Introduction: So what are the duties of husbands? We have discussed what their orientation and demeanor toward their wives should be (masculinity), but this is all still theoretical unless we make a point of applying ourselves in close imitation of the Incarnation. What are the duties of husbands? We may divide them into two broad …
Foundations of Marriage X
Introduction: Having addressed the question of masculinity, and how men are different from women, we now turn, as promised, to femininity, and how women are different from men. Please remember that our central concern (at this point) is not biology, but rather how the broader questions of masculinity and femininity relate to our obedience as …
Foundations of Marriage IX
Introduction: This week we will be addressing masculinity, and how men are different from women. Next week, the topic will be femininity, and how women are different from men. The central concern here is not biology (male and female), but the broader question of masculinity and femininity. The Text: “But I would have you know, …
Foundations of Marriage VIII
Introduction: We have seen that the creation of man, male and female, is not unrelated to God’s pronouncement that the whole creation was “very good.” But the same thing is true of the new creation in Christ. In the new creation, the relation of husbands and wives plays an important part in the worship of …
Foundations of Marriage VII
Introduction When God created the world, He immediately set about fashioning the world by means of division. He separated man into male and female, and pronounced it all very good. But He divides for the sake of richer union, and not for the sake of division itself. But what is the principle of this kind …
Foundations of Marriage VI
Introduction: What is marriage? On a subject like this, definitions are as important as false definitions are a threat. But as we define, we have to take care that we do not define as good little abstractionists. Biblical knowing, especially concerning marriage, is not a rarified exercise. Text: And the LORD God said, It is …
Foundations of Marriage IV
Introduction: By the grace of God, we have repented of our discontent and want to be teachable. We want to hear the word of truth in truth, and make applications according to the Spirit and not according to the letter. And we want to apply whatever we learn to ourselves first, and not to our …
Foundations of Marriage III
Introduction: We are beginning this series on marriage with a short introductory series on why teaching on marriage frequently does no good at all. The first reason we considered was discontent, because discontented people are unteachable. The second stumbling block is our tendency to trust in the letter of the law, instead of trusting in …
Foundations of Marriage II
Introduction: We have already considered how discontent is a universal corrosive, and how those who are discontent cannot learn to live biblically in the married state. But discontent is not the only sin in the world, and we have to consider a few other reasons why many professing Christians might not be able to learn …
Foundations of Marriage I
Introduction: Marriage is instituted by God, and rightly understood it is one of the most glorious pictures of the gospel given to man. And of course, abused as it often is, it presents a potent false gospel as well. That false gospel either seduces people into a sentimental mess, or it presents a caricature that …