One Flesh: Male and Female Not Just Assumed – Required.
In his material on Genesis 2:24 and one flesh Dr. Brownson makes his case that the essence of being one flesh is really the bonding, the unitive aspect of the relationship. He argues bonding and kinship are more the essence of marriage than procreation. Towards the end of that section (page 106) Dr. Brownson then comes full circle and asks, given the fact that Scripture assumes the one-flesh union occurs between a male and a female (what is normal in the Bible), is there anything about the biblical evidence that requires it to be that way (i.e. is it normative)? Dr. Brownson then goes on to explain how long-term, monogamous same-sex relationships can provide that bonding, that kinship which was attributed to the one-flesh union and he then concludes from that that same-sex marriages have this one-flesh aspect as biblical warrant.
The following sub-sections will make the case that there is an explicit biblical requirement for one-flesh unions to be only between a male and a female. In overview the line of reasoning goes as follows.
The one-flesh union spoken of in Genesis 2:24 also carries the meaning of “one body.” The New Testament reinforces that meaning.
The words “become one flesh” are not just a statement about what will happen as human history unfolds, those words are also a divine command.
When Genesis 2:24 is quoted in the New Testament the statement that God made them male and female is also brought along, which confirms the requirement of marriage being between one man and one woman for the New Testament age.
The command to become one body goes beyond kinship and bonding.It is not possible for members of the same sex to fulfill the command to become one body. The conclusion is that marriage being between one male and one female is not just assumed, it is required.