Tag: marriage

What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about marriage to unbelievers?

I’m continuing my little series of articles looking at what 1 Corinthians 7 actually says about sexual ethics.  Remember that the starting point has been a question about abstinence.  Is it a good thing for men to abstain from sexual relations with women?  It is In this context that a question comes up about situations… Continue reading What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about marriage to unbelievers?

What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about singleness?

Previously I wrote about what 1 Corinthians 7 has to say about marriage and sexual abstinence.  The chapter is a key passage for our understanding of relational and sexual ethics in the light of the Gospel touching on marriage, sex, singleness and divorce.  It’s often cited but I’m not sure that it is always fully… Continue reading What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about singleness?

What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about sex, marriage and abstinence?

My social media timeline has been dominated recently by controversies about what Christians believe and the Bible teaches about sex and relationships.  In the context of those controversies, 1 Corinthians 7 crops up frequently.  The three particular contexts in which it has come up have been: I think that in fact, all three debates are… Continue reading What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about sex, marriage and abstinence?

A raw conversation about sex and theology

As the fall out continues from Josh Butler’s book, Beautiful Union, and that car crash TGC article, we are, I think beginning to see some helpful reflection and interaction. Issues around marriage, sex and intimacy are I think of importance to those of us who care about pastoring well and so whilst some of us… Continue reading A raw conversation about sex and theology

How not to talk about marriage and women

Take a look at this tweet. It sums up in one revolting little paragraph everything that is wrong with a certain outlook on life, a certain distortion of what God’s Word teaches. I suspect that it arises out of a couple of misunderstandings of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7. First, in v7, Paul… Continue reading How not to talk about marriage and women

I’m not your Saviour

I recently wrote in response to a quote from John MacArthur where he suggested that husbands are in effect their wife’s saviour, rescuing them from loneliness, a lack of care and protection and unfulfilled potential in terms of children.  Of course, when MacArthur talked about husbands as saviours, he wasn’t intending us to think that… Continue reading I’m not your Saviour

One Flesh – Is it just about sex?

The other day, I wrote about how a particular problem at the moment is where we acknowledge that a theology of everything is possible but do this by breaking everything down into its constituent parts and analysing them leading to what I called the anatomisation of everything. I was making a wider point but it… Continue reading One Flesh – Is it just about sex?

Is a husband his wife’s saviour?

Well the fire started the other day concerning sex, relationships and salvation doesn’t show any signs of dying down. Rachel Denhollander shared this from John MacArthur as another example of problematic teaching about marriage. Now, to be fair to Josh Butler whose TGC article kicked off this whole debate, I think that he might say… Continue reading Is a husband his wife’s saviour?