Abstract:
This article argues that the contemporary mainline understanding of marriage (theology of
marriage), especially in the local South African denominational context, is not ‘based on the
Bible’, but rather on a cultural construct. Moreover, this construct is not based on JudeoChristian values and norms; it is the result of early Christianity’s enculturation into the world
of the Roman Empire. It is also argued that a definition of Christian marriage as being an
institution originated by God, consisting of a monogamous and lifelong relationship between
a man and a woman, cannot be based on the Bible. The reason for this is that the institution of
marriage in ancient times was something totally different from what we understand today, the
fact that the Bible also gives evidence of different understandings (forms) of marriage from the
time of the patriarchs up to the 2nd century, and that Jesus, Paul and the Church Fathers
preferred celibacy to marriage.
CONTRIBUTION: This article aim to contribute to the current discussion, especially in the local
South African denominational context, on the institution of marriage as being ‘biblical’, and its
relationship to same sex-relations being typified as marriages.
