New age bible versions

Dating and Christians

A Christian has a Bible as a guidebook to his
love life. Nonchristians				can accommodate your beliefs and there meet
				the ones to pursue. If
are not expected to be following it, so
you'll have to make with them				you need more action, then meet someone at a
				dance where the weaker
whatever arrangements work for you. Expect
them, however, to respect				brethren are not to go out of their way to
				judge you.
your limit to hold off on having sex with
you until marriage.

				Dating proper was invented in the book of
				Esther where a king met
The King
				a wide range of available maidens, the ones
James Version of 1611 was made when marriage				he particularly liked,
was more biblical,
				he called up for dates (ch. 2:14b), and the
although by the same token more old				one he loved most
fashioned. Our new and improved
				(Esther), he made queen. Esther herself used
English versions were made by translators of				this invention to negotiate
our own times and so perhaps
				with the king to get her request, she made a
less biblical. You can't have your cake and				lunch date with him.
eat it too. I use the KJV.
				We see here the purpose of prearrangement
				which enabled God to advise

Starting in Genesis, Adam was interested in				the king in a dream going along with the
the woman God had made				first commandment to love

for him; he saw where she came from and what				God first of all. We see a couple as opposed
she was for. Therefore				to a group, shown by

a man should leave father and mother to				Haman trying to bond one-on-one with Esther
cleave to his woman, and the				at the banquet, going

twain shall become one flesh. The leaving				along with the second commandment to love
and cleaving is what we				one's neighbor as oneself.

call going out, spending some time together				The physical bonding--touching,
as a couple. Becoming				holding--allows the sexes to bond

one flesh is biblical terminology for				with each other
marriage, what happens there.


				In Ruth the indirect negotiation for her
As Christians we're obligated by Romans 14				hand in marriage was
to avoid "doubtful
				made at a specific place set up for major
disputations" but get along with other				transactions: at the city
Christians who behave differently.
				gate in the presence of the elders. In our
If, say, we have a stronger faith that				society such a place set
allows us to do things which
				up for these necessary negotiations is a,
a weaker brother's conscience would not
permit, we are to happily have				elders + gate = date.

our own faith quietly to ourselves, not
putting a stumbling block in
				This follows from the lesson of First
the weaker brother's way. The weaker brother				Corinthians 7. While a Christian's
on his part is not to go
				marriage to an unbeliever is contingent on
out of his way to find something to judge				the unbeliever's willingness
the stronger brother for.
				to stay in it, a Christian's marriage to
				another Christian is to be

First Corinthians 7 instructs that single				binding unto death. In order to prove our
brothers and sisters be				own and the other's ability

permitted to marry. There is necessarily a				to commit, we need a device that allows us
courtship stage before				to enter, modify and exit

marriage, so it's expected there will be				commitments. The date serves this purpose.
various courtship customs				One enters commitments

develop. Suppose Christians of various				on a date, and modifies or withdraws from
levels of faith accept fewer				them on other dates. That

or more of these customs depending on their				gives us liberty and a proving ground. If
faith. Furthermore, suppose				there were no place

that it doesn't divide out even between the				for this to be done--a date--, then how can
sexes; say that some men will				one tell when he or the

take the high end and some women the low.				other is ending a commitment or just
Won't we have to either violate				violating it?

Romans 14 by forcing a weaker sister to
violate her conscience or a
				In (Prov. 18:24) "A man that hath friends
stronger brother to cancel his liberty, or				must show himself friendly:
else prevent the possibility
				and there is a friend that sticketh closer
of marriage altogether as their practices				than a brother." There
are incompatible with each other?
				is such a thing as a girlfriend, a
				non-platonic friend. As friendship

In the Benjamite War at the end of Judges,				requires effort, one's friends end up in a
the tribes had a doubtful				pyramid scheme, the best

disputation where the majority sinned				ones in the narrow group at top. If you try
"because we reserved not to				to date only your best

each man his wife in the war" (Judges				friends, you risk ruining the valuable
21:22). They had made rules				friendship without increasing

whereby the men of Benjamin could not obtain				your dating pool very much. If you follow
wives. Their answer was,				the scheme of Esther, you'll

first, there were some villages that didn't				be dating from the larger pool of
participate in the conflict;				acquaintances.

they could at least be flexible enough to
accommodate the men. Second,
				In the Song of Solomon we see a mother's
what wives were still needed, the men could				influence on her daughter on
pick up at dances where
				dates, and that she is not despised for
their liberty would be respected.				kissing her beau.



Applied to a modern church age, if you find				These are the lessons from the Old
yourself at odds with				Testament. The New Testament is

a church over courtship practices, then go				a bit easier to follow and apply.
find a church(es) that

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Dating and Christians