OpenTheo

Q&A#27 What Does it Mean to Call Marriage a Natural Institution?

Alastair Roberts

Q&A#27 What Does it Mean to Call Marriage a Natural Institution?

August 5, 2018
Alastair Roberts
Alastair Roberts

Today's question: "If marriage is a pre-political institution then none of the measures laid down by the state (e.g. registration, marriage certificates etc.) make a marriage legitimate in God's eyes. In which case, what does constitute a legitimate marriage in God's eyes? One answer I've been given, based on Genesis 1-2, is something along the lines of: a man and a woman who make promises to each other before God and some witnesses. What are you thoughts on this, and which passage(s) would you use to make your case?"

If you have any questions, you can leave them on my Curious Cat account: https://curiouscat.me/zugzwanged.

If you have enjoyed these videos, please tell your friends and consider supporting me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zugzwanged.

My new Soundcloud account is here: https://soundcloud.com/alastairadversaria. You can also listen to the audio of these episodes on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/alastairs-adversaria/id1416351035?mt=2.

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditCopy Link

Transcript

More From Alastair Roberts

Q&A#28 What Are the Benefits and Dangers of Bible Software?
Q&A#28 What Are the Benefits and Dangers of Bible Software?
Alastair Roberts
August 6, 2018
Today's question: "Do you use any Bible software (e.g., Logos) to support your studies? Do you have any thoughts on how they might help or hinder our
Q&A#29 How Can Peter Describe False Teachers as Having Been 'Bought' By Christ?
Q&A#29 How Can Peter Describe False Teachers as Having Been 'Bought' By Christ?
Alastair Roberts
August 7, 2018
Today's question: "Why does Peter say that the Lord "bought" false teachers in 2 Peter 2:1? How can Christ be said to have "purchased" or "bought" tho
Q&A#30 Is the Widow with the Two Mites a Positive Example of Sacrificial Giving
Q&A#30 Is the Widow with the Two Mites a Positive Example of Sacrificial Giving
Alastair Roberts
August 8, 2018
Today's question: "The story of the widow and her two mites (Luke 21:1-4) is often used to commend sacrificial giving. However, the immediate context
Q&A#26 Does New Creation Undermine Natural Law?
Q&A#26 Does New Creation Undermine Natural Law?
Alastair Roberts
August 4, 2018
Today's question: "What implications does the promise of new creation have for Christian ethics? Specifically does new creation undermine natural law
Q&A#25 Are We Living in the Last Days?
Q&A#25 Are We Living in the Last Days?
Alastair Roberts
August 3, 2018
Today's question: "How should we understand the description of bad behavior in the "Last Days" in 2 Timothy 3? For one, isn't the list of sinfulness c
Q&A#24 How Should We Understand the People Who Fall Away in Hebrews 6?
Q&A#24 How Should We Understand the People Who Fall Away in Hebrews 6?
Alastair Roberts
August 2, 2018
Today's question: "How do we properly understand what Hebrews 6 refers to as those who "fall away" and the impossibility of their redemption?" If you
More From "Alastair Roberts"

More on OpenTheo

Why Should We Pray If God Already Knows What’s Going to Happen?
Why Should We Pray If God Already Knows What’s Going to Happen?
#STRask
January 29, 2026
Questions about why we should pray if God already knows what’s going to happen, how the effectiveness of prayer is measured, and whether or not things
What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives if He Doesn’t Give Us Instructions?
What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives if He Doesn’t Give Us Instructions?
#STRask
February 23, 2026
Questions about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, advice for someone who believes in God intellectually but struggles to understand how to hav
What Are Some Good Ways to Start a Conversation About God with Family Members?
What Are Some Good Ways to Start a Conversation About God with Family Members?
#STRask
October 30, 2025
Questions about how to start a conversation about God with non-Christian family members, how to keep from becoming emotional when discussing faith iss
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 2
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 2
Risen Jesus
March 18, 2026
Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John write the gospels that bear their names? The texts themselves do not name them as the authors and were published and
How Should I Respond to an LGBTQ Person Who Says He Feels Good About Who He Is?
How Should I Respond to an LGBTQ Person Who Says He Feels Good About Who He Is?
#STRask
March 2, 2026
Questions about responding to an LGBTQ person who says he feels good about who he is, and whether—since we all have sin in our life we don’t consider
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
#STRask
January 12, 2026
Questions about how to answer the challenge that God doesn’t need a “pound of flesh” to forgive sins but can simply forgive, and whether the claim in
Is It a Sin to Feel Let Down by God?
Is It a Sin to Feel Let Down by God?
#STRask
November 6, 2025
Questions about whether it’s a sin to feel let down by God and whether it would be easier to have a personal relationship with a rock than with a God
Keri Ingraham: School Choice and Education Reform
Keri Ingraham: School Choice and Education Reform
Knight & Rose Show
January 24, 2026
Wintery Knight and guest host Bonnie welcome Dr. Keri Ingraham to discuss school choice and education reform. They discuss the public school monopoly'
Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
#STRask
January 26, 2026
Questions about why we should think Jesus is not a created being, and what it means to say God became fully human if part of being human means not bei
Lora Ries: Border Security and Immigration Policy
Lora Ries: Border Security and Immigration Policy
Knight & Rose Show
December 7, 2025
Wintery Knight and Desert Rose welcome Lora Ries to discuss border security and immigration policy. They explore Biden's policy changes, like ending R
Why Is It Necessary to Believe Jesus Is God?
Why Is It Necessary to Believe Jesus Is God?
#STRask
February 19, 2026
Questions about why it’s necessary to believe Jesus is God, whether belief in the Trinity is required for salvation, and why one has to believe in the
Why Is There No Effort Towards a Neutral Interpretation of Scripture?
Why Is There No Effort Towards a Neutral Interpretation of Scripture?
#STRask
March 9, 2026
Questions about why there is no effort towards a neutral interpretation of Scripture that doesn’t take denominational preferences into account, and ho
How Would You Convince Someone That Evil Exists?
How Would You Convince Someone That Evil Exists?
#STRask
November 17, 2025
Questions about how to convince someone that evil exists, whether Charlie Kirk’s murder was part of God’s plan, whether that would mean the murderer d
Isn’t the Covenant in Scripture Explicitly with Israel and Not the Gentile Nations?
Isn’t the Covenant in Scripture Explicitly with Israel and Not the Gentile Nations?
#STRask
March 12, 2026
Questions about what gives modern Christians confidence that they’ve inherited the Jews’ covenant with God if Scripture explicitly says it was with Is
Does God Hear the Prayers of Non-Believers?
Does God Hear the Prayers of Non-Believers?
#STRask
February 26, 2026
Questions about whether or not God hears and answers the prayers of non-believers, and thoughts about a church sign that reads (as if from God), “Just