Restitutio Podcast 65: Christian Views of Sexuality (Apologetics 15)
Apologetics 15: Gender and Sexual Ethics (Objection 3)
This lecture covers some basic Christian sexual ethics, including marriage, divorce, pornography, homosexuality, cohabitation, and adultery. Sadly, since this was the last lecture, time did not permit a thorough analysis of these subjects. Even so, I touched on each briefly and biblically in an effort to stake out a Christian position on each and give some evidence to equip you to give an answer to those who critique us.
If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade.
Notes:
on all of these controversial issues
- comes down to whether or not the bible is true and authoritative
- how to interpret the bible
- statistics of success/failure
- reason from creation (again depends on scripture)
- remember Satan is working on culture to make it hard to understand the gospel (Mt 13.19) and to blind people’s eyes from seeing it (2 Cor 4.4)
Marriage
- live together before marriage
- divorce of you don’t get along
- God invented sex for marriage
- who do you think designed our genitals, packing them with a ridiculous concentration of erotogenic nerve endings?
- God’s vision of the world included: naked vegetarians living in a garden making lots of babies
- God proclaimed the first two people married (Gen 2.23-24)
- Jesus speaks on divorce & remarriage
- “whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery” (Mt 19.3-9)
- Paul speaks on singleness vs. marriage (1 Cor 7.1-17)
- good to be single
- wife does not have authority over her own body..husband does not…
- don’t deprive each other of sex except for a time of prayer otherwise Satan will tempt you b/c of your lack of self-control
- remain single
- better to marry than burn (with passion)
- Lord says: wife should not separate from her husband
- if she does anyhow, she should remain unmarried
- or be reconciled to her husband
- if spouse is unbeliever, don’t divorce him/her
- spouse is made holy by believer (and kids too)
- if unbelieving spouse separates, let it happen
- marriage represents relationship between Christ and the church (Eph 5.31-33)
three views of marriage
- western: it’s good so long as I’m happy or at least not miserable
- the individual is at the center of the western cultural view towards marriage
- traditional: it’s good so long as it helps the family/clan
- biblical: my marriage is a living illustration of Christ and the church
Sex Outside of Marriage
God designed sex for marriage in the beginning. Thus, sex within marriage is godly and holy and enjoyable and not shameful.
- problem is when someone takes sex out of this boundary
- it’s like a nuclear reactor
- so long as it is contained behind a lead barrier
- w/ plenty of cooling systems functioning
- all is well and this immensely powerful reaction does good
- but take it out from that protected system and you have Fukushima or Chernobyl
Jesus on sexual purity
- Mat 5.8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
- Mat 5.27-30
- don’t look at a woman w/ lustful intent
- same as committing act of adultery
- need to be extreme here (gouge out eye, cut off hand): he’s really talking about lust!
Paul on purity
1 Thessalonians 4.3-8 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you