They Go Together

Love and marriage, love and marriage

Go together like a horse and carriage

This I tell you brother

You can’t have one without the other

Love and marriage, love and marriage

It’s an institute you can’t disparage

Ask the local gentry

And they will say it’s elementary

Try, try, try to separate them

It’s an illusion

Try, try, try, and you will only come

To this conclusion

Love and marriage, love and marriage

Go together like a horse and carriage

Dad was told by mother

You can’t have one without the other

 

This song was introduced by Frank Sinatra in 1955 and quickly became a hit.  Its fun lyrics and upbeat music appealed to his audiences. The concept behind the song is that love and marriage, like a horse and carriage, require each other to be complete. This is a concept known as interdependency.

Interdependency is defined as mutual reliance; in a group each part requires the other parts to succeed. An example might be insects and flowers. The insects require the flowers for food, while the flowers require the insects for pollination. Without one of those components the individual parts would not be able to fill their needs.

A Biblical example of interdependence would be the metaphor Paul uses in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 of the body. In these passages we see that we all have different roles to play in the body of Christ, but that each role is individually important. Paul also notes, where would we be if we were missing one of these parts? Each part of the body needs the other parts for the body to perform its duties.

I often use the metaphor of the puzzle to describe how the Bible works. If you have just one puzzle piece you cannot imagine what the entire picture will look like. But when you put all of the pieces together in the right order you see the beautiful picture of salvation emerge. Each piece depends upon the pieces around it to create this picture; leave one piece out and the picture is incomplete.

Likewise, there are concepts in the Bible that are interdependent. For example, James makes a very good argument about faith and works requiring each other to create the complete Christian. Without faith, our works are meaningless, and without works, our faith is pointless. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also (See James 2:14-26). It is interesting that James uses another example of interdependence here, noting that without the spirit the body is dead. The two require one another to function.

Another example of Biblical interdependence would be spirit and truth. In John 4:23-24 Jesus says, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Both of these must be present for us to be “true worshipers.” If we neglect one or the other we are not complete. 

Also consider baptism and belief. Mark 16:16 tells us, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” This shows us that we must believe and be baptized if we wish to be saved. Belief alone is pointless; even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19) but that does not mean they are saved. But if you do not believe and are baptized you have simply gotten wet. Belief is the prerequisite for salvation through baptism.

I’d also like to point out love and action are interdependent. 1 Corinthians 13 shows us that if we do amazing works but do not have love our deeds are worthless. In 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Paul commends the Thessalonians for their, “labor of love.” Love is an action, not just a feeling. As James tells us in James 2:15-16, ” If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? “ The action without love is nothing, as is love without action.

I am sure there are other examples of interdependence in the Bible; I challenge you to look for them as you study. Understanding how all the different parts work together to create the whole is helpful in seeing the bigger picture of our salvation. 

By Fern Boyle

Fern Boyle is a homeschooling mom of six kids who lives in Enid, Oklahoma.  Her husband, Doug, is an elder in the church of Christ at Garriott Road, and a pilot in the military, having served in both the Marine Corps and Air Force.  Their time traveling from coast to coast has blessed them with friends in the church all across the country as well as many opportunities to grow as Christians.  Fern enjoys running, hiking, reading and teaching ladies Bible class.  She used to have other hobbies but then she had more kids.  Her children are what she loves most, however, watching them grow and develop into wonderful young men and women.