CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
This study examines how Pauline Household code can be seen as interpretative example or model for practical theology on marriage and family life. Many problems affecting marriages today emanate from a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the roles of members within the family. Many are enduring instead of enjoying their marriage. As Ugwu (2014) puts it: “Soon after the consummation of marriage, couples are face to face with the realities of marriage. They are confronted with the challenges of blending two heterogeneous lives together and at the same time, fulfilling their marital vows and responsibilities of marriage: loving, caring and helping each other, coupled with bearing and rearing up children.” (p. xi) He further submits that most marriages hit the rocks within the first five years of consummation with couples estranged, separated or completely divorced while a number of couples who are not physically divorced could be living under one roof as husbands and wives in pretence (Ugwu,2014: xii).
Marriage was instituted by God when He said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him”. (Gen.2:18 RSV). The husband and wife come together in a profound, intimate and mysterious way that is unlike any other human relationship. Thus, marriage is not man’s invention, but is a gift of God to man with rules to obey. When God’s laws or rules concerning marriage are compromised, that is when marital problems arise.
Ugwu (2014) corroborated this by saying that:
The biggest problem facing the marriage institution today is the total ignorance and rejection of God and His original plans, precepts and purposes for the single man and single woman whom He created and joined together in marriage at the beginning in His infinite wisdom and mathematics of ‘two shall become one flesh.’ As a result, couples and even some religious organizations, have chosen their own methods and interpretations of marriage and marital issues. They have developed their own solutions to nuptial problems, with disgusting and heartbreaking consequences, marital frictions and failures, infidelity and polygamy, family feuds and court cases, separations and divorces, broken homes and abandoned children. (p. 3)
It is noteworthy that man needs to understand and acknowledge that God’s laws and commandments about marriage, its relationships and problems, supersede all governmental traditional and denominational laws and dogmas on the subject. Ugwu (2014) agreeing with this opines that “God’s laws about marriage also overrides the opinions of nationally and internationally acclaimed novelists, maga