Originally posted by 4His_glory:
I accept your apology, DeaconLew, it is very gracious of you to apologize.
I find it hard to declare courtship a biblical principle. There are ceartainly things we can learn from the OT cultural practices, but we must be careful to realize that they are exactally that- cultural practices, not direct commands for the Christian.
I am glad the two couples you know have had things work out for them, but I dozens of Christian couples who dated each other, and glorified God in their relationship.
Because a couple dates, does not mean that their relationship is starting out bad.
Personally, I made it my descision that when I entered into a dating relationship it was with marriage in mind. Because of that I did not "date around", I had many female freinds that I socialized with in group settings, but when I finally met my wife; after much prayer, I began dating her. My wife was the ony person I ever dated.
I was am not saying that courtship is a biblical principal, but rather the principles of courtship are biblical. I am saying that courtship is sanctioned by scripture.
As far as the culture is concerned, the bible is not a book full of nice stories. We are commanded in the new testiment to apply the principles of the OT in our lives.
1Co 10:6 ¶ Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
The problem with dating is not that everyone who does it fornicates. The problem is that dating is designed for fornication. Unrestrained, unaccountable, unsupervised, unshapperoned(sp) getting together of men and women. It makes for an appearance of evil at best and leads to fornication at worse. I ask this; if dating and courtship are, essentially, the same, why don't more people say they are doing it (courting)?
Can you tell me if you read all that my long post had to say? Did you go and read the article the person wrote in the link that I provided? I ask you to read the article and let me know what you think. You can PM me.
I have two daughters. I was a knukle headed kid growing up doing and living a loosly restrained life. I do not want my daughters to get involved with anyone that was like me. How can I biblically prevent that from happening? Insisting that any relationship (only one) she is in (when she is about 30 or 40
) is with someone that I know his parents, knows where he goes to church, knows where he stands on the fundamental of scripture, has demonstrated that he is prepared for marriage and a family. We will have bible studies with me and my wife and daughter; him his dad and mother.
With the rising divorce rate, unfaithful spouses and the like, I have a responsibility before God to ensure that my daughters marry the person that God has for them. On a side note, I think marriage is eternal (in this life). I do not think there are any reasons what so ever that a couple can get married and divorced and remarried, except to each other. That is why dating is so dangerous in my opinion, and I think also that I have the spirit of God.
What say ye?
-DeaconLew