These theses were written by Pastor Warren Graff (retired, in New Mexico), in response to recent Twitter conversations about race and marriage. Like all theses, they are intended for reflection and debate. Please feel free to comment, argue, etc., in the comments below.
-PrBW
When we discern, teach, and extol the Estate of Marriage, we do so from the clear words of our Lord in his institution of this gift for the man and the woman, even before we brought sin into the world and into our own flesh (Genesis 2:24-25; Matthew 19:4-6).
Anathema are any who would teach that marriage is invented, designed, or changeable by man.
When our Lord institutes the marriage of man and woman (“one-flesh”), he gives us the distinction of the male and female which are to be joined together in oneness. He gives no distinction of height, weight, hair-color, skin-color, or any other manmade distinction by which he promises or prohibits his joining together of male and female. (Matthew 19:4-6; Genesis 2:24-25).
Anathema are any who would teach manmade classifications, using later distinctions of modernity or dialectic materialism, such as race (a distinction unknown in Scripture or in our Lord’s word instituting marriage), with regard to our Lord’s joining together of male and female. (Isaiah 29:13)
When our Lord, in the words given us by the Prophets and the Apostles, instituted marriage for the human race [singular], distinctions of race(s) [plural] had not yet been invented by men (that was to come some 1,700 years AD), and any idea of a plurality of races by which to divide the human race was unknown and not given by the Lord.
Anathema are any who would teach mankind as divided in the created order, teaching, then, as doctrine the ideas or commandments of men. (Isaiah29:13; Matthew 15:9).
When our Lord institutes marriage and then teaches marriage to his disciples, he is jealous of his prerogative, clearly promising that marriage is a joining together of male and female which is instituted and worked by God, not by man (Matthew 19:6).
Anathema are any who would teach that man, in his wisdom, has any office in determining what marriage is over against the clear words of our Lord.
When our Lord institutes marriage, he gives the one-fleshness of the man and woman (the male and female) as preeminent, even over against clinging to the kinship of families, holding their family kinship against the marriage, but giving the man to “leave his father and mother and cling to his wife.” (Genesis 2:24)
Anathema are any who would teach that obedience to father and mother (Commandment 4) is to rule over the marriage of man and woman, as if the man is only to cling to his wife through his father and mother.
When our Lord institutes marriage, he gives all of people to support, extol, and encourage not only marriage as an institution, but also marriage in the particular. So that when we see a husband and wife, we support and encourage them in their particular marriage, making sure we teach or speak nothing which would bring them any doubt or division (Matthew 19:6b).
Anathema are any who would teach doctrines or words which could bring division to any husband and wife, regardless of race or any other manmade distinction.
I interview Pr. Graff on these theses here:
