text: Borrowed Light: Marriage Defined
  Tom 1st June 24, 2012 at 2:04 PM
  I hear from some trustworthy sources that Tim Keller's new book on Marriage is really fantastic.
  Of all my reformed, complementarian brothers, I like Keller the most. I'm sure the rumors I hear are true to reality.
  Mike Leake June 24, 2012 at 2:37 PM
  Brian Osisek June 25, 2012 at 8:50 AM
  Thanks Mike for breaking down that great definition on marriage---I have a wedding coming up in August and I'm going to borrow some of that definition.
  Mike Leake June 25, 2012 at 1:13 PM
  Mike Leake June 25, 2012 at 1:15 PM
  Wait. I just realized that it's not YOUR wedding but a wedding you are officiating. LOL. I still pray that the Lord blesses your marriage---but now I also pray that He blesses the marriage you will be officiating.
  Luke Simmons June 26, 2012 at 9:29 AM
  Mike Leake June 26, 2012 at 9:38 AM
  Luke Simmons June 26, 2012 at 9:46 AM
  Thanks, Mike. I think I agree with you that this is the ultimate intention of marriage, whether a person realizes it or not. I have found, though, that some Christians wrongly assume that marriage is a Christian institution when, in fact, it is a human institution. I very much like this definition for a marriage conference through the church. I'd probably want a more general definition for interacting in other domains of society.
  Mike Leake June 26, 2012 at 9:51 AM
  I'm taking my cues from Mark 10. Jesus puts marriage before the Law of Moses and even before the Fall. He puts it at the very first union of two people. And says, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate". That is where I get that marriage (Christian or non) is created by God. I'm not sure that if I were leading some sort of marriage conference for unbelievers that I would do anything to change the definition.
  Sandy Grant June 26, 2012 at 7:06 PM
  I just wonder whether the procreation of children should be explicit in your definition. I realise children do not issue from every single marriage, but the shape of marriage is inherently oriented around child-bearing. I think we see this in Genesis 1:27-28, which Jesus' words in the Gospels link to Gen 2:24. One might also think of Malachi 2:14 and the godly offspring God is seeking from the one flesh relationship created from the two.
  Mike Leake June 26, 2012 at 7:29 PM
  David Murray suggested that same thing. It's in my definition and spelled out in the conference but it may be good to make it more explicit, I agree.
  Diana J. June 26, 2012 at 8:24 PM
  Here's an interesting blog post on the subject of marriage with respect to the ongoing debate on the definition of marriage: