In many African and other cultural contexts, traditional marriage ceremonies are regarded as essential social and familial obligations. While some critics dismiss these practices as purely cultural, a closer examination reveals that many aspects of traditional marriage align closely with biblical principles. Scripture consistently presents marriage as a covenant ordained by God, a sacred and binding union between a man and a woman that reflects commitment, fidelity, and divine purpose (Genesis 2:24).
Traditional marriages formalize this covenant through mutual promises, symbolic exchanges, and bride price arrangements, giving tangible expression to the couple’s commitment while securing recognition and support from families and the broader community. When properly conducted, traditional marriages fulfill all biblical principles: covenant fidelity, communal validation, parental guidance, public acknowledgment, prayers and blessings, and moral responsibility.
In essence, traditional marriage is the rooted tree of covenant, drawing nourishment from family, community, and God’s blessing, rather than the ceremonial adornments of a church altar.
Central to traditional marriage is the role of family and community in validating the union. The story of Ruth and Boaz exemplifies the importance of public acknowledgment: the elders and people of Bethlehem witnessed and blessed the union before God, thus legitimizing the marriage in both social and spiritual terms (Ruth 4:7–11).
Similarly, traditional marriages involve parents, elders, and community leaders in offering guidance, prayers, and blessings. These acts ensure that the marriage is socially accountable, morally sound, and spiritually supported. Biblical passages such as Malachi 2:14–16 emphasize covenantal faithfulness and warn against treachery, while Proverbs 31:10–12 highlights the importance of a faithful and responsible spouse.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 underscores mutual support and partnership in marriage. The family and community act as the anchors of the vessel, ensuring the couple’s union does not drift into the turbulent seas of uncertainty.
Traditional practices also embody moral and spiritual principles central to biblical teaching. Blessings, prayers, and symbolic acts of care, respect, and responsibility toward the bride reflect God’s concern for the welfare of both partners. Such gestures resonate with the biblical mandate for husbands to love, honor, and provide for their wives (Ephesians 5:22–33), highlighting the covenantal responsibilities inherent in marriage. By emphasizing mutual obligation, protection, and fidelity, traditional marriages enact values that Scripture upholds, demonstrating that the essence of marriage is not defined by ritual grandeur or ceremonial location, but by the integrity and faithfulness of the union itself.
Passages such as 1 Corinthians 7:39 and Colossians 3:18–19 further illustrate that faithfulness, respect, and obedience to God are the defining marks of a marriage, not the performance of a liturgical ceremony. Psalm 127:1 reinforces that God’s blessing is central to the prosperity and success of households. Marriage in this sense is a candle lit by covenant and communal witness, whose flame is sustained by fidelity, blessing, and moral responsibility rather than by gilded church rituals alone.
A critical point often overlooked is that nowhere in Scripture is there an instruction requiring families to return to a temple, synagogue, or church for a subsequent blessing after performing marriage rites at the family and communal level. The biblical model demonstrates that public acknowledgment, family endorsement, and divine blessing occur at the initial performance of the marriage covenant.
Ruth 4 provides a clear example: Boaz and Ruth’s marriage was completed, legitimized, and blessed in the same setting where the covenantal transaction was enacted, with no subsequent religious ceremony required. Once the seed of the covenant is planted and nourished by blessings and acknowledgment, it does not require transplanting to a church altar to bear fruit.
It is important to recognize, however, that while there is nothing in Scripture that defines a separate “Christian marriage”, those who choose to marry within a church are expected to adhere to the rules, regulations, and doctrinal framework of their denomination. This expectation is ecclesiastical and pastoral, designed to guide, bless, and structure the marriage within the life of the faith community. It is not a commentary on the biblical validity of traditional marriages; rather, it reflects the commitment of believers to uphold the teachings and practices of their church. Church weddings are an expression of obedience to ecclesiastical authority and communal expectations, not a requirement to make the union “Christian” in the eyes of God.
Moreover, in practice, no church is authorized to conduct a legally valid marriage without being licensed by the government. This fact further challenges the claim that church marriages are inherently “Christian.” If the sanctity or validity of a marriage depended solely on ecclesiastical authority, there would be no need for government licensing to make the union legally recognized.
The requirement of state authorization demonstrates that church weddings function primarily as administrative and legal ceremonies, in addition to spiritual observances, rather than as a biblically mandated form of marriage.
Traditional marriages, properly conducted with covenantal intent and communal acknowledgment, already fulfill the biblical requirements of marriage without dependence on either church liturgy or government sanction. Church rituals are decorative scaffolding around a covenant that is already firm and rooted in community and God’s blessing.
Historically, the idea of “Christian marriage” emerged as part of church efforts to regulate and formalize unions within a liturgical framework, particularly during colonial and European missionary influence. These practices were designed to ensure that marriages conformed to ecclesiastical oversight and doctrinal teaching, but they did not originate as a biblical mandate. During this period, European norms were imposed to conflate legal recognition, liturgical form, and spiritual approval, reinforcing the perception that a church wedding was the only “Christian” option.
Traditional marriages, when conducted with covenantal commitment, communal recognition, and prayers invoking God’s blessing, already fulfill the biblical principles of covenant, public acknowledgment, and godly responsibility. In this sense, traditional marriage is the foundation stone upon which cultural and spiritual recognition rests, requiring no additional liturgical cement.
Contemporary considerations such as stewardship, order, and financial prudence further reinforce the relevance of traditional practices. Scripture emphasizes that all things should be done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40) and encourages moderation and trust in God (Philippians 4:5). Overspending or creating financial burdens for church ceremonies may contravene these biblical principles, whereas traditional marriages often occur within socially and financially manageable frameworks, respecting both familial and spiritual obligations. Stewardship in marriage is therefore not about ceremony, but about careful tending of the covenantal garden planted by faith, blessing, and commitment.
Given these considerations, it becomes evident that what many today call “Christian marriage” is largely a construct of church doctrine and liturgical tradition rather than a biblically mandated form of union. Church weddings provide a meaningful framework for blessing, guidance, and public acknowledgment, yet they do not render a marriage inherently more biblical than a traditional union that faithfully embodies God’s principles.
Ultimately, Scripture affirms that the essence of marriage lies not in ritual, venue, or denominational form, but in faithfulness, covenantal integrity, and alignment with God’s divine design.
Recognizing the alignment of traditional practices with God’s principles allows believers to honor both cultural heritage and divine intention, affirming that marriage is at its core a sacred covenant validated by commitment, community, and the blessing of God. Societal perceptions that elevate church weddings over traditional marriages are cultural interpretations rather than biblical truths; Scripture emphasizes covenant fidelity, blessing, and communal recognition, all of which can be fully realized within traditional marriage frameworks.
Let us reclaim a biblical understanding of marriage. Couples should be encouraged to value covenant, commitment, and blessing above ritual form, ensuring that marriages are rooted in Scripture, nurtured by community, and aligned with God’s design.
Churches and societies alike should shift focus from the grandeur of ceremony to the substance of covenant, celebrating marriages that faithfully honor God, culture, and family without unnecessary burdens or misconceptions. By doing so, believers can foster marriages that are truly God-honoring, spiritually grounded, and culturally authentic, a union that is a living testimony of covenant, blessing, and faithfulness.