Quote:
Originally Posted by n david
This is where Paul and Peter's writing about submitting to the authority and ordinances comes into play. If the law requires civil marriage, you should follow the law.
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Submission to HIGHER authority is required. Thus, if a court requires one thing, but a superior court requires something else, the ruling of the superior court is to be followed, not the lower court.
And the highest authority is God. Marriage was instituted by God prior to the existence of the state. Thus marriage is governed primarily by God's Law (Word), and only secondarily by the state as it fulfills its God-ordained responsibility of promoting good and punishing evil. And therefore the state's requirements must be facilitative, and not interfere with, God's design for and regulation of marriage.
So then, the state does not create a marriage, nor does the state dissolve a marriage, it can only confirm what God has ordained, and prohibit was God has prohibited. Anything beyond that is usurpation of authority, is an act of rebellion against God, and is to be rebuked by the church.
Compliance with secular edicts that go beyond Biblically defined mandates is often expedient, but must never interfere with obedience to God, and must not be seen as replacements of Biblical requirements.