I have a question bothering me and this issue is about tearing apart one of our congregations here in Nigeria. Please, is parental consent considered to be marriage; that is, the cohabitation of a man and a woman without the payment of a bride price or dowry? Since examples in the Bible state Christ attended a wedding feast in Galilea, Abraham sent gifts when he was looking for a wife for Isaac, and even God could have given Eve to Adam but He took Adam’s rib before giving Adam the woman. I think all these points toward a price being paid before a marriage is said to have taken place.<\/p>\n
Please this is an urgent reply as soon as you can and save the church of God.<\/p>\n\t
I’m sorry this issue is causing trouble among brethren. We must be gentle, longsuffering, and forbearing with each other (Ephesians 4:1-3). We also must not trouble the church with our opinions. A brother who does so is “divisive,” and must be rejected if he will not cease (Titus 3:9-11).<\/p>\n
Marriage is a covenant relationship (Malachi 2:14). Since God ordained this relationship (Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:3-6), He sets the requirements for the covenant. When a man and woman enter a marriage that God approves, He is both the witness of the covenant (Malachi 2:14) and the One who joins the two as one (Matthew 19:6). To enter this relationship with divine approval, a man and a woman must meet the divine requirements to enter the covenant (Matthew 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:2) and fulfill the legal requirements of the government where they live (Romans 13:1-5) They should also honor the customs of their people, as long as these customs are scriptural and legal (Romans 12:17).<\/p>\n
It is my understanding that the government of Nigeria has declared the requirement of a dowry for marriage illegal. Correct me if I am wrong. As you know, the custom of requiring a dowry has caused couples to delay their marriages for years and has been a stumbling block leading many young adults to commit fornication. The Lord warns us very strictly about causing others to fall into sin (Matthew 18:6-7). I would plead with Nigerian parents not to be stumbling blocks to their daughters and future sons-in-law (and, if I am correct, not to violate Nigerian civil law) by requiring a dowry for the marriage of their daughters.<\/p>\n
If I have erred in any of the facts, please correct me.<\/p>\n
by Keith Sharp<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: I have a question bothering me and this issue is about tearing apart one of our congregations here in Nigeria. Please, is parental consent considered to be marriage; that is, the cohabitation of a man and a woman without the payment of a bride price or dowry? Since examples in the Bible state Christ…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[1454,1453,64],"class_list":["post-58934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-dowry","tag-lobola","tag-marriage"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47773,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-i-get-married-without-a-bride-price-being-paid\/","url_meta":{"origin":58934,"position":0},"title":"Should I get married without a bride price being paid?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, my brother, I am told your bride price must be paid before marriage and you can get married before your bride price is paid. My question is I want to get married and be clean before God because I have children with my fianc\u00e9 and we are not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":32283,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/was-a-woman-forced-to-marry-her-rapist\/","url_meta":{"origin":58934,"position":1},"title":"Was a woman forced to marry her rapist?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 25, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: So in Deuteronomy 22:28-29, it says \"If a man finds a girl, a virgin not engaged, and lays hold on her, and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24360,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-want-to-get-married-but-i-have-no-money-can-you-help-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":58934,"position":2},"title":"I want to get married, but I have no money. Can you help me?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 27, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Thank you for the advice you gave in response to questions people have asked about\u00a0how to avoid sexual immorality. According to one of your statements, you advise people to marry in order to avoid such sin. The issue is that I've reached the age to marry, but I have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16843,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-two-people-commit-fornication-should-they-be-forced-to-marry\/","url_meta":{"origin":58934,"position":3},"title":"If two people commit fornication, should they be forced to marry?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 13, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was wondering if we today should apply this law in the Old Testament. \"And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46257,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-paying-lobola-equivalent-to-marriage\/","url_meta":{"origin":58934,"position":4},"title":"Is paying lobola equivalent to marriage?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Greetings, I would like to know if lobola (bride price) is equivalent to marriage with regards to sexual relations.\u00a0 I have recently paid lobola (bride price) \u00a0but not the full amount, I am saving money and will pay the full price next and then get married.\u00a0 My curiosity is:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":44548,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-a-shotgun-wedding-or-a-wedding-involving-a-lie-valid\/","url_meta":{"origin":58934,"position":5},"title":"Is a shotgun wedding or a wedding involving a lie valid?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: God bless brother. I have questions about marriage. If someone lies in order to get married does God acknowledges that marriage? A young man married a woman after three weeks of knowing each other. He has a severe ambivalent attachment disorder. 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