[greenbear]

Originally Posted by Amanda S.

Greenbear,

I asked a couple of questions in a previous post and you had stated you would get back with me in a bit, and that's ok. I know we're all busy But meanwhile I had one more thought.

One thing that continnually comes up in discussions on here is if Paul didn't say it to us specifically, it doesn't apply...While I certainly don't argue with the dispensational aspect of that line of thinking, I do think that Paul was trying to make it easy on these Christians who just couldn't get it right...

1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.


But as one grows in Christ, reads and studies their Bible they are able to discern better and get to more meatier issues and by comparing Scripture with Scripture understand these things.

I find it very interesting that you seem to have come up with a new philosophy on whether or not it is wrong to marry an unbeliever when quite honestly I know of absolutely no Bible Believer or teacher at any time in history ever teach it so. Correct me if I am wrong.
Obviously it matters not what man thinks or teaches but I do believe it is worth considering.

1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.


But as one grows in Christ, reads and studies their Bible they are able to discern better and get to more meatier issues and by comparing Scripture with Scripture understand these things.

As this seems to be directed to me I will answer it.
You characterize me as a babe that can only digest milk. I'm not offended. I find it ironic that you would imply that while you are unable to understand what I have written. You accuse me of coming up with some new philosophy about marrying an unbeliever. My position is exactly the same as George's. Is brother George a babe, as well?

I asked a couple of questions in a previous post and you had stated you would get back with me in a bit, and that's ok. I know we're all busy

Thanks for waiting. I posted my response in the Biblical Marriage - "Joined Together" or "Yoked Together"? thread.

[Amanda S.]

Where did you come up with that? Please show me where I have seemed "to have come up with a new philosophy on whether or not it is wrong to marry an unbeliever"?

I have given my understanding and my arguments from scripture. Please reread this thread and the Biblical Marriage thread and tell me where I came up with some new teaching that it's God's will that we marry unbelievers.

Where have you written that it wasn't God's will? Obviously I have missed that one because we would be in agreement and there would be none of this back and forth.

[Amanda S.]

As this seems to be directed to me I will answer it.
You characterize me as a babe that can only digest milk. I'm not offended. I find it ironic that you would imply that while you are unable to understand what I have written. You accuse me of coming up with some new philosophy about marrying an unbeliever. My position is exactly the same as George's. Is brother George a babe, as well?

Totally mistaken. I was not applying that to you!? I was speaking in general terms as to why the command is not expressly there. I am calling no one a babe and I certainly don't consider myself mature.
It is totally not my "style" to accuse any one of anything, call names or any such.
Nor was it a veiled attempt to criticize...It was merely an explanation to why not everything is written as a direct command, but it takes growth and study to compare Scripture and understand more than the "thou shalt nots"

Please don't take offense at that or take it personally.

[Amanda S.]

Greenbear,

[QUOTE]My position is exactly the same as George's.[/QUOTE

I will refresh my memory on his position. Thanks

[Amanda S.]

Perhaps this will make it easier...

If the verses given do not prohibit a child of God from marrying an unbeliever why do you believe it's out of the will of God? What verses do you use to support that belief?

[greenbear]

Originally Posted by Amanda S.

Perhaps this will make it easier...

If the verses given do not prohibit a child of God from marrying an unbeliever why do you believe it's out of the will of God? What verses do you use to support that belief?

Please reread the threads if you like. It's all there. I'm wearied with this discussion, again. I'm not weary of you , just this discussion.

And I need to try to be a virtuous woman now and eat no more bread of idleness for the rest of the day.

[greenbear]

Originally Posted by Amanda S.

Where have you written that it wasn't God's will? Obviously I have missed that one because we would be in agreement and there would be none of this back and forth.

You can read the Biblical marriage thread. And where have I ever written that it is God's will? The back and forth on this thread has always been about differing views of applying scripture verses correctly. No one, including myself, has ever said they believe it is in God's will that believers marry unbelievers. However, if it happens, willfully or ignorantly, God has made provision for it.

[greenbear]

I thought I should clarify that although I agree with everything George has written on this thread and the Biblical Marriage thread that doesn't mean that George agrees with everything I have written. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. Obviously, but I thought I should add that.

[Amanda S.]

Jassy,

You said:

please notice that NOWHERE has Paul commanded the wife to LOVE her husband. I find that very interesting.

I find it interesting that while, no...Paul didn't actually command that the wife love her husband, he commanded the older women to teach the younger women to love their husbands...that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Titus 2:3-5 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

And what is your point exactly?

[greenbear]

Originally Posted by Amanda S.

Where have you written that it wasn't God's will? Obviously I have missed that one because we would be in agreement and there would be none of this back and forth.

Let us bear in mind that neither the Love and Race thread not the Biblical Marriage "Joined" or "Yoked" thread were on the topic of whether anybody believed that believers should marry unbelievers. I wouldn't cave in and support the "popular" verse that "everybody" who's anybody uses to support the position that believers should not marry unbelievers. And I got accused of arguing for the position that believers should marry unbelievers!

Well, since I keep getting asked why I support that believers should marry unbelievers, which is a bald-faced lie, I decided to list all of my posts on the two threads where I touched upon that question. That way I won't have to keep typing stuff over again. I'll just refer 'em to this post. Please remember that these threads have been active since June 9 shortly after I arrived on this forum. I entered the Love and Race thread hijacked topic of believer/unbeliever marriage unsure of what I believed, read, learned, and came to a conclusion. I would really like to see how Pam or Amanda would stand up to having their posts gone over with a fine-toothed comb. I'm tempted... but I don't really have the desire. Anyway, Amanda, here is everything I said on both threads that have anything to do with your question about my position.

You have added a question on another post, I see:

Perhaps this will make it easier...
If the verses given do not prohibit a child of God from marrying an unbeliever why do you believe it's out of the will of God? What verses do you use to support that belief?

Sigh... why don't we try to look at the big picture? I'll get back to you when I have time.

Love and Race Thread Post 66, June 9 (Still learning...)

1 Corinthians 7:39 obviously says that a believing widow can remarry but only to another believer. I think by extension we can say that a believer, whether male or female should only marry another believer, but maybe it's not a general principle. Considering what Paul writes earlier in the chapter, if a believer marries an unbeliever the believer has disobeyed God but is still bound by marriage to the unbeliever. We have forgiveness of our sins but that doesn't mean we don't suffer for them in this life.

The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

That's my take on it, FWIW.

Jennifer

Love and Race Thread Post 69, June 9 (Still learning...)
Pam,
I hope you don't mind me jumping into this topic but it has caught my interest, as well! I've always wondered about these things but never really looked into them before. So let me start by saying that I am just learning here.

I have to back away from imposing rules of conduct upon individuals and circumstances when the scriptures don't explicitly say to. I think just one little error in interpretation today can cause bigger errors tomorrow. I think this is one reason for different sects and denominations, namely, not rightly dividing the Word and adding to or taking away from what it says because it seems right in our own eyes.

I'm not saying that I think its a good idea for believers to marry unbelievers and I'm not saying scripture doesn't teach that it shouldn't be done, I just don't see any of the verses that you've referenced that say so. 1 Corinthians 7:39 is the closest to doing that but really it only says that believing widows should marry a believer. Also, Paul says in 7:25 that he is not speaking by commandment of the Lord before he goes into whether it is better to marry or not to marry your virgins.

In 7:39 he may have been addressing a problem of lonely or destitute widows marrying unbelievers out of desperation with disasterous results. There may have been many more women believers than men believers, who knows? And women tend to live longer than men, and older men tend to marry younger women rather than the reverse.

These are just some thoughts I was mulling around in my head as I was working in my yard so I came in to post them.

Jennifer

Love and Race Thread Post 81, June 10 (Still learning...)

Pam, I haven't come to any conclusions!


Love and Race Thead Post 91, June 11 (Still learning...)

Let me reiterate that I haven't even taken a position on this question.


Biblical Marriage Thread "Joined" or "Yoked" Post 7, June 11

Renee:
Quote:
Like the divorce issue; because of the hardness of our heart, God provided a way of not condemning interfaith marriages. It is not His will or His way, but His permissive will. He knows the deceitful heart of men and made a way by which the unsaved is sanctified. The saved cannot become unclean so God sanctifies the unsaved because they are one.

My response:
Now that is the answer I've been looking for! Thank you, Renee.
Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!


Biblical Marriage Thread "Joined" or "Yoked" Post 20, June 14

Brother Tims's Quote:
I stated that I could not counsel a believer to marry a non-believer. I would do all that I could to discourage such. Why?
Because I believe that the Scriptures taken as a whole do not allow for such a choice, just as marrying a divorced person is not allowed.

My response:
My answer to the question "Why?" would be simply because they will have trouble in the flesh. Unless the unsaved spouse becomes a believer the saved spouse will never know the full joys of a christian marriage. The children have a split and confused example and world view from their parents. There are so many reasons you could probably fill a library of books with them.

Why do you believe that the scriptures taken as a whole do not allow for such a choice? You are saying that you agree with Pam's position? What scriptures can you bring to the table to show that it is not allowed in the same way that marrying a divorced person is not allowed? There are verses that deal specifically with marrying divorced people. There are a couple of exceptions to that rule like if the divorcee is a believer married to an unbeliever who left him/her then they are free to remarry.

Quote:
George, Renee, Jennifer, and others:
What would you say to a person who came to you with this question. "I am in love with a person who does not believe in the Bible as the Word of God. We are compatible in many other areas and I have known this person for much of my life. We fit each other very well. Could you show me in Scripture where I am wrong to get married?"
I would probably refer the couple to Paul's instructions to husbands and wives. Perhaps scriptures on raising godly children. I would describe in vivid detail the problems they will encounter. What I would not do is to refer to various scriptures that have no direct bearing on the issue and /or take them out of their context and apply them in a way they weren't intended to be applied.

My overriding concern in the Love and Race thread has been the misapplication of scriptures by certain individuals in an attempt to try to back up their personal opinions with the Bible, whether it be inter-racial marriage or marriage between believers and unbelievers.


Love and race Thread Post 105, July 20 (Reponse to Amanda)

2 Cor 6:14 is not about marriage.

There's enough written about marriage... we don't need to import incidental verses to support our position that it is not God's will that believers marry unbelievers.


Love and Race Thread Post 108, July 20

Amanda's Quote:
Interestingly I have heard this quoted a time or 2 in defense of marrying an unbeliever in attempts to win them to the Lord.

My response:
I believe you are mistaken if you're insinuating that's how this verse was used in this thread by either George or myself.


Love and Race Thread Post 119, July 21

Amanda's Quote:
I find it very interesting that you seem to have come up with a new philosophy on whether or not it is wrong to marry an unbeliever when quite honestly I know of absolutely no Bible Believer or teacher at any time in history ever teach it so. Correct me if I am wrong.
Where did you come up with that? Please show me where I have seemed "to have come up with a new philosophy on whether or not it is wrong to marry an unbeliever"?

My response:
I have given my understanding and my arguments from scripture. Please reread this thread and the Biblical Marriage thread and tell me where I came up with some new teaching that it's God's will that we marry unbelievers.


Biblical Marriage Thread "Joined" or "Yoked" Post 93, July 21

My response to Amanda:
This thread was never about whether it is or is not God's will that believers marry unbelievers. Everybody has agreed it is not. This thread is about the nature of marriage as revealed in the scriptures. You and I have agreed on the Acceptable/Unacceptable Reasons for Divorce thread that God does make provision for us even in divorce and remarriage. He also makes provision for a believer marrying an unbeliever by sanctifying the unbelieving spouse. My focus is that the christian life is not about following laws and rules but it is about being in Christ so that we will not perform the works of the flesh

.

Love and Race Thread Post 122, July 21 (Amanda's post)

My quote:
Where did you come up with that? Please show me where I have seemed "to have come up with a new philosophy on whether or not it is wrong to marry an unbeliever"?
I have given my understanding and my arguments from scripture. Please reread this thread and the Biblical Marriage thread and tell me where I came up with some new teaching that it's God's will that we marry unbelievers.

Amanda's response:

Where have you written that it wasn't God's will? Obviously I have missed that one because we would be in agreement and there would be none of this back and forth.


Love and Race Thread Post 127, July 21

Amanda's Quote:
Originally Posted by Amanda S. View Post
Where have you written that it wasn't God's will? Obviously I have missed that one because we would be in agreement and there would be none of this back and forth.

My response:
You can read the Biblical marriage thread. And where have I ever written that it is God's will? The back and forth on this thread has always been about differing views of applying scripture verses correctly. No one, including myself, has ever said they believe it is in God's will that believers marry unbelievers. However, if it happens, willfully or ignorantly, God has made provision for it.