The Ideal Age for Marriage
The Bible does not specify the ideal age for marriage, but it does give principles that guide us. They are as follows:
- We are not to be unequally yoked. “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
- A man must provide for his family. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
- One must leave his parents and form a new family. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
The above conditions require a good bit of age and life experience. Especially in the matter of being equally yoked, one must have had the time to really test and work through what they believe and why they believe. After this, he needs enough life experience to be a good judge of character. This is rarely accomplished sufficiently in a younger individual.
I can say from my own experience that when someone is not out of their teenage years, it is unlikely that they will be able to fully make these decisions properly. Again, the Bible does not specify an ideal age for marriage, but wisdom would dictate that one contemplating marriage should not be married too young.
Blessings!
Mark Paden
