the Kingdom of God nor to the growth and edification of brothers and sisters in Christ.

To me, they stand in sin, so for me, it isn't an issue of coming along side them, it is an issue of prayerfully bringing them back to repentance