OpenTheo

Q&A#81 Singles Adopting

Alastair Roberts

Q&A#81 Singles Adopting

October 27, 2018
Alastair Roberts
Alastair Roberts

Today's question:

"I am curious about your thoughts regarding the growing trend of singles in the church adopting children. More specifically- is the Biblical prohibition of sexual immorality simply a nominal command to keep sex within marriage for its own sake because God commanded? Or is it also a safeguard that ensures children, the natural consequence of sexual intercourse, are birthed into a covenanted relationship? If the answer is the latter, should it also inform our view of singles adopting? Or does it matter since the family structure is already fractured and the single person is trying to repair the breach? Does single adoption betray any aspect of God’s designs? Or should an unmarried believer consider other factors?

There was recently a single adoption at my church, and largely the women gushed with how brave this woman was to take this child on alone, how this is caring for widows and orphan like James commands, etc. The men I spoke with were much more skeptical and reserved in their praise. But they couldn’t put their finger on why they were flummoxed.

Wondering if you could give some wisdom...."

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#82 Richard Rohr on Scripture
Q&A#82 Richard Rohr on Scripture
Alastair Roberts
October 28, 2018
Today's question: " I came across this post from Richard Rohr on how Jesus interpreted scripture (https://cac.org/jesus-interpreted-scripture-2017-01-
Q&A#83 Peter Leithart and Me on Baptismal Efficacy: Do We Disagree?
Q&A#83 Peter Leithart and Me on Baptismal Efficacy: Do We Disagree?
Alastair Roberts
October 29, 2018
Today's question: "I just finished Leithart’s The Priesthood of the Plebs. It was one of the most stimulating books I have read in a long, long time.
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
Q&A#80 Is There Meaning to be Found in the Ordering of the Books of the Bible?
Q&A#80 Is There Meaning to be Found in the Ordering of the Books of the Bible?
Alastair Roberts
October 26, 2018
Today's question: "Do you think there is meaning to be found in the ordering of the books of the Bible?" Within the video. I reference James Jordan's
Meredith Kline, 'Images of the Spirit'
Meredith Kline, 'Images of the Spirit'
Alastair Roberts
October 25, 2018
Today I discuss Meredith Kline's superb little book, 'Images of the Spirit' ( https://amzn.to/2EMKplc ). If you have any questions, you can leave the
Q&A#79 Was Cain Really Supposed to be his Brother's Keeper?
Q&A#79 Was Cain Really Supposed to be his Brother's Keeper?
Alastair Roberts
October 24, 2018
Today's question: "You referred in a recent lectionary talk with Peter Leithart to "being our brother's keeper." What is your understanding of the eth
More From "Alastair Roberts"

More on OpenTheo

#219 Title Why don’t I hear from God any more? (Replay)
#219 Title Why don’t I hear from God any more? (Replay)
Ask NT Wright Anything
May 30, 2024
Join Tom today as he sits down to answer a fresh batch of questions from listeners who are having trouble hearing from God. Nicole asks why 'Ask and y
Lydia McGrew Answered! On Paraphrase
Lydia McGrew Answered! On Paraphrase
Risen Jesus
June 13, 2024
In this episode, Dr. Licona gives attention to Lydia McGrew's contentions that historians in antiquity would not have employed the literary exercises
What’s the Best Evidence for the Reliability of the Old Testament?
What’s the Best Evidence for the Reliability of the Old Testament?
#STRask
May 23, 2024
Questions about the best evidence for the reliability of the Old Testament, whether Greg subscribes to the idea of four independent Gospel accounts or
Anticipations of Pentecost (with Rev Benjamin Miller)
Anticipations of Pentecost (with Rev Benjamin Miller)
Alastair Roberts
May 20, 2024
This is the second video in our treatment of Pentecost. The first can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esXSNcRbMak&ab_channel=AlastairRob
The Internet is the Negative World
The Internet is the Negative World
Alastair Roberts
May 14, 2024
The following is a reading from this post: https://argosy.substack.com/p/33-the-internet-is-the-negative-world. Within it, I discuss Aaron Renn's rece
#222 What if I’m not really saved? (replay)
#222 What if I’m not really saved? (replay)
Ask NT Wright Anything
June 20, 2024
Can We Lose Our Salvation? Join us this week as Tom addresses common doubts that crop up time and again from our listener's questions. Do you ever que
Conspiracy Theory and Autodidact Brain (with Susannah Roberts and Derek Rishmawy)
Conspiracy Theory and Autodidact Brain (with Susannah Roberts and Derek Rishmawy)
Alastair Roberts
April 20, 2024
The journalist and writer Naomi Wolf recently posted on Twitter about her reading of a New Testament interlinear: https://twitter.com/naomirwolf/statu
Can Christians Who Have Died Hear Our Requests for Prayer?
Can Christians Who Have Died Hear Our Requests for Prayer?
#STRask
June 3, 2024
Questions about whether those in Heaven have a limited omniscience that enables them to hear our requests for them to pray for us, why Scripture comes
Petrus Van Mastricht's Theoretical-Practical Theology with Todd Rester
Petrus Van Mastricht's Theoretical-Practical Theology with Todd Rester
Life and Books and Everything
May 1, 2024
What are you doing with your life? Todd Rester is using a big chunk of his life to translate a seventeenth-century Dutch theologian's magnum opus (all
Lydia McGrew Answered! More Methodological Missteps
Lydia McGrew Answered! More Methodological Missteps
Risen Jesus
June 21, 2024
In this episode, Dr. Licona walks us through more missteps by Lydia Mcgrew, including false dichotomies on the issues of chronological narration, and
What Should I Say to a Reformed Christian Who Dismisses Many Non-Believers as Lost Causes?
What Should I Say to a Reformed Christian Who Dismisses Many Non-Believers as Lost Causes?
#STRask
June 17, 2024
Questions about the best way to respond to someone who believes in double predestination and who dismisses many non-believers as lost causes and wheth
Is Matthew 23:23 an Argument for Social Justice?
Is Matthew 23:23 an Argument for Social Justice?
#STRask
May 13, 2024
Questions about how to respond to someone who uses Matthew 23:23 as an argument for social justice and what to say to a family member who argues that
Do You Believe in the Clarity of Scripture?
Do You Believe in the Clarity of Scripture?
#STRask
May 6, 2024
Question about whether Stand to Reason accepts the doctrine of biblical perspicuity (the idea that the Bible is clear in what it teaches about essenti
#216 Dear Tom: What does the Bible say about the Spiritual Gifts?
#216 Dear Tom: What does the Bible say about the Spiritual Gifts?
Ask NT Wright Anything
April 25, 2024
Tom discusses the relevance of spiritual gifts like prophecy and speaking in tongues within our modern context, dives into the significance of signs a
How Should a Dad Talk to His Children about Attending Their Mom’s Same-Sex Wedding?
How Should a Dad Talk to His Children about Attending Their Mom’s Same-Sex Wedding?
#STRask
April 22, 2024
Questions about how a dad should talk to his children about attending their mom’s same-sex wedding, how a veterinarian should respond if someone who s