What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Are there any advice for couples who, for financial reasons, forgo a civil marriage and only seek a church blessing?"
Answer
The provided documents do not contain an explicit statement or specific advice for couples who, for purely financial reasons, forgo a civil marriage and only seek a church blessing. However, the texts emphasize the importance of legal authority in marriages and warn against making decisions that could damage the reputation of the faith or the cause of God, even if temporal interests would have to be sacrificed.
It also highlights that a marriage is judged in the light of the Bible and according to God's law, but conformity with the laws of the land also plays a role.
Legal Authority and the Conduct of the Marriage
»Regarding the marriage ceremony, he is not legally authorized to perform this ceremony. This was examined not long ago in a case in one of the states. A preacher without a credential letter from his association performed a marriage, with the parties unaware that he lacked credentials. When they later learned that he had no credentials, they wanted someone who was legally empowered to marry them again. The case was presented to the court judge. He declared that this preacher had no right to conduct the ceremony.«
Marriage According to God's Law and the Law of the Land
»Again I saw... that the congregation had not taken the proper view of Scripture. A woman may be lawfully divorced from her husband according to the laws of the land and yet, in God's eyes and according to the higher law, she is not divorced. ... If there were no difficulties and George could marry her according to the laws of the land without violating God's law, he should still not do so if it would harm the work of the present truth. This matter should be more costly to him than his own life; and if through the marriage he brings a stain upon the cause of God, his wife is dearly bought, and he cannot be happy, for God's blessing will not accompany him.«
Putting Faithfulness to God Above Temporal Interests
»We stand as reformers before the world; let us give no occasion for doubters or unbelievers to criticize our faith. Christ said: “You are the salt of the earth,” “the light of the world.” Let us show that our hearts and consciences are under the transforming influence of divine grace and that our lives are governed by the pure principles of God's law, even if these principles may require the sacrifice of temporal interests.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
