Ah, yes. I know. In Covenanter circles we sing ONLY psalms, unedited. We also do not mix the wine with water. And we sit for all things other than prayer, call to worship, and benediction. But I was really more or less trying to illustrate the level of strictness in ordering everything by Scripture alone. Four bare walls and a pulpit and all that. The attitude is opposite, if not always the precise forms.
Ah, I see what you are saying then. That's not a group I'm intimately familiar with, so I didn't initially appreciate the distinctions you were making.
Not exactly. What I'm looking for is more how Orthodoxy explains the fact that Jesus is apparently teaching that the marriage relationship--not the sexuality--is completely dissolved upon death. Same goes for Paul in his analogy with the Law. I understand the rationality of supposing that our earthly relations, including marriage, continue. What I do not understand is how that is reconciled with "The children of this world marry wives, and are married. But they which shall be counted worthy to enjoy that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry wives, neither are married" (1599 Geneva). Hyatt says that the point of the passage is more that Jesus is answering the Sadducees and not making an abstract theological statement, but he does not elaborate, nor does the Orthodox Study Bible. I was hoping someone here could.
Hmmmmm. I'm not familiar with the exact quote you're asking about. Hopefully someone else will be. I'm not even familiar with Hyatt.
But I have heard a number of priests teaching on this, and studied a bit in particular. I have never heard any indication that the relationship between husband and wife is necessarily anything more or different from any other close bond.
I will speak from my own mind, and not that of the Church specifically, but just within what I eunderstand the ethos of the Church to be. Consider that a married couple can spend many decades living together, ideally seeking God together, sacrificing for and loving one another. We have our children, siblings, or our parents in our homes for a limited time. But we may share our lives with our spouses. Now, I don't know what either living arrangements (if there are any) or time spent will be like in the eschaton. But ... again, this is just me ... it is entirely possible in my mind that if we choose so, we could probably retain a certain close cooperation and companionship with those we love, and the marriage relationship is a particular kind of cooperation. After all, God says we "become one flesh" (and I think that has spiritual significance, I'm not referring to a sexual sense in this case).
But still, it is not so different from maintaining other relationships. But the longevity of the marriage relationship, and the kind of special cooperation therein, might have a particular significance.
But I'm sure it's not an absolute. As I said, the Church certainly blesses remarriage of a widow or widower. If we did consider the marriage relationship in the sense of being permanent in the eschaton, that wouldn't be.
But if this doesn't answer your question, please let us know. Many others here know better than I.
