But the greatest good in married life, that which makes all suffering and labour worth while, is that God grants offspring and commands that they be brought up to worship and serve him. The Greatest Value of Marriage – Martin Luther
The gift of sexual intimacy in the bond of marriage is the reflection of God’s high view of the purpose in marriage for joy, companionship and the building up of godly families. All these purposes are interwoven into the fabric of a biblical view of marriage. One area often neglected among Christian couples is a biblically informed discussion of birth-control. Too long there has been an evangelical silence on this issue, as though it were a distinguishing mark of Protestantism to have responsibly smaller families. As we will see here, that has not always been the case.
Martin Luther was not known for using pious language when addressing issues important to him, and this was an issue dear to his heart, considering he and Katie brought thirteen children into the world. For example he wrote,"the purpose of marriage is not pleasure and ease but the procreation and education of children and the support of a family.... People who do not like children are swine, dunces, and blockheads, not worthy to be called men and women, because they despise the blessing of God, the Creator and Author of marriage" (Christian History, Issue 39, p. 24).
Luther also said that birth control was the equivalent of sodomy (probably because of the likeness between homosexual wickedness and sex that is separated from the purpose of procreation).
John Calvin declared that birth control was the murder of future persons and the Synod of Dort issued a Bible commentary which stated that contraception was the same as abortion.
If you are shocked, by the strong statements from these Reformers that really is not too surprising, because Protestant opposition to birth control has largely been forgotten in our 21th century. Sadly it takes Roman Catholics and Mormons to bring the issue up in public discussion. This does not mean there are not nuances of questions and issues, as there are in most moral questions conflated with the growth on new technology. But, the essential biblical principles that guide these questions are the same as spelled out in the times of Abraham and Sarah. The Westminster Confession reestablished the classic definition of marriage.
Westminster Confession - Chapter XXIVOf Marriage and Divorce
II. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife,[2] for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the Church with an holy seed;[3] and for preventing of uncleanness.
The Four Purposes of Marriage:
1. Companionship
2. Procreation
3. Nurturing Children in the Faith
4. A Safeguard against immorality
As we have seen one of the historic four purposes of Christian marriage is procreation. The biblical mandate to be fruitful and multiply still applies today. “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground" Gen. 1:28. Commenting on this passage, John Calvin, surprisingly perhaps to many, unwraps the implications this has for Christian couples: “God could himself indeed have covered the earth with a multitude of men; but it was his will that we should proceed from one fountain, in order that our desire of mutual concord might be the greater, and that each might the more freely embrace the other as his own flesh.” (Calvin’s Commentary, Genesis. 1:28)
Just think about it. God could have populated the world through many means, but he designed the sexual intimacy of a husband and wife to fulfill this purpose. This command was not just given to Adam and Eve. It was repeated several times and always annexed with a divine blessing. After the flood, God told Noah and his family to replenish the earth, as part of the cultural mandate originating in the Garden of Eden. Again, Calvin connects the command to replenish with the blessings of marriage which is designed for procreation.
“Thus he not only renews the world by the same word by which he before created it; but he directs his word to men, in order that they may recover the lawful use of marriage, may know that the care of producing offspring is pleasing to Himself, and may have confidence that a progeny shall spring from them which shall diffuse itself through all regions of the earth, so as to render it again inhabited; although it had been laid waste and made a desert. Yet he did not permit promiscuous intercourse, but sanctioned anew that law of marriage which he had before ordained.” (Calvin’s Commentary, Genesis, 9:1)
One of the first issues a young married couple will need to address is the role of birth-control in their lives. Since WWII, the general use and acceptance of birth control has been wide-spread to the point of full acceptance. Even Protestant evangelical Christians tend to follow the popular and secular practice of birth control. In a sense, birth control is not inherently wrong, if one means that God has given husband and wife authority over their bodies, both to freely give to each other and to care for each other. There have been natural and even godly reasons why a couple may restrain from sexual relations or use the more natural “rhythm method” (1 Cor. 7:5) . What is needed is for evangelical believers to carefully consider what the Bible teaches, and prayerfully decide together how God is leading them in this issue in light of what Scripture teaches, and not just assume what everyone does is alright, as if that is ever ok.
Contraceptives
Should you use contraceptives and what kinds are more acceptable? The Bible gives us a command to procreate and it is one of the purposes of the marital union. But, there may be medical or health reasons to use some kind of birth control from time to time. More natural ones are to be preferred.
The Pill
Some pills keep the fertilized egg from being implanted into the cervical wall of the womb. This amounts to a type of abortive procedure and should not be used by Christians. Other kinds of pills affect the natural cycle of the women’s monthly period and have serious side effects relating to the hormone changes in the body. This raises serious issues that Christians ought to consider before using. Why endanger your health just to avoid a pregnancy, which is only what God expects from such a marriage and should be seen as a blessing of sexual union and not an inconvenience? It seems the world is sort of seeping into our thinking about these kinds of things. The so called "morning after" pill is clearly abortive, the widespread use of it as the first course in birth control is troubling.
Infertility
While infertility has been a sign of judgment in the Bible, it should not be assumed that a childless marriage that is involuntary is a curse. Some Christian couples without children can be used of God in the kingdom that a family cannot be used. Adoption is also a wonderful blessing that childless couples can bestow on children needing love and shelter. For centuries, the Christian witness in practicing adoption, stood in contrast to the practice of the Greeks, Romans and Pagan cultures. The practice of adoption was even shunned by Jewish communities, and so it was a unique feature of Christian hospitality to take an unwanted child and to raise it not in servitude, but as a member of the family. More Christians ought to consider this when confronted with infertility.
Fertility Aids?
Getting medical help so that the sperm of the husband and the egg of the wife are used seems to be within the limits of Christian morality. This is based on the principle of Genesis 2:24, where the two become one by God’s design. Any type of fertility intervention that introduces a third party, either by artificial semination with donor sperm or surrogate mothers, produces moral fuzziness and presents only more problematic issues from the fruit of such conceptions. One only looks at Abraham and Sarah’s handmaid, Hagar to see the disastrous effect of going outside the marital union for building the home. Adoption is not only a valid option for such couples it is also a powerful demonstration of the gospel of grace, whereby people with no natural rights are adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:14-16).
Note to the reader: There is no established “biblically conservative” view on the issue of “family planning.” This brief treatment is the author’s growing conviction on considering birth-control from a biblical and historical point of view. The majority of evangelical writers are either silent or simply mirror the standard view of the culture that family planning is only an individual preference on the one hand and unquestionably the path of responsible and thoughtful couples on the other. I offer this alternative with the humble desire that Christian couples seek the Lord and study the Bible before assuming what the culture, economics and family pressure dictate (and they will) what you decide about when to begin your family and how many kids you will have.)
No comments:
Post a Comment