I'm 42 years old... and my daughter is 23 years old... and it doesn't set well with me to find that some of the men on here that are interested in me... show on their profiles that they could also be interested in my "CHILDS" age... :excited:
Is there not a moral/ethitical appropriate age that a person should stand on... so their not crossing the child/adult lines... no matter how old we get? :angel:
Praise the LORD JESUS CHRIST and peace be unto you my dear sister. To answer your question:
The only standard the WORD of GOD gives "agewise" as it pertains to man marrying a woman is that the woman had to pass the flower (blossom) of her age. (I Cor 7:36)
If a woman who is of legal age to be married is given away to a man who is much older, there is no sin in that.
The WORD doesn't usually give the ages of the women who married men of GOD in the Bible, but we do know that a great number of them were still in their virginity.
For example, Isaac was 40 years old (Gen 25:20) when he married Rebekah who was still in her virginity.
Though there is much said concerning "20 years old and upward" in the Holy Scriptures, none of it pertains to a legal marriage age; and we are not at liberty to make it so (Prov 30:5-6).
Certainty people will not always agree with our choices. But man in his carnal wisdom and prejudices has alot that he disagrees with or disallow. Some disallow interracial marriage, some disallow divorced persons to remarry (regardless of the reason for the divorce), some disallow those in Leadership roles in the church to marry; Yet none of these are in keeping with the WORD of GOD.
CHRIST came to make us free from the bondages of men.
"Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men." (I Cor 7:23)
JESUS said, "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"
We can miss our blessings from GOD trying to be "People Pleasers."
Pro 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
I already know that I am a liar as much as anyone, but please show me wrong on whether or not twenty is the age of adulthood, for men as they are ready for war or rule.
Just to get back on track to the original question, just personally I feel that 10 years younger than myself to be the maximum age difference. That is just my personal choice. I do not want to feel that in my choice of spouse that I have to raise another child. Some men may disagree and that's fine.
A lot of times when a man chooses a spouse much younger than himself it is for purely selfish reasons ie; to boost his ego, or to prove his virility, etc.
It has also been shown that most times when one spouse feels they are raising the other they tend to lose all sexual/romantic desire for the other because they have then entered into a parent/child relationship. This can occur regardless of the actual age. The childlike spouse can be the older one in the relationship, just because one is of a certain age doesn't make them an adult. It has to do with maturity.
Phoenyx,
If you look at a model of the Jewish family from biblical times ( and is still in effect a lot today ), a Jewish male comes to the age of decision at age 13. From 13 to 30 he is considered to be under the age of parental guidance. He can make a lot of his own choices but still answers to his parents. He is not officially considered a full adult until the age of 30. Hence, the reason Jesus did not start his ministry until the age of 30.
dear phoe, im thinkin thats speakin of them bein old enuff to go to war.. givin them plenty of time to get strong enuff and to learn how to fight in battle.. and even though a marriage can be a battle sometimes hehe theyre not sayin a man cant marry younger than that..
plus im reminded of king david.. as to how old he was when he slayed goliath.. he was much younger than the proper age to fight then..
1 samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."
1 samuel 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking.
1 corinthians 7:36 But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry.
i take this past the flower of youth as if a woman is now able to bear children.. but anyways if shes past the flower of youth and would be so at the legal age today in america then she can marry and its not sin..
the bible really doesnt speak of age differences as being bad. just that the woman is past the flower of youth.. thats the only restriction i see..
I'm going to add here, since I feel strongly on the subject.
1Co 7:36 But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.
huperakmos
beyond the �acme�, that is, figuratively (of a daughter) past the bloom (prime) of youth: - + pass the flower of (her) age.
To be past one's prime.
First, what is one's prime? What what is it to be 'past' it?
Under Jewish law, they consider a girl to come into bloom at age 12 or13. If anyone can sit here and tell me that means ultimately that they may have marriage and sex, I'll tell you right now and without shame that you are a pervert. So go ahead and get mad at me. To others that feel that 12 and 13 are too young, but still hold that the Bible says nothing of age and believe that society would never let us allow such youths weddings and intercourse, when the day comes--and you can bet with the corruption the world is going through--where they do drop it down to those ages or PAST you will be the ones saying how wrong it is and yet have other Christians say that age is not in the Bible. Here are a few state laws with ages concerning sex. Also, the more 'okay' these things become, there is greater probability that they will be more permissable.
New Hampshire, 14 male or 13 female, parties need parental consent and permission of judge. I'm sure a lot of judges would be happy to let a 13-year old have sex, just have parent or child tell what a good judge he is when either can can vote or something, or bribe him maybe.
For Massachusetts, 14-year old males and 12-year old, may have either the parent's or the judge's consent. Took the parents out of the equation, unless they agree. Don't and we'll just go to the judge.
California has NO AGE LIMIT for a parent to give consent for a child to have sex.
In Mississippi, NO AGE LIMIT as long as they have EITHER the parents or the judge's consent.
Praise the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Peace be unto you all.
Concerning the ways of Society, Society can allow what it chooses. Christians serve CHRIST and not society, which allows abortion, homosexual relationships, swingers, witchcraft, drunkeness, adultery, and many other things that GOD'S WORD disallows.
JESUS said, "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless." Matt 12:7
Christians who live pure and holy sexually are not perverts for simply stating what the WORD of GOD says and not stating what it doesn't say.
Many youths are having much sex any way and their doing it the wrong way (fornication) at 12, 13 or even younger.
Because of our culture and what we are used to seeing, it would look strange to us for a 21 year old to marry a 13 years old with parental consent. And what is strange to many people, they condemn, because it's just not normal to them. But that our culture.
Personally, if I saw such a relationship, no matter how strange it may look, if I cannot find Biblical Proof against it, I will not condemn it. That's the stance I take with anything in life.
People say that drinking is a sin. Though I don't drink, I don't condemn those who do, because the WORD of GOD only condemns getting drunk. We are not greater than GOD. This is where the scribes and the Pharisees went wrong. Going around condemning what was not in Keeping with their own traditions.
"And he (JESUS) said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Mark 7:9
JESUS also said, "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." Mark 7:13
But to answer your question concerning age and ruling dear Phoenyx:
Jehoash was 7 years old when he began to reign in Jerusalem.
Azariah was 16 years old when he began to reign in Jerusalem.
Manasseh was 12 years old when he began to reign in Jeusalem.
Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign in Jeusalem.
Jehoiachin 18 years old when he began to reign in Jeusalem.
All found in II Kings. Peace and Love in CHRIST JESUS.
--Christians who live pure and holy sexually are not perverts for simply stating what the WORD of GOD says and not stating what it doesn't say.--
I did not say that those who live pure and holy sexually are perverts. I said, �Under Jewish law, they consider a girl to come into bloom at age 12 or13. If anyone can sit here and tell me that means ultimately that they may have marriage and sex, I'll tell you right now and without shame that you are a pervert�To others� and I�ll emphasis that, OTHERS �that feel that 12 and 13 are too young, but still hold that the Bible says nothing of age and believe that society would never let us allow such youths weddings and intercourse, when the day comes--and you can bet with the corruption the world is going through--where they do drop it down to those ages or PAST you will be the ones saying how wrong it is and yet have other Christians say that age is not in the Bible.�
--Because of our culture and what we are used to seeing, it would look strange to us for a 21 year old to marry a 13 years old with parental consent. And what is strange to many people, they condemn, because it's just not normal to them. But that our culture.�
loveandgrace, I grew up thinking nothing of twelve-year olds having sex. I became an Agnostic at that age so it not difficult for me to think it was acceptable. At nineteen however, upon actually reading the Bible, I am convinced by its wording that it says that adolescence is 13 to 20 and 20 to 30 as a young adult.
As far as drinking goes, it damages the body, the temple of the Lord. I�ll speak no more of that on this comment.
You are right about these ages, but let�s go into it more.
--Jehoash was 7 years old when he began to reign in Jerusalem.--
The de facto ruler was actually Jehoiada. 2 Kings 12:1
--Azariah was 16 years old when he began to reign in Jerusalem.--
http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p83.htm
--Manasseh was 12 years old when he began to reign in Jeusalem.--
http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p132.htm
Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign in Jeusalem.
The child could not actually rule as king at that young age having not even been bar-mitzvad at that young age. He was still under authority of adults so the elders guided his life under Jewish law at that time.
--Jehoiachin 18 years old when he began to reign in Jeusalem.�
This is the only one where I cannot say otherwise, but let me ask a quick question. Under what circumstances where these things done?
