Marriage is a union between a man and a woman ordained by God. It was first instituted by God in the early chapters of Genesis and was codefined in the Levitical Law. Jesus explained the original intentions and core elements of marriage, and several new Testament Epistles give explicit instructions on this union. Marriage is a typology of Christ and the Church. As such, the church views marriage as a profound spiritual institution established by God (Ephesians 5:22-23; Mark 10:1-12).