Contraception, Birth Control, and Scripture

                                                                     I. Introduction

Before 1930, all Christian Churches (and all Christian theologians condemned contraception). Many Roman Catholics see the Lambeth Council of the 1930s as a radical change in church history, in which they claim, more denominations began to accept birth control. Indeed, it was in this church council, that the Church of England embraced a limited use of contraception. Ironically, however, the established Anglican Church of the 1930s, never intended contraption to be widely practiced and saw the purpose of contraception as morally acceptable in certain circumstances (see the Anglican article). Nevertheless, in time, not only the Church of England, but all the Protestant Churches came to embrace contraception, and eventually for far more than limited cases. 

Later, in this post, I will address the Lambeth Council. However, more importantly, we need to ask ourselves does God allow contraception? If He does allow it, is it allowed in limited cases? What about the sexual union of a man and a woman together in holy matrimony? Is the purpose of sex only for reproduction? In many ways, our views on all of these topics run together and influence how we see both marriage and the family. 

In recent years, some such as the Christian Apologetics Research ministry have concluded that because Scripture doesn't mention Contraception, then it is not sinful. However, Scripture doesn't explicitly mention pornography either, though pornography is against Christ's command for a man not to lust after a woman, and Paul's condemnation of men lusting after one another, along with women lusting after one another in Romans 1. Likewise, contraception is implicitly condemned by Scripture as pornography is. 

Our views on contraception, however, should derive primarily from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and Church history. In the order of the following posts, the arguments of this post will be listed. 

                                                    I. Contraception and the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, God commanded humanity to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1: 28, Genesis 9: 1-7, Genesis 35: 11). In Genesis 28: 3, Isaac regards fertility and procreation as gifts from God. In Genesis 38: 8-10, Onan was struck down by god for his sperm not going into the woman that he was using for sexual gratification. In Genesis 38: 11-20, Judah, while not slain by God, withholds his sperm in a similar situation to that of Onan. In Leviticus 18: 22-23 and 20: 13, any engagement of sexual activity which wasted seed, was seen as worthy of death. God also condemns all sterilization of the body in Leviticus 21: 17-20. In 1 Chronicles 12: 25, God blessed the Hebrews for having many children. 

In Malachi 2: 15, God desires offspring. But contraception is a denial of this, therefore, it is sinful. 

While it is true that some Old Testament t heroes of the faith are only recorded as having a few children such as Moses, the Bible never affirms that this was because of contraception. If anything, maybe Moses and his wife refrained or they couldn't produce many. Either way, we don't know. But Scripture condemns contraception in many places and therefore, Moses likely did not use contraception. 

                                                  II. Contraception in the New Testament

The New Testament nowhere rescinded the Old Testament condemnation of contraception. Because of this, it is still relevant. After all, Christ said that He did not come to end the law, but rather, to fulfill it. 

People who remained single such as Christ, Paul the Apostle, and others are not sinful to not biologically procreate, as they did not engage in sexual activity. But those who desire and/or act upon sexual inclinations must be aware that they are sinful to resolve against having any children at all. 

One of the greatest arguments against contraception from the New Testament, however, is that contraception prevents a husband and sharing union with each other (such as through a condom). Because Matthew 19: 6 and Ephesians 5: 31 understand a husband and a wife as sharing one flesh, acceptance of contraception is an implicit denial of their union before God. 

In Acts 5: 1-11, both Ananias and Saphire were condemned by God for withholding gifts from Him. Since children are a gift from God, and contraception is a denial of proving the Lord with gifts, are those who engage in contraception any better than Ananias or Saphire? 

And because our bodies are intended to glorify God (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20). Since children are a gift from God from our bodies made for the Creator's glory, then denying the best our bodies for Him, is itself a sin. 

Ephesians 5: 29-31 and Philippians 3: 2 both condemn the mutilation of flesh (which is surgery to prevent conception) to be sinful. 

1 Timothy 2: 15 actually teaches that childbearing saves a woman. 

Various passages in The Book of Revelation condemn sorcery such as Revelation 9: 21, 21: 8, 22: 15, and Galatians 5: 20. The Greek word used for sorcery in these passages is pharmakia---a word, which includes abortifacient potions such as birth control. In other words, witchcraft is attempting to control other people, which contraception is. 

                                                                        3. Next Post

As will be discussed in the next post, church history strongly condemns all contraception. In fact, every church until the 1930s condemned it. Today, the Roman Catholic Communion is the only church faithful to New Testament Christianity on the topic of contraception. Early Christian Writings since the earliest of times condemned it as did Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, and Protestant ministers all the ways through the 1800s. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century, did Protestant ministers begin to deflect from historic teachings as happened the Lambeth Council of the Church of England in the 1930s.