Should Christians Get Prenuptial Agreements Before Getting Married?

Should Christians get prenuptial agreements before they get married? Are there biblical principles involved in this decision?

Marriage, the Divine Institution

Marriage is a God-originated, divine institution for it was when “the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Gen 2:18). The word “fit” is Hebrew for “corresponding” to Adam so it’s not like Eve was made to be Adam’s servant or simply his helper but someone to stand beside him for fellowship, companionship, and to love so “the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man” (Gen 2:21-22). Since God took one of Adam’s ribs, the idea is that she is to stand next to him, side by side as his co-equal and not stand behind him. Then Adam said “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Gen 2:23). The conclusion is that “a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24) or the man should leave and cleave; leave his family or we could say, leave his family out of his new family because they have “become one flesh” or as one family and cleave or cling to his wife. Paul saw the two becoming one flesh too which is why he warned about adultery as he said “Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh” (1st Cor 6:16). The two become one spiritually, physically, and emotionally so God ordained marriage and as He said about His creation, “It was good.”

A Foundation of Trust

If a Christian couple is considering marriage, should they get together and make a prenuptial agreement? The Bible is silent on this so this is an area that is left up to the couple themselves. There is nothing wrong with signing a prenuptial agreement. Many couples who are not Christian have found this to be a very good idea and have saved many a divorced couple from agonizing divorces where the property and all the other considerations are predetermined. This allows a couple who divorces to not go through a long legal battle to see who gets what and the legal costs of such a settlement. Most states have a “no-fault” divorce where all property and monetary possessions are divided evenly between the man and the woman. I can’t see why this would be wrong for a Christian couple to have but it must be agreed upon by both parties or not done at all. One of the parties might feel that it’s a lack of trust and since marriage is built on a foundation of trust, they might reason “Why get a prenuptial agreement?” Sadly, many who married someone who they thought were Christian turned out to be a false convert and the tangled web of a lengthy court battle complicated the divorce into a very messy and hurtful event. Marriage is all about trust and faithfulness however no one but God can actually look into the human heart and see whether someone is truly born again or not. Every marriage is a bit of a gamble on the character of the person they’re marrying.

Married for Life

God designed marriage to be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion as Jesus said “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Matt 19:6). Malachi writes “You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth” (Mal 2:15). Paul also reiterates the fact that it is “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Eph 5:31) and since they are “one flesh” they should not divide again. There are exceptions of course like adultery but these are the only exceptions although some believe that physical violence or abandonment is sufficient cause. That will be reserved for another article.

Conclusion

Whether a couple should sign a prenuptial agreement is totally up to them. There is no biblical precedent for my telling you yes or no and citing a Bible verse; God gives us freedom in these areas where the Bible is silent. It is a matter of personal choice but both couples should be in agreement over this, whether it means having one or not having one.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.