Christianity and the Tradition of Marriage

Some one by VorJack has written an essay on Christianity and the Tradition of Marriage. He talks about how people's ideas of women and marriage has changed over time. I'm not going to respond to everything in his article. I want to respond to an assertion that he made:

Christianity was born into a greco-roman world, and the first Christians accepted the structure of Roman marriage. Marriage was monogamous and heterosexual, but divorce was possible and the husband might have a concubine before marriage. Marriage and procreation were considered civic requirements, and Augustus found it necessary to legislate marriage for Roman citizens.

By the time of Imperial Rome, marriage was relatively fair to women, who were able to control their property and most aspects of their life. In light of this, it’s probably not surprising that rich wives and widows were able to contribute financially to the early church, and that some women could preach and lead rituals.

People who based their lives and worldview on the Bible cannot fit the the points that were made could not agree with the point: "divorce was possible and the husband might have a concubine before marriage." Jesus said in Matthew 19:3-12 the following.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."

Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."

The church even today allows divorce easily. But that is not what Jesus said.

Just because a person is a Christain does not mean that he or she knows everything correctly. The author cites some quotations from Christian "fathers" however they they fly in the face of what the Bible says.

The sentence of God on this sex of yours lives in this age: the guilt must of necessity live too. You are the devil’s gateway: you are the unsealer of that (forbidden) tree.
-Tertullian

But the Bible says:

For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 1 Timothy 2:13,14

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. - Romans 5:19

Tertullian may have well blamed our sinful state on Eve, but Paul didn't. Along with the Old Testament, the accountability was on the man. Not the wife. Centuries of blaming women for the fall is just what Adam did, but God would not buy that. If it comes down to the word of Tertullian versus the inspired words of Apostle Paul, I'll take Paul's.

I praise wedlock, I praise marriage, but it is because they give me virgins.
-St. Jerome

The Bible also praises marriage but for far different reasons. Because the marriage relationship symbolizes the way Jesus loves the church. It's not for the purpose of providing clergy with fresh virgins/children to molest.