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It is “his” house.
It is “our” home.
This is the post which gave me the signal I needed to take a break from social media. Oh my word, the point of this post was lost on so many due to their own focus on selfishness and greed.
Before I even get started, if your knee-jerk reaction to reading this goes something like this: “But, the Bible says we are one flesh! This means he doesn’t own anything; it is all shared,” then please read my blog post on this in its entirety BEFORE commenting something ridiculous on my post.
Three points
Usually my posts have meanings which may not be obvious from just the post itself. This is to get people’s attention, make them think, get them to read the caption/blog, and perhaps engage further. Many of my posts have definitely gotten people’s attention, I’ve realized some people lack the ability to think, and the biggest problem is many people are engaging without reading any further or using critical thinking skills.
So, for further reading and critical thinking on this post, I have 3 points.
First Point- Women do amazing things
Traditionally, men financially provide, and women domestically provide. Therefore, men would purchase and/or build the house (the building) and women would turn it into a home (so much more than just a building). This seems to be a fairly positive statement toward women and their ability to do something so amazing. Yet, the number of Christian feminists who crawled out of the back door of social media to scream about this was rather telling of the state of mind of women today.
I don’t think most of these women made it past the first sentence of the post: “It is his house.” That sentence angered them so much they couldn’t even read further.
Second Point- Using an Analogy
As the Bible so often does, this was also as a comparison between marriage and the relationship between Christ and The Church. A house is just a building until it is turned into a home (which is much more important). All throughout the world we worship in many different ways as Christians. Sometimes we sing, sometimes we play instruments, and sometimes we don’t believe in doing either. Sometimes we have our worship in a building we call a church, sometimes we worship in someone’s yard, in a living room, in a tent, or at a park. Sometimes we flail around speaking in tongues, and sometimes we hit our knees in silent prayer. We can call all of this “church,” but none of it individually is “THE CHURCH.” The Bible references this regularly. We have reduced the word “church” to mean something where we individually go to worship, but the Bible references “The Church.” The Church is so much more. It is all of us as a body of believers worshiping in whatever way we worship as a collaborative whole with Christ. It is so much more important than our measly little building and the small amount of worship or service which we do there.
This post was meant in the same way.
Home > house
The Church > a church
Husband & Wife = one flesh, never to be separated
Christ & The Church = one whole, never to be separated
Third Point- It takes 3 to make a home: God, husband, & wife
My work was necessary to make my husband’s house a home, but it took 3 of us to have a home. God had to be present, my husband had to work to purchase the house, and I had to work to make it a home. Therefore, it is our home! Before we got married, it was just his house… and I still see it that way. People need to quit being so selfish and focusing on theirs and what they own. We own nothing. It all belongs to God. Without Him we would have nothing, and we would be nothing. My husband and I do not see anything as his or as mine… it is ours temporarily. But, it ALL belongs to God permanently. We are blessed to be the caretakers of such things while we inhabit this earth. These possessions are not our focus, and it is hard for me to wrap my mind around how some people are so focused on these things. My husband and I see our marriage as lifelong and we see ourselves as being one flesh. So, whether it is legally his or mine, it doesn’t matter. We answer to a higher power. There is no reason to argue or specify who owns what because neither one of us do. We are caretakers of it while we are living, and we will be sharing in that duty until one of us passes away. We do not entertain the thought of being apart and splitting anything in any way… ever. So, the materialistic/ownership/legal argument is VOID.
“One Flesh” Argument
I kept getting references to the “one flesh” verses and how these verses prove my post was wrong. These comments included such verses as Ephesians 5:31 & Genesis 2:24. These verses have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with earthly possessions, and any Christian implying that they do should be ashamed of themselves for trying to make Christianity materialistic in any way. The Bible makes it clear earthly possessions should be of no importance to a Christian and it is shameful to imply they are. To reference just a very few Bible verses about earthly possessions: Matthew 6:19-21, Matthew 6:24, Colossians 3:1-4, 1Timothy 6:10, Luke 8:14.
My points are valid
So, I will hold firmly to my points of this post. I will hold my points are still valid, and I will not allow the Bible to be twisted in such a way. I do not expect anyone to agree blindly by my words alone. I have explained my side and I have followed with a section to help with understanding. These are not my words, but the words from The Bible. They are A LOT more important than my words.
Bible Verses/Study
The following is a breakdown of some of the “one flesh” verses with meanings and cross referencing of other verses which show how these verses have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with any sort of earthly possessions. I hope it encourages those who do not understand to start making an attempt and those who do understand to be encouraged to stay the good path!
Verse clarifications
Genesis 2:24 (NKJV): Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Application/Meaning- This main verse is speaking about a man making his wife his top priority over any other person. Prior to marriage, the parents held the top honor. This is making clear the wife needs to come before even his parents. It is also specifying that this is a relationship which will be exclusively sexually solidified and will be a permanent lifelong relationship in which the husband does everything within his power to keep anyone from interfering, disrupting, or destroying the relationship. Please reference this to Mark 10:7-9, LET NO MAN SEPARATE. There is NO reason to concern ourselves with possessions when we will be together as long as we both live. This verse when considered in context shows we are not speaking of possessions but of a lifelong sexual relationship which is exclusive and protected from any interference from outside parties.
Mark 10:7–9 (ESV): 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Application/Meaning- The original verses which speak of one flesh are Genesis 2:21-24 and literally comes from when God took a part of Adam to make Eve. When Adam woke up, Adam and Eve were put back together again in the form of one flesh. There is a lot of symbolism here. One flesh means NOT to be able to become two. “Two” such as in the case of divorce. Divorce doesn’t separate 2 people; these 2 people are now 1 through marriage. Divorce actually rips a single person into 2 incomplete, broken, and torn partial people. This is the point of this passage and explains why so many people are lost and broken after divorce. This verse has nothing to do with any money or property.
Ephesians 5:31–32 (NKJV): 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Application/Meaning- Paul is speaking about Christ and The Church and is comparing it to marriage. He is connecting the ideas that we are all a part of the body of Christ and are equal heirs of the Kingdom. Once again, it has nothing to do with earthly possessions. It has more to do with The Church being part of the body of Christ than anything to do with marriage here. He is just using it as a comparison for comprehension and clarity (an analogy).
1 Corinthians 6:16 (ESV): Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.”
Application/Meaning-This was Paul explaining to the Christians in Corinth that our bodies are members of the body of Christ and should not be part of sexually immoral acts.
If for any reason, these passages speaking of “one flesh” meant that possessions were a focus then this passage would take on a whole new meaning. If we were speaking of possessions, then once one has been joined to a prostitute (or anyone else) then all possessions would be shared. I think we can safely assume that is not the point here. Although, that might reduce the amount of sexual promiscuity we see!
Hebrews 13:4–5 (NIV): 4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
Application/Meaning- Once again, this is speaking of sexual immorality here and keeping the marriage bed pure. Interestingly, this is followed by speaking of keeping our lives free from the love of money AND being content with what we have which is linking two very specific thoughts. If we are content with what we have… then 1. We will not argue or be selfish over earthly possessions/money 2. There will be no sexual immorality within our marriage because we will not be tempted to look outside our marriage for pleasure.
The last part reminds us we have everything we need in God as He will always be our rock.
This is VERY SPECIFIC to being of one flesh, letting no man separate, and shows we are not speaking of money or possessions. Rather specifically, it cites NOT to be focused on such things. This passage links and clarifies several of the other passages.
*bibleref.com was used as a reference for some of this section
Peace
I hope this clarifies my points of the post. I also hope it relieves someone of their irrational focus on possessions so they can relax in their position as a wife. It is so much more peaceful here.
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