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Question:
Is it sin to wear wedding rings? The pastor visited us and while with us, he took my hand and told me that it is not good to wear the wedding ring. I told him we decided with my husband that we will wear it. Then he told me that Ananias and Sapphira also took the decision together. This saddened me very much… What is the right and wise way for us to act in this situation?
I hope that my answer will be read by your pastor as well and I pray that it will bring peace and harmony in your relationship and it will contribute to the growth of your local church and all the churches where wearing wedding rings creates tension and misunderstandings.
The meaning of the wedding ring
In contrast to other rings, the wedding ring is not a jewelry, but it is a symbol of the marriage covenant. This symbol is known internationally. In every country or nation the presence of the wedding ring on the hand tells people that you are married.
God builds His relationships with people through covenants and for each of them He left a reminding sign. The sign of the New Covenant is The Last Supper. On 11-23th of April I will teach the session Bible Doctrines in Chișinău. We will also study the course “Covenant”. I invite pastors and preachers to study deeply the Word of God at this session so that we will have power in preaching and this will bring growth to the people, to the church and repentance to those who do not know and follow Jesus Christ.
I invite you to read more articles about the wedding rings which were published previously:
To understand deeply the implications of the marriage covenant I recommend you to study the Inductive Bible study “Marriage without regrets” by Kay Arthur. On 5-17th of September I will teach the session Spiritual Counselling, where I will offer the necessary training about teaching this course to pastors, preachers, missionaries and spiritual counselors. Everyone who wants to learn how to share the Word of God is invited.
Let us be pastors worthy of honor
It is people’s personal choice to wear or not the wedding ring. It is not a good thing and it does not bring honor to a pastor to put this kind of restrictions. God teaches us in the Bible that we, pastors, should be worthy of honor, meaning that our person and behavior should instill respect.
The imposition of these restrictions diminishes the respect he has and thus makes him a pastor whose teachings of God will not be accepted by the saints. Peter gives us this advice:
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:1-4)
We need to act with respect towards the saints whom we lead and we should know well the limits of counselling, to the exhortations and admonitions we give to others and not to slip into totalitarianism or legalism.
It seems inappropriate to me how the sin of Ananias and Sapphira has been interpreted. They have agreed to hide a part of the won sum and tried to deceive the apostles and the Holy Spirit. That was their sin, not the wearing of wedding rings. The apostles respected their liberty and did not force them to sell their land or donate their money. When the pastor or preacher forces the interpretation of the Biblical text to justify a certain rule or request, through this he loses his authority and the power of a preacher, because the saints he leads will become reluctant to the rest of the teachings received from him.
How to act now?
Go and meet with your pastor and tell him about the respect you have for him and that you want it to be even greater. That is why tell him that you want your decision to be respected and the decision to wear the wedding ring is a symbol of your marriage covenant. Do not let the sorrow you have to give you a sprig of bitterness. Follow God’s urge as it is written:
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)