What Is at Stake?

From the time that God formed Eve out of Adam’s rib and joined the two in marriage, God has been lovingly involved in the reproductive process. David stood in awe of God’s handiwork, reverently saying, “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Ps. 139:13 NIV). We therefore see children as a reward and a blessing, knowing full well that “children are a heritage from the LORD, [and] the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Ps. 127:3). When one understands the multiple miracles involved in the conception, growth, and delivery of a baby, it is hard to imagine a better proof for the existence and providence of a loving God.¹ Certainly we agree that it is God who opens the womb (Gen. 29:31; 30:22) and it is God who closes the womb (Gen. 20:18; 1 Sam. 1:5-6).

What part (if any) does man play in the formation of babies? Is conception a monergistic creation of God alone² or is it a synergistic interplay between God and man?³ Confusion on this question not only impacts the debates on “birth control,” but also impacts the debates related to medical help for infertile couples. Those who argue that seeking to close a womb to conception is rebellion against (or at least lack of trust in) the God who opens wombs, will often feel compelled to argue that seeking to open a womb through surgery is also rebellion against (or at least lack of trust in) the God who closes wombs.⁴ There is a certain logic to this kind of reasoning, but is it consistent with what Scripture says about man’s responsibilities?

Over the years of my pastoral ministry, many people have sought my counsel because they were distressed over many other questions related to conception. Some have been pressured by friends and relatives to severely limit the size of their families as if overpopulation was a real ethical issue and having “too many” children was irresponsible. Others had the opposite pressure and wondered if they were in sin for not having as many children as was physically possible despite overwhelming health issues. On several occasions couples have wondered if it would be ethically wrong to seek medical help to be able to conceive. One couple sought advice on whether it was OK to have sexual relations while undergoing chemotherapy. Some have wondered if it was wrong to have sexual relations after menopause, when conception was no longer possible, having heard that “wasting seed” was a sin. Others have had the same pangs of conscience with regard to sexual relations during pregnancy. Still others were oblivious to the ethical problems with abortifacient drugs and devices, such as the IUD. I have spent so much time counseling people on these and other ethical questions related to conception that I thought it was time to write a clear discussion guide on conception and the dominion mandate.

Though some have outlined at least seven positions on this subject within Evangelicalism⁵, we do not need to deal with each viewpoint separately since every issue raised by the different viewpoints will be addressed as we interact with three: the position that says that No Conception Control (hereafter NCC) ⁶ is allowed, the Antinomian Birth Control position (hereafter ABC) that refuses to consider the ethical implications of the Bible for their “birth control” methods, and the position that argues for a Biblically Limited Conception Control (hereafter BLCC).⁷

By the time a person has studied this book, he or she should have a clear understanding of the Biblical ethics of conception. The following questions should all be clearly answered: Is conception part of the dominion mandate? If so, are there limits to man’s dominion? Is the exercise of man’s will in the fruitfulness of land and cattle different from the exercise of man’s will in the fruitfulness of the womb? In what ways did the Fall impact the conception portion of the dominion mandate? In what ways does Redemption impact conception? May a couple seek medical help in order to conceive? Are there limits to what medicine can ethically achieve in conception? Are there sexual practices within marriage that the Bible prohibits? Where in the Bible does it mention spilling seed in a negative context and where does it speak of it in a positive context? Does the Bible have sufficient information to settle the debates that have arisen on this subject? What are the different positions held by Christians relative to conception and avoiding conception? Are there ambiguities in typical arguments that need to be clarified? What areas of antinomianism and legalism need to be addressed when discussing this issue? How does one’s view of birth control impact other areas of life? What inconsistencies exist between the average Christian’s approach to contraception and his approach to the rest of life?

Keep in mind that these debates are “in-house” debates between Christian brothers and sisters who love the Lord. It is not my intention to alienate those with whom I disagree. Hopefully by the end of this book it will be clear that I respect my brothers in the NCC camp and it is my hope that they will see the Biblical basis for the BLCC position, or at least if they are not convinced by my exegesis, they will be convinced that we are truly seeking to have our ethics governed by the Bible alone. May the Lord use this book to uncover potential wrong assumptions that keep brothers talking past each other, and may our exegesis of the Scripture on this subject of ethics continue to grow and improve.