Topic Suggestion/Request:
I’m passing on this question from a friend
How should a young Christian man approach the pursuit of marriage when he has developed a strong interest in a godly young woman who is significantly younger (in my case a 23-year-old man and a 15-year-old woman from a conservative Christian family he has known for years)?
Scripture emphasizes the importance of sexual purity and the value of marriage as a safeguard against immorality.
It also shows examples and principles regarding betrothal, parental involvement, and readiness for marriage in patriarchal contexts (e.g., the Old Testament narratives and the emphasis on the father’s role).
Key questions for my personal situation are:
What does the Bible teach about appropriate age differences for marriage?
Is it advisable to “wait” for a specific young woman who is not yet of typical marrying age according to our day and age (at what age do you think it is appropriate for a girl to marry?) or does the command to flee sexual temptation (and the practical delay in forming a household) counsel pursuing a similarly godly wife who is closer in age?
What principles would guide a decision in such a situation, especially in a secular European context (I’m German) where biblically-minded Christian women are very rare and I doubt to find anybody else soon?
Reasoning:
Because it is a big life decision for me