Page 381 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

MARS’ HILL - MARY

affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. also the sinner’s wife because of the sexual relationship.
Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose In 1 Co. 7:2, fornication is contrasted with marriage; it
of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, is not equated with marriage. Christ’s dealings with the
for promoting domestic felicity, and for securing the woman at the well in John chapter four also teaches
maintenance and education of children” (Webster). that fornication is not marriage. The woman was living
Malachi explains that marriage is more than the with a man, but the Lord Jesus Christ plainly stated that
sexual union; it is a covenant before God and man (Mal. he was not her husband (Jn. 4:18).
2:14), and it is this covenant that God blesses by Fornication is a union but it is not marriage. As noted
making the two one (Mal. 2:15). earlier, Malachi explains that marriage is more than the
Marriage was the first institution ordained by God sexual union; it is a covenant before God and man (Mal.
after the creation of man (Ge. 2:18-25), and it is the 2:14), and it is this covenant that God blesses by
bedrock of the human society. Anything which corrupts making the two one (Mal. 2:15). [See Adultery, Child
marriage and the home is a direct threat to society as a Training, Eunuch, Fornication, Home.]
whole. This is one reason why sexual immorality and MARS’ HILL. Ac. 17:16-34. [See Areopagus.]
homosexuality are great crimes which were punishable MARSENA (worthy). Es. 1:14.
by death under the Mosaic law (Le. 20). MART. Merchant (Is. 23:3).
From Genesis we see that marriage is the uniting of MARTHA (mistress, lady). The sister of Mary and
one man and one woman before God for the purpose of Lazarus (Lk. 10:38-41; Jn. 11:1-39; 12:2).
creating a new family unit (Ge. 2:22-24). The marriage
union is holy and the sexual relationship within this MARTYR. One who submits to death rather than
union is holy (He. 13:4). One of the proper and God- renounce his faith; one who is killed for a religious or
ordained purposes of marriage is the satisfaction of the political cause. “The Greek word is martus, and is very
sexual drive (1 Co. 7:2-5). frequently translated ‘witness’; a martyr is one who
meets with death because of the witness he bears. Christ
Is Fornication Marriage? Some have taught that the Himself was the faithful and true witness (Re. 1:5;
sexual union between men and women equates 3:14), and He said to His persecutors, ‘Ye seek to kill
marriage, but this is not the case. The married man and me, because my word hath no place in you ... ye seek to
woman become one spiritually and physically by an act kill me, a man that hath told you the truth’ (Jn.
of God, not by a mere act of sexual intimacy (Mt. 8:37,40). Thus the Lord Jesus was the true Martyr,
19:5-6). The oneness between Adam and Eve was though His death comprehended much more than dying
created when God brought them together as man and as a martyr, namely, atonement” (Concise). The first
wife even before they knew each other intimately (Ge. martyr for the truth in the Bible was Abel (Ge. 4). Many
2:22-23). other O.T. saints died for their faith in God (1 Ki. 18:4;
Immoral sexual relations do produce a unity between Mt. 23:29-31,34-37; He. 11:32-39). The first Christian
the partners (1 Co. 6:15-18), but the Bible nowhere says martyr was Stephen (Ac. 7). See also Ac. 8:3; 9:1;
this equates marriage. When a married man and woman 12:1-2; 1 Pe. 4:12; Re. 2:13; 11:7-8; 17:6. [See
commit adultery or when a single man and woman Prophecy, Roman Catholic Church.]
commit fornication, they are joined together in their sin, MARY (bitterness, sorrow). There are many Marys in
but they are not thereby married. If this were the case, the Bible. The following are some of the most well
the fornicators would not need to be married; they known:
would already be married to their partners through the
sexual relationship. Yet this is not the case. According to Mary, Mother of Jesus (Mt. 1:18-25; 2:13-23; 12:46;
the Mosaic law, if a man enticed an unmarried girl and Mk. 3:21; Lk. 1:26-56; 2:1-52; 8:19-21; Jn. 2:1-5;
had relations with her, he was obligated to marry her 19:25; Ac. 1:14). Bible facts about Mary: (1) She is
unless her father refused to allow that (Ex. 22:16-17). never called the ‘mother of God.’ While Mary was the
The law did not say the two were already married mother of Jesus as a man; the eternal Son of God had
because of their sexual union. The fact that the girl’s no beginning (Mi. 5:2; Jn. 1:1). Mary cannot therefore
father could refuse to allow his daughter to be the man’s be called the mother of God, and is never so called by
wife is proof that they were not already wed. Bible writers. (2) Mary had other children after she bore
Jesus; she was not a perpetual virgin (Mt. 13:55-56).
The New Testament teaches the same thing. In 1 Co. (3) Mary was not sinless (Lk. 1:47; Ro. 3:23). (4) The
5:1, for example, we see the case of the church member Bible does not say Mary ascended to heaven; this is
who committed the sin of fornication with his father’s purely a man-made doctrine. (5) The Apostles and
wife. The Bible says the woman was the wife of the prophets did not exalt Mary. There is not one mention of
sinner’s father, but it does not say that the woman was Mary in the N.T. epistles from Romans to Revelation.

Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity 381