Bible Foundations For Marriage Family Living In The 21st Century

The author offers a Bible-based marriage and family blueprint. (Relationships)

This is a book intended to assist couples in identifying what the Bible has to say about marriage. It is not intended to represent the opinions of the author, but simply to provide a structured and concise view of what the Bible has to say about marriage. Since God created marriage, He is clearly the one to know how best to live out married life to accomplish the purpose for which God created this institution. Most couples who have been exposed to this teaching have felt that their eyes were opened to Biblical truths that were previously unknown to them, or not discerned as applying to marriage. The purpose of the book is to strengthen current marriages (even mature ones) as well as better prepare young people entering into a committed relationship to help them start off on a strong and solid foundation of truth and understanding of the roles of a man and a woman in this wonderful institution ordered and blessed by God.

Never has the sacred covenant of marriage been more maligned than it is today. It can be difficult to know how to respond to a culture that is becoming more and more antagonistic to biblical beliefs about marriage. And this is a topic worth getting right. Marriage was given to us as a picture of the triune God in relationship with his people, which means what we believe about marriage is indissolubly tied to what we believe about God and his creating and saving purposes. Therefore, it is more important now than ever that we think theologically and carefully about what marriage is and how we live faithfully in it. Marriage: Its Foundation, Theology, and Mission in a Changing World is the much-needed work on marriage for this generation and the next. Rooted in a scriptural understanding of marriage, it thoughtfully engages the issues surrounding marriage being debated today and lays the groundwork for the crucial conversations of our day. Each section contains chapters from trusted theologians as well as experienced practitioners who work with couples daily. Rediscover the beauty of God’s design for marriage and be strengthened to stand firm amidst any challenges the world may bring

We live in a time of crisis regarding marriage and the family, and only by a return to the biblical foundation can these institutions be rebuilt. To provide an integrated, biblical treatment of the full range of marriage and family issues, the authors ofGod, Marriage, and Familyexamine what Scripture says about God’s purposes for humans in their marriage and family interactions. Their examination covers the special issues stemming from marriage, childrearing, singleness, homosexuality, and divorce and remarriage. With study questions and points for further discussion, this book is a comprehensive yet concise resource for anyone seeking a Scriptural response to our culture’s complex challenges to God’s intentions for marriage and family.“In breadth of coverage, thoroughness of learning, clarity of analysis and argument and, I think, soundness of judgment, this solid, lucid, pastorally angled treatise has no peer. Evangelicals who research, debate, teach, and counsel on gender, sex, marriage, and family will find it an endlessly useful resource. The easy mastery with which the author threads his way through forty years’ special pleadings gives this compendium landmark significance, and I recommend it highly.” -J. I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College“A generation ago the most influential book on marriage for me was God and Marriage by Geoffrey Bromiley. Now I have been married over 35 years and have sons who are near where I was in their marriages. For them-and for a whole generation under assault on the meaning of marriage and family-I am now looking to Andreas KÖstenberger’s new and larger God, Marriage, and Family to do for this generation what Bromiley’s book did for mine. Unlike Bromiley’s book, KÖstenberger’s book takes on the challenges of the present explicitly. That is more necessary now than it was 25 years ago. The special value of this book lies again in its pervasive exposition of Scripture. We are adrift in a sea of speculation without this. I am thankful for the book. I plan to give it to my grown children.” -John Piper, Pastor for Preaching, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

1. God is the first missionary. God was the first missionary. He spoke of judgment, but also of grace. Immediately after the Fall of man, when humanity’s history already appeared doomed, God did not leave things as they were. Rather, in his grace he himself came into the Garden of Eden to search for Adam and Eve and to ask, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). Like every good missionary, God was not deterred by the fact that humanity did not want to hear the good news. He proclaimed judgment to them, and then he proclaimed the coming redemption (Genesis 3:14–21). If a missionary is someone who brings the message of judgment and God’s gracious answer for that judgment to people, not all of whom want to hear it (John 1:11: “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him”), then God himself is and was the first missionary.” (Thesis 1)

This book is for all married people and those embarking on the road to marriage. It is written to clearly reveal what the Bible has to say about marriage by the one who initiated this sacred institution. God bless you in this pursuit as you learn to apply the truths of this book!

When it comes to marriage these days, anything goes. No wonder you can find a book on marriage from every perspective--or no perspective. How can you experience a great marriage that lasts? What works? This book answers that question by shining a light on the biblical design for marriage. In a world of sexual and relational confusion, isn't it time to consult the One who created marriage? Author and pastor Chip Ingram, with his characteristic compassion, transparency, and engaging storytelling, discusses - what marriage really is - the biblical model - a man's unique role in marriage - a woman's unique role in marriage - the bigger picture of why God created marriage A marriage that works, says Ingram, is more wonderful than you thought possible and harder than you imagined--but worth the work. Couples will learn the power of making a covenant with their spouse and fulfilling their design in an atmosphere of respect, resulting in the spiritual, psychological, emotional, and physical oneness they long to have with each other.

During a time of cultural ferment and crisis with regard to marriage and the family, this book provides a timely solution, speaking directly to current issues and explaining the Bible's teaching on marriage and family.