LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Essay 1 - Narrative and Apocalyptic Passage from the Book of Daniel
Submitted to Dr. Todd Benkert,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
THEO 330-B02
Theology of The Family
by
Sherrelle Wright
January 31, 2020
“Marriage, Family, The Bible, and the Gospel,” was published in April 2016 by the
biblical scholar and author Stephen C. Barton. The article offers conclusions surrounding the
“significance of historical-contextual reasoning for interpreting what the Bible says about
marriage and family… principal constructive suggestion is that responsible appropriation of what
the Bible says requires the exercise in community of the evangelical imagination”.1 Barton seeks
to offer enlightenment revolving around marriage and family “in the light of biblical studies and
the Christian gospel, in the hope that they will be useful for theological reflection and pastoral
practice”.2 Resulting in healthier marriages and family units.
To defend his stance, Barton uses two main arguments in this article. The author believes
that (1) believers must understand the historical context in Scripture, to grasp the theology of
marriage and family, and (2) believers can only achieve a healthy biblical understanding of
marriage and family, by discovering the “virtues, habits and skills that will equip us to flourish in
our personal lives, our intimate relationships, and our societal engagement”.3 To outline his main
arguments, Barton uses cultural differences, wise interpretation of the Bible, Jesus and Paul’s
eschatological views on sex and marriage, households based on the New Testament, and
“problematic maleness” as his supporting arguments.
The author uses his personal experiences, biblical, and scholarly education to defend his
position. This appears to be helpful, as Barton puts effort into creating a personal experience for
his readers. Subsequently, Barton successfully outlines his views by revealing how each
supporting argument relates to one another. Barton does not stray away from biblical evidence to
outline his argument, which shows his respect for the authority of Scripture.
1 Barton, S. C. (2016). Marriage, family, the Bible and the gospel. Theology, 119(3), 163–171.
2 Barton, S. C. (2016). Marriage, family, the Bible and the gospel. Theology, 119(3), 163–171.
3 Barton, S. C. (2016). Marriage, family, the Bible and the gospel. Theology, 119(3), 163–171.
There are several strengths within the article, such as the structure of the paper, the biblical
integrity and biblical insight to marriage, the author's ability to understand the worldview,
without wavering from his biblical worldview. Structurally, Barton defends his thesis statement
by outlining three supporting arguments that highlight the Bible and reveal modern-day
application. Also, Barton’s structure aides in his readers' ability to feel like they are talking
directly to him throughout the article. It’s clear that Barton has a strong biblical background since
his article traces through the importance of biblical history, the application of the New
Testament, and “the overwhelming importance of eschatology in early Christianity”.4 Resulting
in his strong ability to remain steadfast to his biblical worldview. Now, one major weakness in
the article is in the conclusion. While not a deal-breaker, Barton didn’t note additional positive
outcomes from the application of his research. Otherwise, this is a strong article.
Subsequently, Barton’s article provides a theological overview surrounding healthy
biblical marriages and families, which folds into my research paper’s focal point. My research
topic will aim to focus on “A Biblical Marriage: The benefits and disadvantages in a modern-day
world”, which will seek to show how biblical principles can benefit marriages in today's society.
Therefore, Barton’s article reveals several biblical principles and standards to consider when
discussing different biblical principles, eschatological perspectives, and the importance of
understanding biblical history when developing a biblical foundation for marriages today. These
factors are also important when considering topics such as submission, unity, forgiveness,
divorce, expectations, sex, and intimacy, to name a few. Last, some issues in the article also serve
as discussion points when considering disadvantages in marriages today.
Bibliography
4 Barton, S. C. (2016). Marriage, family, the Bible and the gospel. Theology, 119(3), 163–171.
we
Barton, S. C. (2016). Marriage, family, the Bible and the gospel. Theology, 119(3), 163–171.
