God, Marriage and the Family

Author ANDREAS J. KOSTENBERGER Publisher CROSSWAY ISBN 1-58134-580-1

 

This is probably the most exhaustive book on marriage and the family available today.  Note its title puts God first, followed by marriage and family.  It is thoroughly Biblical, although it does interact with many books written by other Christian authors who use current psychological and feminist insights to dilute and interpret the plain statements of Scripture.  Kostenberger who is a Bible College professor rejects these regarding them as weak and damaging to a true Biblical Foundation.  He does recognize and take into account the contemporary attitudes of western society and calls Christians back to marriages and family life that will glorify God and therefore be stable and fruitful.  Many Evangelical Christians will welcome this handbook, for indeed, this is what it is.  Readable, written in a gracious style and examining the many scriptures pertinent to its subject matter it includes a massive Bibliography on the various aspects of marriage and family it covers.  This will prove very helpful for pastors especially.  We know that many in the churches today are adrift from sound Biblical moorings regarding marriage, divorce, remarriage, sexuality, children, contraception, abortion, singleness, sex roles, sexuality and leadership.  All these subjects are covered in this volume and if we want to know what the Bible says on any of them then this book points the way.  Those who espouse a strongly egalitarian view of marriage will find this book annoyingly old fashioned simply because it takes the Bible so seriously.  Its author is a scholar and exegete yet is very practical.  There are many other voices sounding in the world today, proclaiming that marriage and family is this and that, politically correct views abound and the churches are giving room to these voices as evidenced by an almost equal divorce rate to be found in churches as in those who do not attend.  In such days we do well to listen to what God has said in the Book He has given us.  Pastors should get a copy of this and its flow of thought will form a good foundation for a series on Marriage and the family in their church.

 

 

 

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