Doesn’t the Lord require Christians to marry Christians?
Question:
You said in "What does a woman do when the Christian men around seem more interested in non-Christian women?"
"While being married to a non-Christian often makes it more difficult for a Christian woman to remain faithful, there is no requirement that Christians -- male or female -- must only marry a Christian."
But what about I Corinthians 6:15-20; I Corinthians 7:39; and II Corinthians 6:14-18? I could find much more reasoning, but that is a start.
But really, I am surprised to see this statement considering you taught the contrary in Growing Up in the Lord: A Study for Teenage Boys:
"Can you understand now why God forbade the Israelites to marry non-Jewish people (Nehemiah 13:23-27)? Those marriages led more Israelites away from God than any other factor we can find in the Old Testament. For a similar reason, God told the Corinthian widows, in I Corinthians 7:39, to only marry another Christian. If it makes sense the second time around, doesn't it make good advice the first time? Don't become unequally yoked to a nonbeliever (II Corinthians 6:14-18)."
Answer:
While being married to a non-Christian often makes it more difficult for a Christian woman to remain faithful, there is no requirement that Christians -- male or female -- must only marry a Christian. There are several passages that deal with a Christian married to a non-Christian (I Corinthians 7:12-16; I Peter 3:1-2).
Nor is there a requirement that a woman must wait for a man to take notice of her first. An example would be Ruth who first attracted the attention of Boaz before he decided that he wanted to marry her.
There is no set age for when Christians may marry once they have left home. There is an increase in risky pregnancies start when a woman is over 40. But 28 is not considered early in most cultures. The average age in American culture is about 27 right now, but it has only recently risen to that age. For centuries it was about 21.
