Marriage

And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become “one flesh.” This is a huge mystery, and I don’t pretend to understand it all. Ephesians 5:31–32B (MSG) 

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 

Genesis 1:27–28 (NIV) 

Life is short, and you love your wife, so enjoy being with her. This is what you are supposed to do as you struggle through life on this earth. Ecclesiastes 9:9 (CEV) 

And further, you will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything. 

 And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her. Ephesians 5:21–25 (NLT) 

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. And we are his body. . . .

So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 5:28–30, 31 (NLT) 

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33 (NIV) 

Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master. 

Colossians 3:18 (MSG) 

But at the beginning of creation God “made them male and female.” For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. Mark 10:6–9 (NIV) 

For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. Romans 7:2 (NIV) 

But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he's talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap.1 Timothy 3:2–7 (MSG) 

Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that is appropriate for someone serving the Lord. They must not go around speaking evil of others and must not be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to take care of their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. Titus 2:3–5 (NLT) 

A helpful wife is a jewel for her husband,

but a shameless wife will make his bones rot.

Proverbs 12:4 (CEV) 

A woman’s family

is held together by her wisdom,

but it can be destroyed by her foolishness. 

Proverbs 14:1 (CEV) 

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him all her life. 

 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant’s ship; she brings her food from afar. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. She goes out to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. 

 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She watches for bargains; her lights burn late into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. 

 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. 

 She has no fear of winter for her household because all of them have warm clothes. She quilts her own bedspreads. She dresses like royalty in gowns of finest cloth. 

 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. Proverbs 31:10–22, 25–27 (NLT) 

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.1 Peter 3:1–12 (NIV) 

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