Christian morals

27. I would like to point out to you that some of your answers seem to be a little ingenuous (I would say, too ingenuous). For instance, when you answer the question about birth control, you quote 1 Timothy 2:5, which seems to me too much! It seems almost that if a woman does not give birth at least to a child, she will not be saved. Are you really sure that the meaning you give to that passage is correct? What do you think about girls, about unmarried women, about barren women, who cannot bear children? And what do you think about those men who don’t beget children?

Now concerning your observation and questions, I tell you this. First of all we don’t interpret that passage in that way, that is, we don’t teach that a woman will be saved if she gives birth to children, for in another place on the web site I state that these words of Paul don’t mean that unless a woman gives birth to children, she can’t be saved. Here are my words: ‘What does Paul mean when he states that the woman will be saved in childbearing? He means that she will be saved after bearing children. Be careful, Paul does not mean that a woman who can’t bear children (for she is barren) will go to hell! Nor does he mean that if a woman dies immediately after the wedding ceremony she will go to hell! If childbearing were necessary for the woman’s salvation, that would be tantamount to saying that all believing women must get married. However we know that there are some women who remain unmarried for all their life because their fathers have determined in their heart that they will keep their virgins unmarried (as Paul says to the Corinthians – 1 Corinthians 7:37), and their fathers are not blameworthy at all for doing so for they do a good thing in the sight of God. What shall we say about these women then? Shall we say that they will not be saved for they did not bear children? Certainly not, for Paul did not say that the woman will be saved if she bears children, but if she continues “in faith, love and holiness, with self-control” (1 Timothy 2:15 – NKJV). “She will be saved in childbearing” (1 Timothy 2:15 – NKJV) means that God wants every married woman to bear children, for Paul says: “I will therefore that the younger women [widows] marry, bear children ….” (1 Timothy 5:14). So a woman who gets married must desire to bear children, I say ‘she must desire to bear children’ because there are some women who don’t want to bear children’ (From my article titled ‘A Word of exhortation to women’, which is among the Teachings and Exhortations).

Therefore, brother, if you had read this explanation of mine, you would not have said those things.

Therefore I confirm to you in this answer of mine that it is evident that those words of Paul don’t mean that unless a believing woman bears children she can’t be saved; otherwise we should conclude that Paul taught that those women who don’t get married or those who get married but are barren or those who cannot bear children because their husbands are barren, will go to perdition. Paul did not teach such a thing also because he states that he who keeps her virgin daughter unmarried does a good thing (1 Corinthians 7:37-38). Furthermore, if you read carefully the whole passage, you will see on what conditions the woman – whether she is married or unmarried – will be saved, for Paul says that she will be saved if she continues in faith, love and holiness with sobriety. Therefore it is clear that neither a married woman who cannot bear children nor a woman who is not married will go to hell if she continues in faith, love and holiness with sobriety. To me, the passage is very clear. However, it is still true that it is right for a married woman to bear children, and it is right that the woman and her husband should not hinder conception. Therefore, the husband also must procreate; of course, if he is not able to beget children, he will not go to perdition. And I have to say the same thing about those believing men who don’t get married: according to the Scripture, they will not go to perdition. How could we say, in the light of the Scripture, that a man who is barren or who has decided not to get married because it was not granted to him to get married will go to perdition? So, they also – whether they have begotten children or not – will be saved if they continue in faith till the end.

I hope you have fully understand how we interpret this passage of the Bible.

NOTE: The brother who asked me the above mentioned question replied to my letter, saying: ‘Dear brothers, I thank you for your answer. Unfortunately I don’t have enough time to read all your writings …. I am glad that my first impressions were wrong. For I was convinced that you did not have those ideas, yet I am still convinced that passage in the epistle to Timothy doesn’t mean that a woman must bear children (many children).

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