OpenTheo

Q&A#87 The Church and the Natural Family

Alastair Roberts

Q&A#87 The Church and the Natural Family

November 2, 2018
Alastair Roberts
Alastair Roberts

Today's question:

"In the past two episodes of "Mere Fidelity" there was an underlying issue which was touched on, but not fully discussed. That is the relationship between the biological family and the New Family of which Christ is the firstborn. Examples I am thinking of:

1.) Does the Great Commission now call us to emphasize “being fruitful and multiplying” for this New Family through making disciples, over and against being fruitful in biological families?

2.) For those who cannot have biological families, how much should the church be relied upon to be family?

3.) The New Testament certainly seems to de-emphasize biological family to some degree, what do we make of this?"

Within the discussion, I reference my earlier discussion of the biblical theology of the household: https://alastairadversaria.com/2018/05/16/video-a-biblical-theology-of-the-household/.

If you have any questions, you can leave them on my Curious Cat account: https://curiouscat.me/zugzwanged.

If you have enjoyed these talks, please tell your friends and consider supporting me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zugzwanged.

The audio of all of my videos is available on my Soundcloud account: https://soundcloud.com/alastairadversaria. You can also listen to the audio of these episodes on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/alastairs-adversaria/id1416351035?mt=2.

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditCopy Link

Transcript

More From Alastair Roberts

Q&A#88 Call No Man Father, Castor and Pollux, and Contraception
Q&A#88 Call No Man Father, Castor and Pollux, and Contraception
Alastair Roberts
November 3, 2018
Today's questions: "1.) How can Paul call Timothy his "true child in the Faith" (1 Tim 1:2; cf. 1 Cor 4:17, 2 Tim 1:2) when Jesus forbids calling anyo
Q&A#89 Man, Woman, Deception and Authority in 1 Timothy 2
Q&A#89 Man, Woman, Deception and Authority in 1 Timothy 2
Alastair Roberts
November 4, 2018
Today's question: "How do we explain 1 Timothy 2:14? On the one hand it appears to have a novel idea that Adam was not deceived in the fall. While on
Q&A#90 Legal and Natural Consequences of Sin
Q&A#90 Legal and Natural Consequences of Sin
Alastair Roberts
November 5, 2018
Today's question: "What is your understanding of the legal and natural consequences of sin? Should we separate the two? Is there any difference betwee
Q&A#86 Jairus' Daughter and the Woman with the Issue of Blood
Q&A#86 Jairus' Daughter and the Woman with the Issue of Blood
Alastair Roberts
November 1, 2018
Today's question: "What's going on with the story of the healing of Jairus' daughter and the woman who touches the hem of Jesus' garment? I know there
Q&A#85 The Cherubic Faces of Solomon's Water Chariots
Q&A#85 The Cherubic Faces of Solomon's Water Chariots
Alastair Roberts
October 31, 2018
Today's question: "Why are the stands and basins of the Solomonic temple decorated with bulls, lions and cherubim? The bulls have sacrificial associat
Q&A#84 Being Born Again, Baptism, and the Subjective and Objective Work of the Spirit
Q&A#84 Being Born Again, Baptism, and the Subjective and Objective Work of the Spirit
Alastair Roberts
October 30, 2018
Today's questions: 1. "What is your understanding of what regeneration, being born again, and the new birth mean in Scripture? And how do common conte
More From "Alastair Roberts"

More on OpenTheo

The Resurrection Standoff: Licona vs. Ehrman on the Unbelievable Podcast
The Resurrection Standoff: Licona vs. Ehrman on the Unbelievable Podcast
Risen Jesus
October 22, 2025
This episode is taken from the Unbelievable podcast with Justin Brierly in 2011 when Dr. Bart Ehrman and Dr. Michael Licona address the question: Is t
Is It Possible There’s a Being That’s Greater Than God?
Is It Possible There’s a Being That’s Greater Than God?
#STRask
February 5, 2026
Questions about whether it’s possible there’s a being that’s greater than God and that’s outside of God’s comprehension and omniscience, and how to ex
How Do I Determine Which Topics at Work Are Worth Commenting On?
How Do I Determine Which Topics at Work Are Worth Commenting On?
#STRask
January 5, 2026
Questions about how to determine which topics at work are worth commenting on, and a good way to respond when you’re in a group Bible study and hear e
Can You Provide Verifiable, Non-Religious Evidence That a Supernatural Jesus Existed?
Can You Provide Verifiable, Non-Religious Evidence That a Supernatural Jesus Existed?
#STRask
November 10, 2025
Question about providing verifiable, non-religious evidence that a supernatural Jesus existed.   * I am an atheist and militantly anti-god-belief. Ho
Are Demon Possessions and Exorcisms in the New Testament Literal?
Are Demon Possessions and Exorcisms in the New Testament Literal?
#STRask
December 11, 2025
Questions about whether references to demon possessions and exorcisms in the New Testament are literal, how to talk to young children about ghosts, an
Could the Writers of Scripture Have Been Influenced by Their Fallen Nature?
Could the Writers of Scripture Have Been Influenced by Their Fallen Nature?
#STRask
October 23, 2025
Questions about whether or not it’s reasonable to worry that some of our current doctrines were influenced by the fallen nature of the apostles, and h
What About Those Who Never Heard the Name of Jesus?
What About Those Who Never Heard the Name of Jesus?
#STRask
December 22, 2025
Questions about what will happen to those who never heard of Jesus or were brought up in a different faith, whether there’s biblical warrant to think
How Do You Justify Calling Jesus the Messiah?
How Do You Justify Calling Jesus the Messiah?
#STRask
December 18, 2025
Questions about how one can justify calling Jesus the Messiah when he didn’t fulfill the Hebrew messianic prophecies, and whether the reason for the v
Would You Say God’s Primary Object Is to Not Be Found?
Would You Say God’s Primary Object Is to Not Be Found?
#STRask
March 19, 2026
Questions about whether God’s primary object is to not be found, how one can say God doesn’t make mistakes if the percentage of Christians in the worl
What Tools of Reasoning Help You Know What’s True, Right, and Good?
What Tools of Reasoning Help You Know What’s True, Right, and Good?
#STRask
December 4, 2025
Question about what tools of reasoning help us determine whether something is true or false, right or wrong, good or bad before bringing Scripture int
Why Is There No Effort Towards a Neutral Interpretation of Scripture?
Why Is There No Effort Towards a Neutral Interpretation of Scripture?
#STRask
March 9, 2026
Questions about why there is no effort towards a neutral interpretation of Scripture that doesn’t take denominational preferences into account, and ho
How Do I Reconcile the Image of God as Judge with His Love, Grace, and Kindness?
How Do I Reconcile the Image of God as Judge with His Love, Grace, and Kindness?
#STRask
October 20, 2025
Questions about how to reconcile the image of God as a judge with his love, grace, and kindness, why our sins are considered to be sins against God, a
Why Should We Pray If God Already Knows What’s Going to Happen?
Why Should We Pray If God Already Knows What’s Going to Happen?
#STRask
January 29, 2026
Questions about why we should pray if God already knows what’s going to happen, how the effectiveness of prayer is measured, and whether or not things
Brian Miller: Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse Theory
Brian Miller: Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse Theory
Knight & Rose Show
March 7, 2026
Wintery Knight and guest host Terrell Clemmons welcome Dr. Brian Miller to discuss the the evidence for fine-tuning in physics and cosmology and the m
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
#STRask
January 12, 2026
Questions about how to answer the challenge that God doesn’t need a “pound of flesh” to forgive sins but can simply forgive, and whether the claim in