The Christian and the Wedding: A Biblical View of Preparing for Marriage in Johannesburg

There is a moment in September in Johannesburg when the wedding magazines appear on the rack at the Sandton City bookshop. The covers have a white dress, a vineyard, a header about the season's trends. The industry is loud. The industry is also not the Bible. The Bible has a great deal to say about the marriage. The Bible also has a great deal to say about the marriage the wedding is supposed to lead to. The Bible says the marriage is older than the wedding. The Bible says the marriage is the harder of the two.

What the Bible Actually Says About Marriage

Genesis 2:18, 21-24 — It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. Matthew 19:4-6 — what God has joined together, let no one separate. Ephesians 5:25-33 — Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Hebrews 13:4 — Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure. The Bible treats marriage as a covenant, not a contract. The Bible treats marriage as a vocation, not a state.

What the Bible Says About the Wedding Day

John 2:1-11 — the wedding at Cana, the wine that ran out, the first of the signs. Matthew 22:2 — The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. Revelation 19:7-9 — the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. The only wedding the Bible asks the Christian to remember is the wedding of the Lamb.

What the Bible Says About the Long Road Before the Wedding

Build the friendship before the romance — Proverbs 27:9, the sweetness of a friend. Walk through a pre-marriage course — Proverbs 24:27, Luke 14:28-30, count the cost. Bring the engagement into the Bible study — Titus 2:3-4, the older women teach the younger. Talk about money before the wedding — Proverbs 22:7, the borrower is slave to the lender. Make the wedding day a picture of the marriage — Ephesians 5:25-33, the marriage is a picture of Christ and the church.

What the Long Road in Johannesburg Looks Like

The family's expectations — Mark 3:33-35, whoever does God's will is family. Genesis 2:24, leave father and mother and be united to wife. The cost — Proverbs 21:5, 1 Timothy 6:6, godliness with contentment is great gain. The faith difference — 1 Corinthians 7:12-14, the unbelieving husband has been sanctified. The sex conversation — Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 7:3-5, Song of Songs 2:7.

Five Practices for the Christian Couple Preparing for the Marriage

Read Genesis 2 slowly together. Do a pre-marriage course. Talk about money. Find a mentor couple. Show up on a Wednesday. The wedding is a day. The marriage is a vocation. The Bible has been teaching the vocation for three thousand years.