“This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” —Ephesians 5:32
Marriage reveals something of eternal significance. From the beginning, God designed marriage to convey a greater reality—the passionate, unfailing, redeeming love of God for sinners, the eternal romance between Christ and his bride. In this volume, Ray Ortlund traces marriage throughout Scripture—from the first marriage in the garden of Eden to the ultimate marriage in the book of Revelation—laying out a transcendent vision of marriage that dignifies our own imperfect unions as a display of the gospel. This book offers insight and hope to every married person today.
The Short Studies in Biblical Theology series is designed to help readers see the whole Bible as a unified story—culminating in Jesus. Written by a host of trusted biblical scholars, pastors, professors, and leaders, the volumes in this unique series each trace an important topic throughout God’s word, from Genesis to Revelation, demonstrating the unifying flow of rendemptive history and exploring its relevance to the Christian life.
Insightful, accessible, and practical, these books are perfect for laypeople looking for bite-sized introductions to major subjects and key themes in biblical theology. Furthermore, pastors and professors will find this series to be an invaluable resource for brushing up on their grasp of the field as a whole. Series editors are Dane C. Ortlund, PhD, and Miles Van Pelt, PhD.
Endorsements
"There is no one alive I would rather read than Ray Ortlund. This book will show you why. It shows us how marriage is a metaphor for the gospel itself, the one-flesh union of Christ to his church. This book will help you see the gospel and marriage both in a clearer light—in the light of an unveiled mystery." - Russell Moore, President, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
"Captivating, alluring, and tearfully rendered, Ray Ortlund's Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel displays the blood-bought gift of biblical marriage amidst the splendor of the whole biblical landscape. No polemics here—just the love of God poured out to conquer hell itself. Each page shows the biblical worldview in its aesthetic loveliness and disarming power. And don't let the title fool you. This is not just another book on marriage. Readers will drink in a tour de force of biblical majesty on display on each and every page." - Rosaria Butterfield, Former Professor of English, Syracuse University; author, The Gospel Comes with a House Key
"Ray Ortlund brilliantly enables you to carefully examine your marriage through the lenses of creation, fall, law, and gospel. In so doing, he helps us deepen our understanding of marriage, know why it is a struggle for us all, diagnose the marriage confusion in our culture, be clear where marriage help is to be found, and fall in love all over again with our God of amazing love, wisdom, and grace." - Paul David Tripp, President, Paul Tripp Ministries; author, New Morning Mercies and My Heart Cries Out
"In this movement through Scripture, Ray gave me more reason to love and nurture my wife. He also let me gaze at even bigger matters. He took my marital story and revealed how it is by Jesus, for Jesus, and to Jesus." - Ed Welch, Counselor and Faculty Member, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation
Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. is the author of several books, including the Preaching the Word commentary on Isaiah and Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel, as well as a contributor to the ESV Study Bible. He and his wife, Jani, have four children.
