I’m pleased to tell you about a new pamphlet from Concordia Publishing House created to help pastors and congregations deal with the situation of couples who are living together without marriage. It is extremely well done and covers in good summary fashion the teaching of Holy Scripture about marriage as well as providing responses to most of the commonly heard excuses for this sinful behavior. It is intended to be used by pastors with couples, but it would be a good idea to supply the entire congregation with this pamphlet, perhaps after studying it with the board of elders, so that all might know what the church’s position is on this issue. The author of this pamphlet was Rev. Matthew Harrison, who struggled with this issue in his parish ministry and prepared this pamphlet as a result.
Single copies are $1.75, but you may obtain this 32 page, 6×9 pamphlet for only 90 cents each when you order ten or more copies. Here is the product description from the CPH web site. Either place your order on the web, or call 800-325-3040.
Product Description
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4 ESV)
If there is one thing that all parish pastors have in common that proves time and again to be a persistent and vexing problem, it is the challenge of couples who present themselves for marriage but who are already living together.
In response to frequent requests for a concise, faithfully Biblical resource to help couples reflect on the issues raised by living together, and to help pastors minister in such situations, we have prepared the resource entitled Second Thoughts About Living Together.
This pamphlet is in a Question and Answer format. Some of the questions include
* What is Marriage?
* Who regulates marriage: Church or State?
* What is the purpose of marriage?
* What’s so important about a piece of paper?
* What about so-called Common Law marriages?
* Is living together such a great offense?