Two Shall be One

“Two shall be One” is what God says about marriage in the Bible. The smallest team, yet the strongest team could be a husband and a wife-team when they are united. Again this team can be united in either constructive or destructive jobs! The Bible tells about different types of husband-wife-teams who were involved in either of these! I would high light on a few constructively united couples.

Tasting God Together

There was Andronicus and Junias who has been certified as an outstanding couple among the missionaries in the early church (Romans 17:6). Historical reconstruction of this couple suggests that they are the same couple as was mentioned by Luke with a different set of names in Luke 8:3. Luke calls them as Joanna and her husband Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household. He mentions them as supporters of the ministry of Jesus out of their means. As was usual with Jews living at that time, Cuza had an alternate Greek name, Andronicus. Joanna had a Latin name, Junias. They had accepted Jesus as their Lord even before Paul, the well-known missionary did. They were relatives of him too. They were in prison with Paul for the cause of Jesus Christ. A couple who have tasted their salvation experience in Jesus would for sure reciprocate their love to God by serving him together!

God wants families to realise the need of His goodness. The Bible tells: “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). A jailer in the city of Philippi once asked Paul, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” More than the individual’s joy of salvation, God’s expectation to that jailer was: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31). Blessed are couples who have tasted the joy of the Lord in their lives. They will not mind serving the Lord together after tasting the goodness of Him!

Tied with God Together

Luke 10:1 has a mention of the seventy-two disciples of Jesus sent two by two. The two’s team could have very well included husband-wife-teams such as Clopas and Mary. The Mary about whom we read about in John 19:25 is the wife of Clopas. It is said that Clopas was the brother of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Some biblical scholars believe that this Clopas was the same one mentioned as Cleopas in Luke 24:18. The other unnamed disciple in that passage could be his wife Mary! The resurrected Jesus led Clopas and Mary to a deeper spiritual experience as they were walking on the road to Emmaus.  Jesus went to their house thereafter and had dinner with them!

Ecclesiastes 4:12 says that, “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” The analogy of the unity of three cords can be well applied to a husband and wife who have God as the head of the home they make! Couples need to give space to God in their daily schedule! Reading and meditating the Word of God together and praying together and going to church together, obeying the word of God are some means whereby a couple tie themselves to God!  This would help a couple to have deeper spiritual experiences and lead them to grow spiritually! They will serve the Lord united, as His representatives!

Serving God Together

There was another couple named Aquila and Priscilla in the early church who are my all-time favourite! They have been mentioned six times in the Bible with their names glued to each other always!  Aquila’s names precedes thrice (Acts 18:2, 26, 1 Corinthians 16:19) and Priscilla’s thrice! (Acts 18:18, Romans 16:3, 2 Timothy 4:19) They jointly had theological training from Paul while they were doing their tent-making business in a joint venture with him. They were well-versed in interpreting scriptures to the extent that they were able to teach Apollos, a learned man of that time. A Scriptural search about this couple shows that they had shifted their dwelling places frequently. They started their lives in Rome and then moved to Corinth and then to Ephesus and then to Rome and Ephesus again. It looks like this couple did not have a child too.  But this couple used the seemingly adverse situations to the glory of God. They opened their houses as “house churches” in the cities of their dwelling! (1 Corinthians 16:19, Romans 16:4-6). Paul appreciates them as fellow workers in the spread of the good news about Jesus Christ. He says that they had risked their lives for Paul. They served the gentile churches all over in that period (Romans 16:3-4). A couple who have tasted the love of God, tied themselves with Him would represent that God wherever they are, although their lives!

Joshua who served the Lord when he was a young lad could say this at the end of his life. “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."(Joshua 24:15).  It is a joy to serve the Lord all through our life span. There is no retirement for families who are in the service of God! No amount of adversity can stop a family from serving Him! Because the husband and the wife are in flesh and spirit the possession of God! It is God who bonds the Two as One!  (Malachi 2:15)