Is birth control sinful?
Introduction. The answer to our question poses a challenge as far as delicacy and detail are concerned.
Some view the husband / wife relationship only from the standpoint of procreation. Admittedly, one of the primary designs of marriage is procreation. Relative to the original couple God said, "...be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth..." (Gen. 1: 28, such excludes homosexual marriages). Paul taught childbearing is involved in the basic role of the wife (1 Tim. 2: 8-15). Moderns who are so selfish and materialistic that they have no place in their lives for children are wrong. However, childbearing is not the only function of the marriage relationship.
Marriage is designed to provide biological appeasement. The writer of Hebrews plainly shows that those who are sexually placating themselves outside of marriage are condemned (Heb. 13: 4). However, in the same verse he shows that conjugal relations within marriage (for physical fulfillment) are not necessarily forbidden (see "bed"). An important passage concerning our question is 1 Corinthians 7: 1-7. "To avoid fornication," Paul writes, "let every man have his own wife..." (vs. 2). The husband is to physically satisfy his wife and the wife is to meet her husband's sexual needs (vss. 3-5). Hence, sex within marriage is not automatically dirty. The point I am making is this: If marriage were only for reproduction, birth-control would be wrong. However, God has also designed marriage for the sexual satisfaction of the husband and wife.
Conclusion. Obviously, there are extremes and abuses attendant to our question. Nonetheless, the Bible teaches birth-control is not necessarily sinful.
Some view the husband / wife relationship only from the standpoint of procreation. Admittedly, one of the primary designs of marriage is procreation. Relative to the original couple God said, "...be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth..." (Gen. 1: 28, such excludes homosexual marriages). Paul taught childbearing is involved in the basic role of the wife (1 Tim. 2: 8-15). Moderns who are so selfish and materialistic that they have no place in their lives for children are wrong. However, childbearing is not the only function of the marriage relationship.
Marriage is designed to provide biological appeasement. The writer of Hebrews plainly shows that those who are sexually placating themselves outside of marriage are condemned (Heb. 13: 4). However, in the same verse he shows that conjugal relations within marriage (for physical fulfillment) are not necessarily forbidden (see "bed"). An important passage concerning our question is 1 Corinthians 7: 1-7. "To avoid fornication," Paul writes, "let every man have his own wife..." (vs. 2). The husband is to physically satisfy his wife and the wife is to meet her husband's sexual needs (vss. 3-5). Hence, sex within marriage is not automatically dirty. The point I am making is this: If marriage were only for reproduction, birth-control would be wrong. However, God has also designed marriage for the sexual satisfaction of the husband and wife.
Conclusion. Obviously, there are extremes and abuses attendant to our question. Nonetheless, the Bible teaches birth-control is not necessarily sinful.