Remaining True to the Marriage Vows
Starting with God’s ideal, this book presents the most accurate
interpretation of the Scriptures regarding divorce.
No other book on the market compares in accuracy.
Randy Langham received a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He currently serves as the pastor of Cornersburg Baptist Church in Youngstown Ohio.
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Hermeneutics relates to how a person should interpret scripture passages. The aim for this book has been to look at all perspectives to produce the true interpretation. Included within this book are commands, grammar, macroscopic context, microscopic context, commentary from Jesus, theology, God’s design for individuals and for marriage, word studies from Hebrew and Greek, historical backgrounds, literary styles, poetry, different translations, all biblical passages on the topic, and much more.
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The first seven chapters of the book are written on a level for the average reader. Most of chapter eight is written from an average reading level and from a logical perspective. Chapters nine to ten are written in a very technical format to satisfy the standards for seminary academics.
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A Valuable Addition and a Worthwhile Resource
In the admittedly crowded field of Christian literature on the subject of divorce
and remarriage, it is easy to groan on seeing yet another volume join the throng.
But Randy Langham's work is in fact a welcome addition. Dr. Langham approaches the
subject from the more fundamental perspective of the character of God, His Word,
and His dealings with men and women. By examining the scriptural teaching on who
God is, how He acts, and what He requires of those who would serve Him, Dr. Langham
provides a critically needed reminder that the proper place to begin addressing the
issue of divorce and remarriage is the authority and consisency of God and His Word.
Only then can we begin to examine, interpret, and apply the specific scriptures on
the subject. From there, the author presents an extensive list of faulty conceptions
and approaches by which people seek to find the answer that works for them -
John Ray
A Great Case for Pursuing God’s Best
Dr. Randy Langham lays out an excellent case for holding to God's ideal for marriage. He lays out a strong, exegetically sound biblical case and attacks logical fallacies commonly committed by adherents to some of the prevailing positions on divorce and remarriage. While the viewpoint he presents is not in line with popular cultural ideas, seldom are other teachings of the Christian Scriptures popular either.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to fully examine the subject of God's ideal for marriage. It is also a good resource for pastors and Chistian counsellors. It is practical and understandable, yet it is scholarly enough for the seminary classroom.
I can recommend the author as well. I have known Dr. Langham for over 14 years and know that he truly lives what he has written. I know him to be an excellent scholar, having served as his doctor of ministry field mentor.
George B. Bannister, D.Min., Ph.D.
Looking for God’s True Plan for Marriage
I admire Randy Langham's unwavering commitment to God's word and to the vows of marriage.
B.B.
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To contact Randy Langham you can email him at author@standingforgodsideal.com
Randy Langham worked on this project for almost 40 years. After reading through the Bible dozens of times and reading a wealth of resources including those by the most famous of speakers, pastors, and authors he compiled a bibliography over fifteen (8.5x11) pages long where all the resources were read completely or examined thoroughly in the appropriate areas.
After all the research, it was discovered that all the authors agreed on God’s ideal for marriage: that the couples should stay together as long as they both remain alive. But the similarities ended there. Virtually all authors and speakers gave various reasons why God allows divorce, yet none of them gave legitimate biblical arguments. In the end the authors based their conclusions on personal preferences, limited scripture passages, the conclusions of other popular authors, inaccurate research, and numerous assumptions.
Not surprisingly, the chapter in the book gaining the greatest interest explains fallacies in logic, interpretation, and in debating. These 30+ fallacies expose the faulty foundation for numerous faulty beliefs.
Even though the book, Standing for God’s Ideal, contains hundreds of quotes and hundreds of Scripture passages along with the noted references it does not contain the references for quotes from speakers or authors whose beliefs do not agree with this book. The academic world may not appreciate the lack of references to these quotes, but the author did not want to point out errant authors, but rather errant beliefs.
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It is rare to find a book with a message so carefully presented and clearly argued as Randy Langham’s Standing for God’s Ideal. While there are many opinions about the propriety of divorce and remarriage, Langham begins by directing readers back to the foundation of truth in the inspired Word of God. Having established the Word of God as the source of truth, he shows that believers can trust God’s truth to direct their lives in a manner that ultimately glorifies Him. Langham dispels many of the common fallacies that lead to mistaken assumptions about what the Bible really teaches, especially as applies to the matter of marriage. In the last chapters of his book Langham digs deeply into both Old Testament and New Testament texts addressing the subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage. His careful research and exegesis is thoroughly documented. Standing for God’s Ideal is a clarion call to go back to Scripture to rediscover God’s plan for the covenant of marriage. The book is academically credible and yet written with a pastoral concern for God’s people. I endorse and highly recommend this excellent resource.
J. Carl Laney, Professor at Western Seminary
Author of The Divorce Myth, Bethany House
Clarity on God’s Plan for Marriage
I commend Randy Langham for taking on the tough subject of God's plan for marriage. In a culture that has diminished the sanctity of marriage and the importance of keeping promises, Langham has directed readers back to the Bible and God's original plan for marriage. This information in this book is well organized and clearly presented. The interpretations of the Old Testament and New Testament texts are well researched and document. The section on "Avoiding Common Fallacies" is particularly helpful in exegetical errors which lead to wrong conclusions. I especially appreciated the author's treatment of the biblical texts which deal with marriage and divorce. He provides extensive research on the Greek word "porneia" which is critical in determining the meaning of the "exception clause" found in Matthew 19:9. I am happy to commend this book to readers who are willing to dig deeply into what the Bible says about God's plan for marriage. You may not agree with all the conclusions presented by the author, but he has provided an excellent foundation for continued study on this important subject.
J. Carl Laney, Professor at Western Seminary
Author of The Divorce Myth, Bethany House
Worthy Read
This book brings a fresh perspective on marriage for the believer who desires to glorify Christ in a well researched, well written format. I love that the author so correctly contrasts popular ideas regarding marriage against unbiased truth with illustrations that are both challenging and inspiring. This book will make you uncomfortable, but for all the right reasons!
R.B.
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The primary location to purchase a book is on Amazon. The most economical value
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