WCF 24.2

Westminster Confession of Faith

24.2. Of Marriage and Divorce

Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the Church with an holy seed; and for preventing of uncleanness.

Proof texts

Gen. 2:18 — [18] Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
Mal. 2:15 — [15] Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.
1 Cor. 7:2, 9 — [2] But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. [9] But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

For discussion

The Assembly cited Gen. 2:18 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
3 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
WSC Q70 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
WSC Q71 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q70 · WSC Q71 · WLC Q137 · WLC Q138 · WLC Q139 · BC 9.1 · BC 9.2 · 1689 25.1 · 1689 25.2 · 1689 25.3 · 1689 25.4 · SC60 8.1 · IAR 6.12 · SHC 10.1 · SHC 10.2 · SD 25.1 · SD 25.2 · SD 25.3 · SD 25.4

Leader's notes

A Commentary on the Confession of Faith (A.A. Hodge): These Sections teach the divine law of marriage as to incest and as to divorce. 1st. Incest consists of sexual intercourse between parties forbidden by the divine law to marry, because of their relationship. Marriage between these parties is impossible; and no matter what may be the provisions of human laws or the decisions of human courts, such pretended marriages are void ab initio — invalid in essence as well as improper and injurious. Since the degrees of relationship within which marriage is excluded differ in nearness, so the crime of incest differs, according to these varying degrees, from the highest to the least measure of criminality. The obligation to avoid intermarriage between near blood-relations is a dictate of nature…

An Exposition of the Confession of Faith (Robert Shaw): Marriage is an ordinance of God, designed for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the honourable propagation of the human race, and for other important purposes connected with the comfort and improvement of the species. It jyas instituted before the entrance of sin, and must, therefore, be a holy ordinance, and no hindrance to men in the service of God. The Lord saw that "it was not good for Adam," even in Paradise, " to be alone," and that " there was no help meet for him" to be found among all the other creatures. He was therefore pleased to form the woman from his side, as " bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh," and…