Church Wedding Expectations and Financial Responsibilities in Family
Marriage is divinely instituted, intended for human happiness, population growth, raising godly offspring, and preventing fornication [3]. The Bible often uses the imagery of a bride and bridegroom to represent the relationship between Christ and the Church [1].
In Christian tradition, marriage is understood as a covenant relationship [3]. Wives are called to be subject to their husbands in everything, just as the church is subject to Christ [2, 5]. This submission is understood as arising from love and reverence [5]. Husbands, in turn, are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church. The conjugal bond is considered indissoluble by human authority; while civil or ecclesiastical bodies may address issues like protection or separation, they cannot dissolve the marriage itself in the eyes of God [6].
Early church leaders emphasized the importance of marriage for young people to prevent "youthful lusts" and fornication, and also for older individuals, recognizing that "lust is vigorous even in some old men" [4].
Within Jewish tradition, when a man marries a woman, he incurs ten responsibilities toward her and receives four privileges [11]. These responsibilities include providing for her sustenance [10]. A husband might also commit to supporting his wife's daughter from a previous relationship for a specified period, particularly if this commitment is made at the time of the marriage [12]. However, such commitments are generally only binding if a definite sum is mentioned [12].
The concept of financial responsibility within families is also highlighted in biblical texts. For instance, a young woman was under the authority of her father, who was responsible for her actions and financial obligations [9]. Jesus also critiqued practices where individuals would vow to give money to God as a way to avoid their financial responsibility to their parents [7]. Parents are seen as standing "in the place of God" for their children, being the natural objects of love, reverence, gratitude, confidence, and devotion [8].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Bride — Frequently used in the ordinary sense (Isa. 49:18; 61:10, etc.). The relation between Christ and his church is set forth under the figure of that between a bridegroom and bride (John 3:29). The church is called "the bride" (Rev. 21:9; 22:17). Compare parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt. 25:1-13).”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:24 (NASB) — But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Marriage — Divinely instituted -- Ge 2:24. A covenant relationship -- Mal 2:4. Designed for The happiness of man. -- Ge 2:18. Increasing the human population. -- Ge 1:28; 9:1. Raising up godly seed. -- Mal 2:15. Preventing fornication. -- 1Co 7:2. The expectation of the promised seed of the woman an incentive to, in the early age -- Ge 3:15; 4:1. Lawful in all -- 1Co 7:2,28; 1Ti 5:14. Honourable for all -- Heb 13:4. Should be only in the Lord -- 1Co 7:39. Expressed by Joining together. -- Mt 19:6. Making affinity. -- 1Ki 3:1. Taking to wife. -- Ex 2:1. Giving daughte”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts, Epistles, Apocrypha, Decretals — CHAP. VII.--DUTIES OF PRESBYTERS.: "And with respect to the presbyters, take these instructions. Above all things, let them join the young betimes in marriage, anticipating the entanglements of youthful lusts. But neither let them neglect the marriage of those who are already old; for lust is vigorous even in some old men. Lest, therefore, fornication find a place among you, and bring upon you a very pestilence, take precaution, and search, lest at any time the fire of adultery be secretly kindled among you. For adultery ”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 5:22: Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ,.... Her head, being wholly dependent upon him, and entirely resigned to him, and receiving all from him; from whom alone is all her expectation of provision, protection, comfort, and happiness; wherefore she has respect to all his commands, and esteems all his precepts concerning all things to be right; and yields a cheerful, voluntary, sincere, and hearty obedience to them; arising from a principle of love to him, and joined with honour, fear, and reverence of him: so let the wives be to their own husbands in every”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 49: to be enforced; and it may protect the person and rights of the wife, and, if necessary, remove her from the control of her husband, but the conjugal bond it cannot dissolve. All decrees of divorce “ a vinculo matrimonii ,” issued by civil or ecclesiastical authorities, so far as the conscience is concerned, are perfectly inoperative, unless antecedently to such decree and by the law of God, the conjugal relation has ceased to exist. 4. It follows from the Scriptural doctrine of marriage that all laws are evil which tend to make those two”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 15:5: 15:5 vowed to give to God: Such a gift was likely donated at the Temple (see Mark 7:11; see also Prov 28:24) but functioned as a way to dodge financial responsibility for one’s parents.”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 47: has this close analogy to the relation in which God stands to his rational creatures, and especially to his own people, so the duties resulting from that relation are analogous. They are expressed by the same word. Filial piety is as correct an expression as it is common. Parents stand to their dependent children, so to speak, in the place of God. They are the natural objects of the child’s love, reverence, gratitude, confidence, and devotion. These are the sentiments which naturally flow out of the relation; and which in all ordinary cas”
- Numbers (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Numbers 30:3: 30:3-5 A young woman was under the authority of her father, who was responsible for her actions and her financial obligations.”
- Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Marriage 23:18: [The following rules apply when the woman's] daughter marries during the time [in which her mother's husbands] obligated themselves to supply her with her sustenance. Her own husband is obligated to provide her with her sustenance, and both of her mother's husbands are obligated to give her the financial value of her support. [Even when the men] who obligated themselves to support her die, if they affirmed their commitment to her mother with an act of contract or they composed a formal document recording their obligation, [the daught”
- Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Marriage 12:1: When a man marries a woman, whether she is a virgin or a non-virgin, whether she is above the age of majority or a minor, and whether she was born Jewish, is a convert or a freed slave, he incurs ten responsibilities toward her and receives four privileges. 1 These ten responsibilities and four privileges are all explained in detail in the chapters that follow, through Chapter 23.”
- Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Marriage 23:17: When a man marries a woman and makes a commitment to support her daughter for [an explicit number of] years, he is obligated to support her for [all] the years to which he committed himself, provided he made this commitment at the time of the woman's consecration. 27 Generally, such commitments are not binding, for the commitment does not have a specific scope. In most situations, only when a definite sum is mentioned is the commitment obligatory. (See Shulchan Aruch , Even HaEzer 114.) If, however, he made the commitment [after] the”