Christian Worldview

WVC 401

Kingdom Life

Belhaven University

Unit Three

Birth Control: Acceptable and Unacceptable Forms

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic Violence

Divorce & Remarriage

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:28):

 What if I can’t be a good steward of children at this

moment of my life?

 Must every sexual union in marriage be open to

conception?

 Genesis 38:9 But Onan was not willing to have a child

who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had

intercourse with his brother's wife, he spilled the semen

on the ground. This prevented her from having a child

who would belong to his brother. (NLT)

 Levirate Marriage

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont.

Roman Catholic Interpretation on Genesis 38:9

 Every sexual intercourse must be open to conception.

 Interruption of natural sexual process is sinful.

 Any form artificial contraception that interrupts the natural process

is wrong.

Evangelical View:

 God’s displeasure was in Onan’s exploitive and abusive behavior.

 Deut. 25:5-10 – public shame was the result of failure to take on

levirate marriage, not death

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont.

 Purpose of Marriage:

 Companionship, sexual pleasure, strengthening

intimacy, marital fidelity in addition to procreation

 Married couples should seek to have children

(Ps. 127:4-5), but not all sexual encounters must be

open to conception. Couples can plan wisely.

 But not every kind of birth control is acceptable in

Evangelical view.

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont.  Culture – Modern Medicine Gives Us So Many Choices

Abstinence IUD

Calendar Method Morning After Pill

Barrier Methods Abortion

Sterilization

Which are acceptable and which are not? I will only

share what is commonly accepted among many

Evangelicals.

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont. First: Expelling Misconceptions

 Medicine is good! Gift from the Lord

 2 Chronicles 16:12 “In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa

developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his

disease, he did not seek the LORD's help but turned only to his

physicians.” (NLT)

• God disapproved of trusting only in physicians without trusting

God.

• God disapproved of using wrong methods – Egyptians went to

exorcists, priests, and doctors.

• God disapproves of invoking false gods and pagan superstitions.

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont.

 Medicine is good! Gift from the Lord

 Isaiah treats Hezekiah with ointment from figs. (2 Kings

20:7)

 Luke 10:34 “Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed

his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them.

Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him

to an inn, where he took care of him.” (NLT)

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont.  Medicine is good! Gift from the Lord

 1 Timothy 5:23 “Don't drink only water. You ought to drink a

little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick

so often.” (NLT)

 Revelation 22:2 “It flowed down the center of the main street.

On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve

crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were

used for medicine to heal the nations.” (NLT)

We need more Christian scientists, doctors, and nurses in the

science field.

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont. Acceptable Forms of Contraception in Marriage:

Evangelical View

 Principle #1: “In short, the answer is only those that are

contraceptive in nature, that is, those that exclusively prohibit

conception” (Kostenberger, 2010, p. 123).

 Rhythm or Calendar Method – timing ovulation or fertility

periods

 Barrier Methods – diaphragm, condoms, creams,

suppositories (examples)

 Principle #2: We can plan wisely and prevent life for a season

but should not kill life.

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont.

Gray Areas: Needs Special Consideration

 Sterilization:

 Male Vasectomy – blocks ducts

 Female Tubal Occlusion – blocks woman’s fallopian

tubes to prevent sperm from making contact with egg

Debated among Evangelicals: body is temple of Holy Spirit

(1 Cor. 6:19)

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont.

Unacceptable Forms of Birth Control

 IUD (Intrauterine Device)

 Creates unstable environment in the uterine wall for the

fertilized egg

 Prevents stability for the conceived life to grow

 Morning After Pill (RU-486, Abortion Pill)

 Prevent implantation of new fetus to uterine wall

 Blocks progesterone to prevent maintenance of

pregnancy

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont. Unacceptable Forms of Birth Control

 Abortion

 ANE (ancient Near East) – Egyptians exposed unwanted

children (especially girls) or chemical remedies to abort

unwanted children.

 Early Roman society: Charms, amulets, chemicals,

surgeries, exposure of unwanted children which often

resulted in human trafficking.

 Christians: Profound respect for life

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont.

Unacceptable Forms of Birth Control

 Prolonged Abstinence between Husband & Wife

 1 Cor. 7: “5 Do not deprive each other of sexual

relations, unless you both agree to refrain from

sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give

yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward,

you should come together again so that Satan

won't be able to tempt you because of your lack

of self-control.” (NLT)

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont.

Christians: Profound respect for life

 Exodus 1: “16 When you help the Hebrew women as they give

birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a

girl, let her live. 17 But because the midwives feared God, they

refused to obey the king's orders. They allowed the boys to live,

too.” (NLT)

 Psalm 139: “13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother's womb.” (NLT)

 Jeremiah 1: “5 I knew you before I formed you in your mother's

womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you

as my prophet to the nations." (NLT)

Birth Control: Acceptable and

Unacceptable Forms, cont.

Christians: Profound respect for life

 Christians from the earliest times denied abortion.

 Didache: “You shall not procure abortion, nor

commit infanticide” (Did. 2:2).

 Principle #3: Protect the vulnerable in our society.

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic

Violence Matthew 19:4 "Haven't you read the Scriptures?" Jesus

replied. "They record that from the beginning 'God made

them male and female.’” (NLT)

 If God intended one man and one woman for life, what do

we do with polygamy in the Old Testament?

 Within about 6 generations, Lamech took two wives (Gen.

4:19) – indication of moral decline

 Patriarchs & Kings – multiple wives

 ANE – common for (1) financial, (2) expression of

authority & power, (3) increase offspring

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic

Violence, cont. Polygamy: departure from God’s original design (intruder alert!)

 King must not have many wives (Deut. 17:17; cf. Lev. 18:18)

 Polygamy caused: (1) disruptive favoritism, (2) jealousy, &

(3) rivalry

 Departure from God’s original design is to our own detriment.

 Lifelong commitment to one spouse is God’s design.

 It takes strength to make a marriage work.

 It takes sacrifice to make a marriage work.

 It takes willingness to repent & to forgive.

 The goal is Christ-like maturity.

Adultery

 Issues of the heart (Exod. 20:14; Prov. 6:25; Matt. 5:28)

 Potential Causes of Adultery

Lust = Spouse to satisfy perversion Cultivation of wrong appetites

Sexual pleasure is idolized over family Spiritual immaturity (body changes)

Sexual pleasure becomes insatiable Discontentment in relationship

(need more, something new) Resentment, unresolved conflict(s)

Deceptive pleasures Strike back

False perspective: minimal consequences Comfort from pain

(acceptance/false love)

Proverbs 6: “32 But the man who commits adultery is an utter

fool, for he destroys himself.” (NLT)

Polygamy, Adultery, and Domestic

Violence, cont.

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic

Violence, cont. Domestic Violence

 Surprised at who is subject to domestic violence; adept at hiding

emotional and physical bruising

 Afraid: (1) who will take care of me and my children?

(2) misguided biblical teachings – “I should forgive

and forget”

 When they can’t “forgive & forget,” they feel ashamed and

guilty.

 Resentment against God: “Why would God let this happen?” or “I’ve

been praying so hard for him to stop, why isn’t God ….”

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic

Violence, cont.

Domestic Violence

 Often people who hear cases of domestic violence rush too quickly to

try to offer a solution.

 Biblical listening requires:

 Listening

 Offering or helping the person to find a safe place to stay

 Medical treatment if needed

 Seeing if authorities need to be involved

Many don’t feel comfortable with getting others involved – Matt. 18; when

there is no repentance, others need to get involved and proper action

must take place.

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic

Violence, cont. Domestic Violence: Consequences of Inaction

 Judges 19: Levi & Concubine

 Israel does not acknowledge Yahweh as King; Levi claims to be a

worshipper but his actions prove otherwise.

 Levite mistreats his “concubine” – second class wife; she abandons

the Levite.

• v. 2 “unfaithful to him” – (1) some think prostitution/adultery, (2)

better: she was “angry with him,” “despised him,” or “quarreled with

him” for being mistreated

 Israelite law does not mention a woman divorcing a man.

 But if woman is mistreated (abandoned) she can leave (Exod. 21:10 -

11).

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic

Violence, cont.  Judges 19: Levi & Concubine

 Levi (after about 4 months) goes to get his concubine from her

father’s home, and after food and celebration she leaves with him.

She decides to accept her role.

 Concubine pays with her life as the Levi betrays her and subjects her

to violence all night to the wicked men of Gibeah.

 Levi hands his wife to “worthless fellows” – literally “men of the sons

of Belial.”

• Belial (wicked) – murderers, rapists, slanderers, drunks,

rude/insensitive boorish people, corrupt, ungrateful, self-centered,

idolatrous, and the unbelieving

• Dead Sea Scrolls – develop Belial into the name of Satan, angel of

wickedness

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic

Violence, cont.  Judges 19: Levi & Concubine

 v. 27b: “there lay his concubine with her hands on the threshold.”

(NLT)

• Final image of concubine – “reaching her hand to her husband

for protection & help”

• Husband (Levi) – cares only for his protection, fails in the eyes of

God

• “Get up! Let’s go!” (v. 28) – Levi is cold, uncaring, & calculated

• Levi continues his violence after her demise: “cut his concubine's

body into twelve pieces” (NLT)

 How does the story end? Domestic Violence is Wicked!

 v. 30: “Think about it! What are we going to do? Who's going to

speak up?” (NLT)

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic

Violence, cont.  Yes, we must forgive but we must also stop the abuse. (Matt. 18)

 1 Cor. 5: “11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who

claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or

worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people.

Don't even eat with such people.” (NLT)

 “Will you forgive me?” is not the end; there must be consequences not

to exact vengeance but to stop the violence. We are loving them by

saying no to evil.

 Domestic Violence: They will not understand your actions.

 They will try to understand through their patterns of control, pride, &

unreasonable demands.

 They will plead, argue, blow up, accuse, and threaten.

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic

Violence, cont.  Domestic Violence is just as damaging as adultery

 We must help the abuser: Church must be willing to discipline

the abuser

 Speak gently: One fights with fists but the other may wield the tongue

like a sharp sword. Principle # 1: Don’t goad violence.

 Abusers distort truth – accept one’s sins but do not let the abuser

deceive you into thinking that this is your fault or that you deserved it

 Abusers genuinely believe they are right! (Jer. 17:9). “If you didn’t do this

then I would not have ….” Fog and confusion. After an outburst they can

pray passionately.

 Abusers wallow in regret and despair; they play on your weak emotions.

Gifted deceivers

 They regret their actions but do not focus on who they are before God.

Polygamy, Adultery, and Domestic

Violence, cont.

Idols are denied by

the other – birth to

reactions

(e.g., I want you to

respect me!)

Idols

Idol denied

Violence

Regret

Polygamy, Adultery, & Domestic

Violence, cont. Judges 19:30: “Who's going to speak up?” (NLT)

 Physical separation (not yet divorce) for safety

 Long-term counseling and accountability

 Short-Term is not enough; abusers can exhibit behavior change on a

temporary basis.

 Deal with underlying triggers: criticism, complaints, irritability,

bickering, resentment, discontentment – small cracks can breach a

dam! Repair….

 Have a safe place to go to in case of episode (e.g., family, friend).

 Get others involved (even authorities if necessary – restraining order).

 If the violence does not change, talk to pastor about potential

permanent separation.

Divorce & Remarriage When is divorce permissible?

I will share the common Evangelical view.

 Porneia (Greek) – Matt. 5:32; 19:19

 Abandonment – 1 Cor. 7:15

 First, Old Testament: Regulation on Divorce

 Deuteronomy 24:1 "Suppose a man marries a woman but she does

not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes

her a letter of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his

house. 2 When she leaves his house, she is free to marry another man. 3 But if the second husband also turns against her and divorces her, or

if he dies, 4 the first husband may not marry her again, for she has been

defiled. That would be detestable to the LORD. You must not bring guilt

upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special

possession.” (NLT)

Very misunderstood passage in Old Testament!

Divorce & Remarriage, cont.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4

 Did not condone nor command divorce but regulate a practice to curb

harm

 Regulate and minimize divorces:

 Husband: “The stipulation serves as a warning to the husband not to

divorce too quickly. If he does, and, the woman remains unmarried,

he can still have her back (cf. Hosea 3). Once the woman remarries,

however, this option is no longer available.” Kostenberger, p. 225)

 Wives could not make herself so indecent as to drive herself away

from family

• Shame, economic, and social loss

Dual accountability: (1) Husband must cherish his wife and provide for his

family and (2) wives should love her husband and not be “indecent” to the

point that it drives her away from her husband

Divorce & Remarriage, cont.  Why did God need to regulate divorce? Sin in the world

 God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16)

 Divorce in the New Testament:

 Judaism: Divorce is required in cases of sexual immorality. (m.

Soṭah 5:1)

 Jesus: Divorce is permitted, leaves room for forgiveness

(e.g., Hosea)

 Competing Interpretation in Judaism:

• Shammai: Divorce required for immodest behavior or sexual

immorality

• Hillel: Divorce if wife was displeasing; “even if she spoiled a dish

for him” (m. Giṭ. 9:10)

 Judaism – standards for men more lenient; Jesus – standard applies

to men & woman. Jesus holds men equally accountable for their

indecent actions.

Divorce & Remarriage, cont. According to Jesus: Matt. 5:32; 19:19

 Divorce is permissible in cases of porneia – “extramarital, unlawful,

unnatural sexual intercourse.”

 Meaning of “porneia,” includes:

 Adultery, prostitution, incest, homosexuality, etc.

 These are all “intercourse” which fits the context of porneia. Breaks

the one-flesh union of husband and wife

 Fleeting thoughts & lusts are not intercourse but if nurtured can be

damaging and may lead to unfaithful sexual immorality.

 Special consideration: If spouse abandons the marital union

because he/she abandoned himself/herself to unrepentant long-

term perverse lusts of the heart

Has the obsession/sexual addiction jeopardized the safety of the

marriage?

Divorce & Remarriage, cont. Abandonment

 Old Testament: must not neglect wife of (1) food, (2) clothing, and (3)

sexual intimacy. Failure meant the wife had a right to leave (e.g., Exod.

21:10-11).

 If a man takes a second wife, the first wife must receive equal

treatment.

 The first wife cannot be discriminated against, unloved, or denied

necessities.

 New Testament:

 1 Cor. 7: “15 But if the husband or wife who isn't a believer insists on

leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is

no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.”

(NLT)

Divorce & Remarriage, cont.

New Testament on Abandonment

 If a Christian man has an unbelieving wife, he must not leave her. (1

Cor. 7:12)

 If a Christian woman has an unbelieving husband,she must remain. (1

Cor. 7:13)

Reasons:

 Unbelieving spouse might be saved by believer’s godly witness

(1 Cor. 7:16)

 Children benefit from believer’s values, ethics, teachings, and

lifestyle (1 Cor. 7:14)

 These are not “evangelism marriages” – unequally yoked to

save someone, but this how they were found when God called

one spouse to faith. (1 Cor. 7:17)

 But unbelieving spouses may never come to faith; they may in fact

abandon the marriage. What should Christians do in such cases?

Divorce & Remarriage, cont. What happens if the unbelieving spouse insists on

abandoning the marriage?

 The unbelieving spouse does not come to faith and wants to leave

then the believing spouse is free (prolonged willful desertion)

 What constitutes abandonment?

 Can some be present physically but abandoned the marriage in

every other way?

 (PCA Digest) Unrepentant Domestic violence? Even after

prolonged counseling, discipline, and invitation to change the

violence continues

 Prolonged unrepentant addictions? Unable to provide for family

and even bring harm

 What is not grounds for divorce? “Irreconcilable differences” or

“Personality incompatibility,” they are rather opportunities to grow

Divorce & Remarriage, cont. Adultery is Not an Unforgivable Sin

 Jesus: Encounter with a Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-50)

 Jesus: Encounter with a Samaritan Woman (John 4:5-42)

God’s grace is bigger than our failures and he can use even our

mistakes for our good. (Rom. 8:28)

Remarriage: Ways in which Jesus commands to keep the

marriage vows

Principle # 1: Remarriage is not permitted if divorced on unbiblical

grounds.

 Matthew 5: “32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she

has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who

marries a divorced woman also commits adultery. 33 You have also

heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not break your vows; you

must carry out the vows you make to the LORD.’” (NLT)

Ex-Spouse

New Spouse

Divorce & Remarriage, cont.

Divorce & Remarriage, cont. Reality: Many do Remarry after Divorce on Unbiblical

Grounds

 God’s grace is greater than our failures; it is not an unforgivable sin.

 This is not an excuse to break the Lord’s commands but to

encourage us to work on our heart issues to make the new marriage

last.

 Ask the ex-spouse for forgiveness if necessary.

We are Free to Remarry:

 If we divorced on biblical grounds: adultery and abandonment.

 Death of spouse (e.g., 1 Cor. 7:39; Rom. 7:2ff)

 1 Corinthians 7:39 “A wife is bound to her husband as long as he

lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes,

but only if he loves the Lord.” (NLT)

References

Campbell, K. M. (Ed.). (2003). Marriage and family in the biblical

world. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.

Douma, J. (1996). The Ten Commandments. Phillipsburg, NJ: P &

R Publishing.

Frame, J. M. (2008). The doctrine of the Christian life.

Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing.

Köstenberger, A. J., & Jones, D. W. (2010). God, marriage, and

family: Rebuilding the biblical foundation. Wheaton, IL:

Crossway.