Sunday, February 8, 2015

Issues in Marriage

I've seen a number of articles recently on issues in marriage. They have often gone to scriptural texts, but often the wrong texts.

I usually do not like to point out wrong approaches, but I'm including a link as I personally do not wish to recap the common approach.

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/my-spouse-doesn-t-enjoy-sex

Fundamentally the issue with Christian marriage counseling currently is that it deals with symptoms rather than causes. Advice on issues in the sex life of married Christians is dealt with by Christian teaching on sex in marriage.

While the Bible's teaching is true and relevant the issue for most married Christians is rarely a failure understand the Bible's teaching on sex.

More often is is a lack of understanding the Bible's teaching on what Christian love looks like. Or failure to understand Christian rest. Or failure to have grace on others failures or failure to forgive. Or failure to take responsibility.

The issue with the approach is not that it is wrong, but it is becoming a one sized fits all solution. It is a solution which may be right in some cases, but more often the issue lies elsewhere in the foundations of a relationship.

We need the whole teaching of scripture in regard to issues, not a one sized fits all solution. That is why the Bible's teaching on interaction in marriage goes far past this one text.

The Bible never presents a once sized fits all solution. So why should the church?

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