Short Answer
The Bible does not directly forbid family planning, and there can be valid reasons for limiting or spacing children. However, the key boundary is that any method should prevent conception—not destroy life after it begins.
The Overview
The Bible does not provide a specific command about contraception or family planning, but it does give principles that help guide decisions. One important observation is that Scripture affirms singleness as a valid and even honorable choice. This shows that having the biological ability to reproduce does not mean it must always be exercised.
Applying that principle to marriage, there may be legitimate reasons for couples to limit or delay having children. These reasons can include health concerns, age, ministry priorities, or other practical considerations. In such cases, planning a family is not inherently wrong, as long as it is done with wisdom and the right motives.
However, a clear moral boundary is emphasized: the distinction between preventing conception and ending a life after conception. Once life begins, it should be protected and valued. Any method that destroys a fertilized embryo crosses that boundary and is not consistent with a biblical view of life.
Ultimately, family planning should be approached with responsibility, reverence for life, and alignment with biblical principles. Couples are free to make thoughtful decisions, but those decisions must respect the value and sanctity of human life from its earliest beginning.
Key Takeaways
- No Direct Command on Contraception
The Bible gives principles rather than specific rules. - Singleness Shows Flexibility
Not all biological capacity must be used. - Family Planning Can Be Valid
Health, timing, and ministry may influence decisions. - Clear Boundary: Protect Life
Do not destroy life after conception. - Motives Matter
Decisions should honor God and reflect wisdom. - Responsibility in Marriage
Couples should prayerfully consider their choices.
Transcript
[00:00:00 – 00:00:57] All right. Karen writes in about her own life and she says she signed a permission slip many years ago to her husband to have a vasectomy and she feels bad about that. With that said, she said, “Can you give me a scripture that would affirm or approve of Christian marriages planning parenthood being life prevention, the pill or any kind of other procedure?” Uh, okay. Here’s what I would say, Karen. Um, there are no verses I can point to other than the fact that there are plenty of
[00:00:28 – 00:01:23] Christians in the Bible that are single. And uh, it’s hailed as a good thing. Jesus himself encourages singleness. And the reason I start with singleness is because here are men and women who have all of the component parts to reproduce and they don’t. Now, they do that, Jesus says, for the sake of the kingdom. And if they say, “I’m going to forego uh some of what God designed me to do, at least biologically, and that is reproduction. I’m going to forego all that for the sake of the of the
[00:00:56 – 00:02:00] priorities of the kingdom.” Kingdom priorities are going to over um shadow the effect that I would have as having a a family, being a father, or being a mother and reproducing. So I do know that the natural intention of certain things in nature like our own bodies do not necessitate that they be used for that. And there are times with the right reason that we forego that. So Karen, here’s what I would say. Uh there there is even in marriage, you could have a couple that says because of what we’re
[00:01:28 – 00:02:18] doing in ministry, because of the priorities for the Lord, uh we’re going to limit how many children we have. And as long as that’s preconception where we don’t have sperm and egg coming together, that’s the point I would say is the point of no return. At that point, we want to do all we can to protect and nourish life. But if you do anything that’s going to, as you put it here, what did you, how did you say it? Uh, planning parenthood. If you want to plan, and I hate to use that phrase
[00:01:53 – 00:02:43] because who know that thinks you think of Planned Parenthood, which of course they are the producing engine of abortion throughout our country, uh, funded by our government, but that Yeah. Okay. That’s a nasty thought in in our minds. But here, let me say this. In you planning to have, say you have your kids, they get married and they say, “We’re going to wait to have kids for a year.” Well, of course, they’re not going to wait to have relations for a year. So, they invoke some sort of uh
[00:02:18 – 00:03:15] parental planning, right? And and whatever that is, as long as we are preventing the conception of the egg and the sperm, well, then great. I think that falls in line with the whole logic of scripture of sometimes we take what is biologically uh designed by nature by God right God designs nature and we’re saying no to that for other priorities so if you have a good reason I guess to put it in practical terms for limiting the conception of a child well then that that makes sense it could be age it
[00:02:46 – 00:03:44] could be health it could be uh you know you’re a high risk to have a high-risisk pregnancy well great as long as we are not aborting children as long as we’re not taking uh fertiliz fertized eggs and saying we’re going to get rid of them because once we have fertilized life that I’m saying that we have no we do not sit in some uh statement of or some position some throne of judgment to decide what life is worthy of life and what life is not. But we don’t have life. We we we’ve got no life when it
[00:03:15 – 00:04:13] comes to uh half of the chromosonal ingredients when all of them are together. And of course I’m against that. So I had to nuance that answer Karen. I would say there are reasons that a family, a Christian family, because of the argument that is made in 1 Corinthians 7, Matthew 19, other places where singleness is is promoted to say, “Hey, yeah, it makes sense that though marriage and relation should naturally relate in children, well, or result in children. There are times that you would not you would not do that.”
[00:03:44 – 00:04:29] So, uh, that I think makes sense as long as we’re talking preconception. And I have to say that five times so that everyone knows, everyone needs to know. Of course, I am anti- uh abortion. Anything that gets in the way of that life should be um it’s a problem and it should be uh problematic and that we should never u be taking life. We’re not in that position to do that.
