Answer:
Spousal or marital rape is a form of domestic violence
and sexual abuse. In spousal rape, sex is forced on one spouse by the
other. While the Bible does not specifically deal with spousal rape, it
has plenty to say about the husband-wife relationship and its
representation of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32).
First of all, rape is not about sex.
Sex has little to do with it, in fact. Sex becomes the weapon, the
vehicle to accomplish the desired result, which is to overwhelm,
overpower, embarrass, and humiliate another person. All nonconsensual
sex is rape, whether it takes place within a marriage or any other
relationship. Most of the time, spousal rape occurs within a physically
abusive relationship. In the U.S., marital rape is illegal in all 50
states.
Some people believe that a wife must be agreeable to sexual relations with her husband at any time and that she has no say in the matter. They often misuse 1 Corinthians 7:3–5
to support the erroneous view that a wife can never tell her husband
that she would like to defer having sex for a time. Some men believe
that the husband has a God-given right to just “take it,” in spite of
his wife’s objections. Of course, “taking it” without her consent is
spousal rape, and God never condones rape. The truth is that sexual
expression was designed by God to be an act of love within a marriage,
and violence or coercion should never be a part of it. Forced sex is not
love; it is the opposite. The Bible is clear: “Husbands, love your
wives and do not be harsh with them” (Colossians 3:19).
Unfortunately, marital rape victims are sometimes advised to “put up
with it.” Too often, these women hear that they should be grateful that
the rapist is a good father or a good provider or the like, and that it
is their duty to “submit” in the bedroom. However, such thinking can
inadvertently promote rape and an unbiblical concept of sex. Sex should
be more than a “duty,” and “submission” in the bedroom cannot be seen as
the complement of compulsion.
It is clear from the Bible that mutuality reigns in the bedroom. According to 1 Corinthians 7:1–5,
a husband should provide sexual satisfaction to his wife, and a wife
should provide sexual satisfaction to her husband. A wife does not have
authority over her own body, and a husband does not have authority over
his own body. They belong to each other. Does this mean that a husband
can force himself on his wife anytime he so desires? Definitely not.
What the passage teaches is that each spouse is to willingly, freely,
lovingly submit to the other. The passage is about giving
satisfaction, not demanding it. The focus is on pleasing one’s spouse.
There is no selfishness involved. Forcibly taking what has not been
offered is wrong and plainly against the Bible’s commands on love and
marriage.
If someone has ever made sexual contact with you without your consent,
please seek help. If you are presently in danger of being forced to have
sex, or if nonconsensual sex is an established pattern between you and
another person, call the police and get out of the situation as soon as
it is safe to do so. There is absolutely nothing wrong with calling the
police against a spouse or partner—rape is illegal as well as immoral,
and it should be dealt with by law enforcement.
To the victims of spousal rape, God’s Word offers care and compassion.
The Bible often speaks about God’s helping the needy and vulnerable.
Jesus invites victims of crime and other burden-bearers to approach Him
and find support: “Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and
carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’” (Matthew 11:28, NLT).
To those who have committed spousal rape, first, repent of your sin
before God. Second, seek the forgiveness of your spouse for the great
wrong you have done. Third, seek out a godly counsellor who can guide
you into a biblical view of marriage and sex. You need God’s grace, and,
thankfully, God is willing to extend it (1 John 1:9).
Answer:
The closest the Bible comes to describing what Satan and the demons look like is in 2 Corinthians 11:14,
“Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” The surrounding verses
refer to Satan’s human servants disguising themselves as “apostles of
Christ” and “servants of righteousness.” In context, these descriptions
are referring to false teachers. But the principle surely applies to
demons as well.
One problem—and it’s a big one—with trying to describe what Satan and demons look like is that they are spirits.
Spirits are, by definition, non-physical, and it is impossible to
assign physical features to a non-physical entity. As spirit beings,
demons do not have noses, eyes, hands, feet, tails, or anything else
that we might look for in drafting a description. That’s one reason why
the Bible never describes Satan’s appearance. Even the “angel of light”
description in 2 Corinthians 11:14
is not meant as a sketch of his appearance; rather, it means to
emphasize the deceitful nature of Satan. The devil wants us to believe
he is truth when in reality he is falsehood.
Now that we’ve established that Satan is an angel, a spirit being,
having no physical likeness that can be grasped by our senses, we can do
some surmising. Should Satan decide to make a physical appearance—if he
manifested himself to us visibly—he would do so in a deceptive manner.
The common, pop culture portrayal of Satan as a scary-looking, goat-like
beast with horns is not found in the Bible. Prior to his rebellion
against God, Satan was a beautiful, glorious being (see Ezekiel 28:12–15). What Satan “looks like” now is a mystery. Based on 2 Corinthians 11:14, though, we can know one thing for certain: Satan deceives people into thinking he is an angel of light.
For Satan to reveal himself as the evil, murderous being that he is
would be counterproductive. Most people would not follow the hateful,
malicious maniac of conventional portrayals. Just as sin often looks
attractive at first—only later revealing that it leads to death—so Satan
would seek to deceive us by appearing as something other than evil.
The same is likely true of the demons. What do demons look like? No one
in the Bible ever saw one outside of Micaiah’s and John’s divine
visions; Micaiah did not provide visual details, and John, using
apocalyptic symbolism, wrote of spirits “like frogs” (see 1 Kings 22:21–22 and Revelation 16:13). If demons were to take visible form, they would choose whatever would further their deception. As fallen angels, the demons are intelligent and powerful beings. And they are led by perhaps the most powerful created being (Jude 9),
Satan, whose example they follow. The demons appearing as the evil
beings they really are would hinder their mission of deception and
temptation.
What does Satan look like? What do demons look like? There is no way to
know for certain. If they did appear, they would put on a masquerade.
Deception always wears a mask. Satan and the demons attempt to portray
themselves as servants, guides, and “light” for people. But, make no
mistake, “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).
No matter what Satan would like us to think about himself, we know the
truth: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
And we know his end: “And the great dragon was thrown down, that
ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the
whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown
down with him” (Revelation 12:9).
Answer:
The Bible says that God created all things—including us—for Himself. He
is glorified in His creation. “From him and through him and for him are
all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:36).
It may be hard to see how Adam and Eve’s falling into sin could bring
glory to God. In fact, some might even wonder why, if God knew ahead of
time all the trouble they would cause, He made them in the first place.
God is omniscient (Psalm 139:1–6), and He knows the future (Isaiah 46:10).
So He definitely knew that Adam and Eve would sin. But He created them
anyway and gave them a free will with which they chose to sin.
We must carefully note that Adam and Eve’s falling into sin does not
mean that God is the author of sin or that He tempted them to sin (James 1:13). But the fall does serve the purpose of God’s overall plan for creation and mankind.
If we consider what some theologians call the “meta-narrative” (or
overarching storyline) of Scripture, we see that biblical history can be
roughly divided into three main sections: 1) paradise (Genesis 1—2); 2) paradise lost (Genesis 3—Revelation 20); and 3) paradise regained (Revelation 21—22).
By far the largest part of the narrative is devoted to the transition
from paradise lost to paradise regained. At the center of this
meta-narrative is the cross, which was planned from the very beginning (Acts 2:23). “The Lamb . . . was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).
Reading Scripture carefully, we are led to the following conclusions:
1. The fall of mankind was foreknown by God.
2. The crucifixion of Christ, the atonement for God’s elect, was foreordained by God.
3. All people will one day glorify God (Psalm 86:9), and God purposes “to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).
God’s purpose was to create a world in which His glory could be manifest in all
its fullness. The glory of God is the overarching goal of creation. In
fact, it is the overarching goal of everything He does. The universe was
created to display God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), and the wrath of God is revealed against those who fail to glorify God (Romans 1:23).
The world that best displays the glory of God is the world we have—a
world that was allowed to fall, a world that was redeemed, a world that
will be restored to its original perfection.
God’s wrath and God’s mercy display the riches of His glory, but we
cannot see either without the fall of mankind. We would never know grace
if we had never needed grace. Therefore, all of God’s plan—including
the fall, election, redemption, and atonement of mankind—serves the
purpose of glorifying God. When man fell into sin, God’s mercy was
immediately displayed in God’s not killing him on the spot. God’s grace
was immediately evident in the covering He provided for their shame (Genesis 3:21).
God’s patience and forbearance were later on display as mankind fell
deeper and deeper into sin. God’s justice and wrath were on display when
He sent the flood, and God’s mercy and grace were again demonstrated
when He saved Noah and his family. God’s holy wrath and perfect justice
will be seen in the future when He deals with Satan once and for all (Revelation 20:7–10).
God’s glory is also revealed in His love (1 John 4:16).
Our knowledge of God’s love comes from the Person and saving work of
Jesus Christ in this fallen world. “This is how God showed his love
among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live
through him” (1 John 4:9).
Had God decided not to create Adam and Eve, based on His knowledge of
their fall—or had He made them automatons with no volition—we would
never have truly known what love is.
The ultimate exhibition of God’s glory was at the cross where His wrath,
justice, and mercy met. The righteous judgment of all sin was executed
at the cross, and God’s grace was on display in His Son’s words,
“Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). God’s love and grace are manifest in those whom He has saved (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9).
In the end, God will be glorified as His chosen people worship Him for
all eternity with the angels, and the wicked will also glorify God as
His righteousness results in the eternal punishment of unrepentant
sinners (Philippians 2:11). Without the fall of Adam and Eve, we would never know God’s justice, grace, mercy, or love.
Some raise the objection that God’s foreknowledge and foreordination of
the fall damages man’s freedom. In other words, if God created mankind
with full knowledge of the impending fall into sin, how can man be
responsible for his sin? The best answer to that question can be found
in the Westminster Confession of Faith:
“God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his
own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet
so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered
to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of
second causes taken away, but rather established” (WFC, III.1)
In other words, God ordains future events in such a way that our freedom
and the working of secondary causes (e.g., laws of nature) are
preserved. Theologians call this “concurrence.” God’s sovereign will
flows concurrently with our free choices in such a way that our free
choices always result in the carrying out of God’s will (by “free” we
mean that our choices are not coerced by outside influences). It’s a
complex interaction of wills and choices, but the Creator God can handle
any amount of complexity.
God foresaw Adam and Eve’s fall. He created them anyway, in His own
image, to bring glory to Himself. They were given freedom to make
choices. Even though they chose to disobey, their choice became the
means by which God’s ultimate will was carried out and by which His full
glory will be seen.
Answer:
“Mercy killing” is simply another word for “euthanasia” in most
English-language dictionaries. Euthanasia and, therefore, mercy killing
is “the act of putting a person or animal to death painlessly or
allowing them to die by withholding medical services, usually because of
a painful and incurable disease.”
The Greek word euthanasia translates to “good death,” making it and mercy killing
terms that can be comforting in the face of difficult medical
situations. When any person, especially a family member or close friend,
is experiencing pain, mental degeneration, or other adverse condition,
our instinct is to relieve the person in any way possible. Sometimes,
this desire to alleviate pain can become so strong in the caregiver or
patient that it overrides our deeper impulse to preserve life and
survive.
This struggle is not new to humanity. In fact, one of the oldest stories
in the Bible tells of Job’s desire for death in the midst of his
suffering. Job laments his life, even requesting God to kill him rather
than allow his pain—emotional, physical and spiritual—to continue (Job 6:8-11).
Most pertinently, Job declares, “I prefer strangling and death, rather
than this body of mine. I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let
me alone; my days have no meaning” (Job 7:15-16).
Does the Bible endorse Job’s feelings? It certainly recognizes that such
feelings exist. Other characters in Scripture have, in desperation,
asked for an early end to their lives, including Elijah (1 Kings 19:4) and Saul (1 Chronicles 10:4).
Scripture acknowledges that emotion and even logic can support the idea
of a “mercy killing.” However, we do not live by emotion or logic but
by faith (Romans 1:17). God has plans and an understanding we can never grasp. He is the Giver and Sustainer of life (Nehemiah 9:6),
and we do not have the right to usurp His authority. Near the end of
Job’s story, his friend Elihu warns him, “Beware of turning to evil,
which you seem to prefer to affliction” (Job 36:21). It is not our place to decide the time or manner of our death. Mercy killing is a sin against God’s plan and power.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian who had great personal
experience with suffering. He was imprisoned and eventually executed by
the Third Reich during World War II. While in prison, he wrote this in
his Ethics, published posthumously: “The right to the end of life
is reserved for God, because only God knows the goal toward which a
life is being directed. God alone wishes to be the one who justifies or
rejects a life.”
Answer:
Euthanasia, sometimes called “mercy killing,” can be a difficult issue.
On one hand, we do not want to take a person’s life into our own hands
and end it prematurely. On the other hand, we do not want to prolong the
process of dying more than necessary—that is, we want to
preserve life, but not prolong death. At what point do we simply allow a
person to die and take no further action to extend his or her life?
A related issue is that of assisted suicide. Essentially, a person
seeking assisted suicide is seeking to euthanize himself, with the aid
of another person to ensure that death is quick and painless. The person
assisting the suicide facilitates death by making preparations and
furnishing the needed equipment; but the person seeking death is the one
who actually initiates the process. By taking a “hands-off” approach to
the death itself, the facilitator seeks to avoid charges of murder.
Proponents of assisted suicide try for a positive spin by using terms
like “death with dignity.” But “death with dignity” is still death,
“assisted suicide” is still suicide, and suicide is wrong.
We live in what is sometimes described as a “culture of death.” Abortion
on demand has been practiced for decades. Now some are seriously
proposing infanticide. And euthanasia is promoted as a viable means of
solving various social and financial problems. This focus on death as an
answer to the world’s problems is a total reversal of the biblical
model. Death is an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26). Life is a sacred gift from God (Genesis 2:7). When given the choice between life and death, God told Israel to “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Euthanasia spurns the gift and embraces the curse.
The overriding truth that God is sovereign drives us to the conclusion
that euthanasia and assisted suicide are wrong. We know that physical
death is inevitable for us mortals (Psalm 89:48; Hebrews 9:27). However, God alone is sovereign over when and how a person’s death occurs. Job testifies in Job 30:23, “I know you will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.” Ecclesiastes 8:8
declares, “No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has
power over the day of his death.” God has the final say over death (see 1 Corinthians 15:26, 54–56; Hebrews 2:9, 14–15; Revelation 21:4). Euthanasia and assisted suicide are man’s attempts to usurp that authority from God.
Death is a natural occurrence. Sometimes God allows a person to suffer
for a long time before death occurs; other times, a person’s suffering
is cut short. No one enjoys suffering, but that does not make it right
to determine that a person should die. Often, God’s purposes are made
known through suffering. “When times are good, be happy; but when times
are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other” (Ecclesiastes 7:14). Romans 5:3
teaches that tribulations bring about perseverance. God cares about
those who cry out for death and wish to end their suffering. God gives
purpose in life even to the end. Only God knows what is best, and His
timing, even in the matter of one’s death, is perfect.
We should never seek to prematurely end a life, but neither must we go
to extraordinary means to preserve a life. To actively hasten death is
wrong; to passively withhold treatment can also be wrong; but to allow
death to occur naturally in a terminally ill person is not necessarily
wrong. Anyone facing this issue should pray to God for wisdom (James 1:5).
And we should all remember the words of former Surgeon General C.
Everett Koop, who warned that the practice of medicine “cannot be both
our healer and our killer” (from KOOP, The Memoirs of America’s Family Doctor by C. Everett Koop, M.D., Random House, 1991).
