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What Does the Bible Teach about How to Live in Today's World? How should Christians live when the surrounding culture is increasingly hostile to Christian moral values? Granted, the Bible is our guide—but how can we know if we are interpreting it rightly with regard to ethical questions about wealth and poverty, marriage and divorce, birth control, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, ethical business practices, environmental stewardship, and dozens of other issues? And on a very practical level, how can we know God's will in the ordinary decisions of life? To address questions like these, Wayne Grudem, author of the bestselling book Systematic Theology, draws on 40 years of teaching classes in ethics to write this wide-ranging introduction to biblical moral reasoning, organized according to the structure of the Ten Commandments. He issues a challenging call for Christians to live lives of personal holiness and offers a vision of the Christian life that is full of joy and blessing through living each day in a way that is pleasing to God. - Written by Wayne Grudem: Bestselling author of Systematic Theology and the What the Bible Says About series - Biblical and Applicable: Teaches readers how to protect 7 central tenets of God's law: God's honor, human authority, life, marriage, property, truth, and purity of heart - Accessible: An ideal textbook for Christian college and seminary ethics classes, with straightforward language and a bibliography for the topic at the end of each chapter - Replaces ISBN 978-1-4335-4965-6
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“Insightful, encyclopedic, biblical, and distinctively evangelical, this book from Wayne Grudem is a massive contribution to Christian ethics. It will stand as one of the most important and definitive works of this generation. Readers should engage it chapter by chapter, and then keep it close at hand for continuing consultation.”
R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Wayne Grudem and I have always been on the same page, both in theology and in theological method. Christian Ethics has all the excellent features of his Systematic Theology: biblical fidelity, comprehensiveness, clarity, practical application, and interaction with other writers. His exhortations drive the reader to worship the triune God. I hope the book gets the wide distribution and enthusiastic response that it deserves.”
John M. Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy Emeritus, Reformed Theological Seminary
“This work by Wayne Grudem is the best text yet composed in biblical Christian ethics, and I mean that in several ways. It is more comprehensive, more insightful, and more applicable than any comparable work, and is sure to be a classroom classic. But what I like most is how Grudem unites a scholar’s mind with a disciple’s heart more committed to pleasing Christ than contemporaries and more zealous for strengthening the church than impressing the world.”
Daniel R. Heimbach, Former Senior Professor of Christian Ethics, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Wayne Grudem has a rare gift in making complex theological and ethical concepts accessible. He also has encyclopedic knowledge and an organized, analytical mind. All this is fully evident in this important book, which provides an invaluable resource to both scholars and practitioners.”
Peter S. Heslam, Senior Fellow, University of Cambridge; Director, Faith in Business, Cambridge
“Wayne Grudem is a master at cutting into meaty intellectual topics, seasoning them, and serving them up in flavorful, bite-sized morsels for the ordinary person to savor and digest. Don’t let the size of this book deter you! This rich feast will help you figure out what the Bible says about how to live today. Dig in. Taste the wisdom that is sweeter than honey. Eat from the bread that will bring health to your spirit and life to your bones.”
Mary A. Kassian, author, Growing Grateful
“So much in the field of ethics today merely describes the issues and the alternatives. The very idea that there is a ‘right’ answer to anything is anathema. In such a stagnant climate, Wayne Grudem’s Christian Ethics is a breath of fresh air. It demonstrates how the Bible provides specific answers to particular questions. However, this is not merely a compendium of his personal views on issues. Where his views are at odds with other views, even within evangelical Christianity, he explains those alternatives to his readers and invites comparison. Readers are challenged to think and are given the material they need to do so in a God-honoring way. We are in Grudem’s debt for this massive labor of love.”
John F. Kilner, Professor Emeritus of Bioethics and Contemporary Culture, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
“Wayne Grudem has done it again. His Systematic Theology has equipped countless Christians, churches, and pastors in the truth of God’s word in a clear, accessible, and faithful manner. Now his Christian Ethics promises to do the same in helping us apply God’s word to our lives. In a time when obedience is often minimized in the name of grace, this book equips us to delight in God’s will for our lives in response to grace.”
C. J. Mahaney, Senior Pastor, Sovereign Grace Church, Louisville, Kentucky
“Through this encyclopedic treatment of applied ethics, Wayne Grudem shows how his method of whole-Bible hermeneutics can help Christians sort through the thorny ethical issues of the day. From the beginning of life to the end of life, and everywhere in between, Grudem demonstrates what faithfulness looks like in a God-centered, Scripture-centered life. Read with an open Bible and an open heart.”
C. Ben Mitchell, author, Ethics and Moral Reasoning: A Student’s Guide
“This is the best all-around book on Christian ethics I’m aware of, and I require it as the primary textbook for my course on biblical ethics. Grudem writes in his characteristic style: clear, logical, accessible, and (usually!) persuasive.”
Andy Naselli, Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament, Bethlehem College & Seminary; Elder, The North Church, Mounds View, Minnesota
“This nearly exhaustive treatment of Christian ethics is destined to become the standard evangelical text for many years to come. It is wide-ranging, thoughtful, and unafraid to engage with controversial issues and with those who take a different approach. Regardless of whether one can side with Grudem on each topic, all of us can benefit immensely from his lucid presentation. There is hardly an ethical issue he doesn’t address, and I will be consulting his work regularly for wisdom and guidance on a variety of matters that the church faces in a morally decadent and confused world. Highly recommended!”
Sam Storms, Founder and President, Enjoying God Ministries
Christian Ethics
Christian Ethics
Living a Life That Is Pleasing to God
Updated Edition
Wayne Grudem
Christian Ethics: Living a Life That Is Pleasing to God
© 2018, 2024 by Wayne Grudem
Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.
Cover design: Derek Thornton, Faceout Studios
Cover image: Stocksy
First printing 2018First printing, updated edition, 2024
Printed in Colombia
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
For a list of all Scripture versions cited, please see Appendix E.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-9084-9 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-9086-3 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-9085-6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Grudem, Wayne A., author.
Title: Christian ethics: living a life that is pleasing to God / Wayne Grudem.
Description: Updated edition. | Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2024. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2023049184 (print) | LCCN 2023049185 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433590849 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781433590863 (ePub) | ISBN 9781433590856 (PDF)
Subjects: LCSH: Christian ethics.
Classification: LCC BJ1251 .G78 2024 (print) | LCC BJ1251 (ebook) | DDC 241—dc23/eng/20240401
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023049184
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023049185
Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
2024-12-11 08:37:00 AM
For Hannah, Ava, Will, Maggie, and Benjamin,
in the hope that when you grow up the world will be a better place—
a world in which the will of God is more fully understood and obeyed “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10)
Contents
Abbreviations
Illustrations
Preface
PART 1:INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1 Introduction to Christian Ethics
What is Christian ethics? Why should Christians study ethics? How should we study it? Why should we base our study of ethics on everything the Bible says rather than on a few major ethical principles from Scripture?
Chapter 2 The Ultimate Basis for Ethics: The Moral Character of God
Where did the Bible’s ethical standards come from? Why should we think they are valid? Do these ethical standards apply to all people in all societies at all times?
Chapter 3 Our Source of Ethical Standards: The Bible
Is the Bible supposed to teach us how to live? How do we know it is true and trustworthy? Can everybody understand it?
Chapter 4 The Goal of Ethics: Living for the Glory of God
Why should Christian ethics include more than learning about right actions? Why is it important to develop Christlike character? Why should we consider the results of our actions? How is the study of ethics related to our personal relationship with God?
Chapter 5 The Joys and Blessings of Obedience to God and the Harmful Consequences of Sin
Even though our sins are forgiven, what additional blessings come to our lives when we obey God and avoid sin? Will there be negative consequences if we continue in willful sin?
Chapter 6 How to Know God’s Will: Factors to Consider in Making Ethical Decisions
What factors should we consider in making ethical decisions? What does it mean to be “led by the Holy Spirit”?
Chapter 7 Christians Will Never Have to Choose the “Lesser Sin”
Is it right to tell a lie in order to protect a human life? Does God really want us to obey every command of Scripture? Will we ever face an impossible moral conflict?
Chapter 8 How Should Christians Use the Old Testament for Ethical Guidance?
If the entire Mosaic covenant has been canceled, can we still gain wisdom from studying it? How can we know which Old Testament laws contain wise guidance for us today, and which laws were only intended for Israel before the time of Christ?
PART 2:PROTECTING GOD’S HONOR
“You shall have no other gods before me.”“You shall not make for yourself a carved image.”“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”“Remember the Sabbath day.”“You shall not bear false witness.”
Chapter 9 No Other Gods
Why is a right relationship with God the first requirement for studying ethics? What things are we tempted to value more than God today?
Chapter 10 No Carved Images
Is all artwork prohibited, or only that which is used for worship? Is it wrong to make images of God for artistic purposes? What about pictures of Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit?
Chapter 11 Purity of Speech
What does it mean to take God’s name “in vain”? What guidelines does Scripture give us regarding obscene language, oaths, vows, and humorous speech?
Chapter 12 Lying and Telling the Truth
Is it ever right to lie? Is there a difference between a spoken lie and actions that deceive people? Does the Bible teach anything about plagiarism or punctuality?
Chapter 13 The Sabbath Commandment
Why did the day of worship change from Saturday to Sunday? Is it wrong to work on Sundays?
PART 3:PROTECTING HUMAN AUTHORITY
“Honor your father and your mother.”
Chapter 14 Authority of Parents
Why does God want children to honor their parents? Should adult children continue to be obedient to their parents? Is spanking wrong? What are the advantages of public schools, Christian schools, and homeschooling?
Chapter 15 Equality and Leadership in Marriage
How can husbands have a leadership role in marriage if men and women are equal in value before God? How should a husband’s headship and a wife’s support of that headship work out in practice? What are the arguments used by evangelical feminists today?
Chapter 16 Civil Government
Why did God establish civil government? What should governments do? Is it ever right to disobey the government or to try to change the government? What is the right relationship between church and state? Does the Bible support monarchies, or does it favor some sort of democracy?
Chapter 17 Other Authorities
How should Christians relate to people who have authority in the workplace, in the church, and in school?
PART 4:PROTECTING HUMAN LIFE
“You shall not murder.”
Chapter 18 Capital Punishment
Is it ever right for the government to put a criminal to death?
Chapter 19 War
How can we know if a war is a “just war”? Is it right for a Christian to serve as a soldier? What are the arguments in favor of a pacifist position? Is it right for nations to have nuclear weapons?
Chapter 20 Self-Defense
Is it ever right for Christians to use physical force to defend themselves against physical attack? Is it right to use a weapon if available? Is it right for a Christian to own a gun?
Chapter 21 Abortion
What does the Bible teach about the protection of an unborn child? Is there scientific evidence that the unborn child is a distinct person? What about abortion in the case of rape or to save the life of the mother?
Chapter 22 Euthanasia
Is it wrong to put to death a person in great pain who has no hope of recovery? How can we know when to stop medical treatment near the end of someone’s life? Should the law allow doctors to perform euthanasia when a patient requests it?
Chapter 23 Suicide
Can a person who commits suicide be forgiven?
Chapter 24 Aging and Death
What are the blessings that come with aging? Is it right for Christians to spend money on hair dye or cosmetic surgery? Why is it important to have a will and other end-of-life documents? What about cremation?
Chapter 25 Racial Discrimination
Why is it wrong to discriminate against others on the basis of racial differences? Does the Bible say anything about interracial marriage? What was wrong with the arguments of people who tried to defend racial discrimination from the Bible?
Chapter 26 Health
Why does God want us to care for our physical bodies? What should we think about sleep, vaccinations, organic foods, tattoos, and circumcision?
Chapter 27 Alcohol and Drugs
What are the dangers of alcoholic beverages? Is it wrong to use alcohol in moderation? What are the dangers related to the legalization of marijuana?
PART 5:PROTECTING MARRIAGE
“You shall not commit adultery.”
Chapter 28 Marriage
What are the essential elements for a marriage to occur? Why does Scripture place a high value on sexual intimacy within marriage, but prohibit it outside of marriage? Should the Bible’s definition of marriage apply to all cultures and all societies? What safeguards can help protect a marriage against adultery? Is it wrong for a couple to live together prior to marriage? What does the Bible say about singleness?
Chapter 29 Birth Control
Should we think that birth control is morally acceptable? If so, are there types of birth control that are morally wrong? What birth-control methods are morally acceptable?
Chapter 30 Infertility, Reproductive Technology, and Adoption
How do biblical principles help us evaluate modern reproductive technologies, particularly artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, embryo adoption, and surrogate motherhood? Why does the Bible view adoption so positively?
Chapter 31 Pornography
Why is viewing pornography wrong? What are the harmful results?
Chapter 32 Divorce and Remarriage
According to the Bible, what are the legitimate grounds for divorce, if any? Is divorce morally acceptable in a case of physical abuse? Neglect? If a divorce is granted for biblically legitimate reasons, is remarriage always allowed? Can a divorced person become a church officer? What reasons are given for the “no remarriage”view?
Chapter 33 Homosexuality and Transgenderism
Do the biblical passages about homosexuality still apply today? How should we analyze recent arguments claiming that the Bible can be interpreted to allow for faithful homosexual relationships? Is homosexual desire wrong? Can people be “born gay”? How should we evaluate the claims of certain people that they are “transgender”? Can sex-change surgery change a man into a woman, or a woman into a man?
PART 6:PROTECTING PROPERTY
“You shall not steal.”
Chapter 34 Property: The Goodness and Necessity of Private Ownership of Property
Why does God enable human beings to own property? Is this a good thing? Does God approve of increased human flourishing on the earth? What are the dangers of the “health-and-wealth gospel”?
Chapter 35 Work, Rest, Vacations, and Retirement
Why did God give us productive work to do? Is work today a blessing or curse? Does God approve of longer vacations? What about retirement?
Chapter 36 Increasing Prosperity: Is More Prosperity a Good Thing?
Is poverty more pleasing to God than prosperity? Did God intend human beings to continue inventing and developing new and better products? How can we guard against materialism? Why has the influence of the Bible led to increased material prosperity in many nations?
Chapter 37 Poverty and Wealth
Is all monetary inequality morally wrong? How can we best help the poor? How can poor nations overcome poverty? Are Western affluence and lack of generosity the main reasons why poverty continues today?
Chapter 38 Personal Financial Stewardship
How much of our income should we give to the Lord’s work? What blessings come to us as a result of generous giving? Is it right to leave an inheritance to our children? How much should we save for the future? How much should we spend on ourselves? Is gambling morally wrong?
Chapter 39 Borrowing, Lending, and the Question of Debt
Why is the ability of human beings to borrow and lend a good gift from God? Does the Bible teach us that it is always wrong to charge interest on a loan? When is it right to go into debt, and what are the dangers of it?
Chapter 40 Business Ethics
Why are buying and selling morally good activities? Why should we view profit, competition, and the existence of corporations as morally good things? Do multinational corporations exploit poor nations?
Chapter 41 Stewardship of the Environment
Why is the preservation of “untouched nature”not a biblical ideal? Why should God’s creation of a “very good”earth lead us to expect that we will not deplete the earth’s resources in the foreseeable future? Is there a real danger that human use of fossil fuels will create destructive global warming?
PART 7:PROTECTING PURITY OF HEART
“You shall not covet.”
Chapter 42 Purity of Heart
Why is God concerned with purity in our hearts? How can we attain contentment with what God has given us?
Appendix A: Should We Move Beyond the New Testament to a Better Ethic?
An Analysis of William J. Webb, Slaves, Women & Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis
APPENDIX B: ETHICAL SYSTEMS
Secular And Christian
APPENDIX C: A PARTIAL LIST OF CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER TRAITS OR “VIRTUES”
APPENDIX D: A CRITIQUE OF “THEONOMY”
Appendix E: Scripture Versions Cited
Glossary
Name Index
Hymn Index
Scripture Index
Subject Index
Abbreviations
ANF
The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. 1885–1887. 10 vols. Repr., Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994
BDAG
Bauer, Walter, Frederick William Danker, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000
BDB
Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and Charles Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon, 1968
BECNT
Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
CEV
Contemporary English Version
cf.
compare
chap.
chapter
CSB
Christian Standard Bible
DCH
Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. Edited by David J. A. Clines. 9 vols. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 1993–2014
EBC
Expositor’s Bible Commentary
ESV
English Standard Version
et al.
and others
HALOT
Koehler, Ludwig, and Walter Baumgartner. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Study Edition. 2 vols. Leiden: Brill, 2001
HCSB
Holman Christian Standard Bible
ICC
International Critical Commentary
JETS
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
KJV
King James Version
LSJ
Liddell, Henry George, Robert Scott, Henry Stuart Jones. A Greek-English Lexicon. 9th ed. Oxford, UK: Clarendon, 1996
LXX
Septuagint
mg.
margin or marginal notes
n.
note
n.s.
new series
NAC
New American Commentaries
NASB
New American Standard Bible
NCV
New Century Version
NET
The NET Bible
NICNT
New International Commentary on the New Testament
NICOT
New International Commentary on the Old Testament
NIDOTTE
New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. Edited by Willem A. VanGemeren. 5 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1997
NIGTC
New International Greek Testament Commentaries
NIV
New International Version
NKJV
New King James Version
NLT
New Living Translation
NPNF1
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1. Edited by Philip Schaff. 14 vols. 1886–1889. Repr., Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994
NRSV
New Revised Standard Version
para.
paragraph
PNTC
Pillar New Testament Commentary
RSV
Revised Standard Version
sect.
section
TNIV
Today’s New International Version
TNTC
Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
TOTC
Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries
trans.
translated by
TrinJ
Trinity Journal
vol.
volume
WBC
Word Biblical Commentary
WCF
Westminster Confession of Faith
WLC
Westminster Larger Catechism
WTJ
Westminster Theological Journal
Illustrations
Tables
6.1 God’s Guidance in Everyday Decisions
6.2 Two Views on God’s Guidance
11.1 “Registers” in Speech
15.1 The Biblical Ideal and Errors Spouses Can Make
34.1 The “Overcorrection” of the Prosperity Gospel Movement
36.1 Gross World Product, 2000 BC to AD 2000
36.2 A Nation’s Religious Background and Its Prosperity
41.1 Population Densities, India and China
41.2 Population Densities, Other Nations
41.3 Population Densities, Select States
41.4 Distribution of the Earth’s Water
41.5 World Water Usage
Figures
15.1 Authority in the Trinity and in Marriage
18.1 The Deterrence Effect
37.1 Charitable Giving by Country (as a Percentage of Gross Domestic Product)
37.2 Charitable Giving by Country (Private Donations)
41.1 World Cereal Yields
41.2 Average Concentrations of SO2 and Smoke in London, 1585–1994/5
41.3 Connection between GDP per Capita and Particle Pollution in 48 Cities in 31 Countries, 1972 and 1986.
41.4 Life Expectancy in England and Wales, 1200–1998
41.5 World Electricity Production from All Energy Sources, 2014
41.6 World Crude Oil Proved Reserves
Preface
I have written this book for Christians who want to understand what the Bible teaches about how to obey God faithfully in their daily lives. I hope the book will be useful not only for college and seminary students who take classes in Christian ethics, but also for all other Christians who seek, before God, to be “filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” with the result that they will live “in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:9–10). For this reason, this edition of the book has been given a new subtitle: “Living a Life That Is Pleasing to God.”
This book as a whole is an invitation to experience the great blessing of God that comes from walking daily in paths of obedience, knowing more of the joy of God’s presence, and experiencing his favor on our lives (see chap. 4). It is an invitation to delight in the goodness and beauty of God’s moral standards because we understand that delight in those standards is really delight in the infinitely good moral character of God himself (see chap. 2). To delight in God’s moral standards should lead us to exclaim with the psalmist, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97).
But this book also contains a challenge. I am concerned that teaching about ethics has been neglected in many evangelical churches today—partly because the issues seem complex, partly because pastors do not want to be accused of sounding “legalistic,” and partly because the surrounding non-Christian culture is hostile to Christian moral values, so anyone who teaches biblical ethics is likely to be criticized by unbelievers. Therefore, I hope this book will help to meet a need among Christians today for more biblical ethical understanding. The challenge in the book is for Christians today to live lives of personal holiness, lives that will often be distinctly different from those of others in the secular culture that surrounds us, not being “conformed to this world” but rather being “transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).
I cannot claim to live up to all of the ethical standards described in this book, nor can anyone else who reads it or teaches from it. Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48), and that includes not only moral perfection in our actions, but also unfailing perfection in our motives and heart attitudes—something that no one is capable of in this life. Who could ever claim to have perfectly obeyed even the two commandments that Jesus called the greatest: to love God and to love our neighbor?
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. (Matt. 22:37–40)
But we press on. Knowing our weaknesses and failures, we can still say with the apostle Paul, “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13–14).
If we do this, we can hope that our lives will increasingly give glory to God as we seek to honor him and reflect his character in all that we do. “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day” (Prov. 4:18).
This book is similar in its method to my earlier book Systematic Theology,1 because both books seek to explain “what the whole Bible teaches” about various specific topics. However, Systematic Theology dealt with theological topics such as the Trinity, the person of Christ, the atonement, and salvation, while this book deals with ethical topics such as lying and telling the truth, war, abortion, euthanasia, racial discrimination, divorce and remarriage, homosexuality, stewardship of money, wise use of the environment, and many other topics.2
I have tried to make this book understandable even for Christians who have never studied Christian ethics before. I have avoided using technical terms without first explaining them. And most of the chapters can be read on their own, so that someone can begin at any chapter and grasp its content without having read the earlier material.
Yet this book, despite its size, is still an introduction to Christian ethics. Entire books have been written about the topics covered in most of the chapters in this book, and expansive academic articles have been written about many of the passages that I quote in this book. Therefore, each chapter is capable of opening out into additional study in more breadth or more depth for those who are interested. The bibliographies at the end of each chapter give some help in that direction.
The following six distinctive features of this book grow out of my convictions about what Christian ethics is and how it should be taught:
1. A Clear Biblical Basis for Ethics. Because I believe that ethics should be explicitly based on the teachings of Scripture, in each chapter I have attempted to show where the Bible gives support for the ethical principles under consideration. In fact, because I believe that the words of Scripture themselves have power and authority greater than any human words, I have not just given Bible references; I have frequently quoted Bible passages at length so that readers can easily examine for themselves the scriptural evidence and in that way be like the noble Bereans, who were “examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). This conviction about the unique nature of the Bible as God’s words has also led me to include a Scripture memory passage at the end of each chapter.
2. Clarity in the Explanation of Ethical Teachings. I do not believe that God intended the study of biblical ethics to result in confusion and frustration. A student who comes out of a course in ethics filled only with moral uncertainty and a thousand unanswered questions is hardly “able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). Therefore, I have tried to state the ethical conclusions of this book clearly and to show where in Scripture I find convincing evidence for those positions. I do not expect that everyone reading this book will agree with me at every point of ethics; I do think that every reader will understand the positions for which I am arguing and where Scripture supports those positions.
I think it is only fair to readers of this book to say at the beginning what my convictions are regarding several ethical issues that are disputed within evangelical Christianity. I hold to a conservative view of biblical inerrancy, very much in agreement with the “Chicago Statement” of the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy3 (chap. 3). While I agree that Christians are justified by faith alone and not by works, I also believe that our obedience is still important to God, that it brings us much joy and blessing, and that sin is still harmful in various ways (chap. 5). I think that the Bible is the only absolute source of moral standards for us, but I also believe that, subject to Scripture, it is right to give consideration to subjective perceptions of the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives (chap. 6). Because of God’s promises to us, I argue that we will never be put in a situation where we are forced to choose the “lesser sin” (chap. 7). Regarding the use of the Old Testament for ethics, I argue that the entire Mosaic covenant has been abrogated and is no longer binding on us, but we can still gain wisdom from it if we bear in mind that it was God’s plan for the people of Israel for a previous era in history (chap. 8).
I conclude from many passages of Scripture that it is never right to lie, in the sense of affirming in speech or writing something we believe to be false (chap. 12). I hold that men and women are equal in value before God, but that God has entrusted the husband with a unique leadership role in marriage (chap. 15). I argue that capital punishment is morally right in some cases (chap. 18), that some wars are morally acceptable as “just wars” (chap. 19), that it is morally right to use physical force to defend ourselves or others from harm in many situations (chap. 20), that abortion is always morally wrong except to save the life of the mother (chap. 21), and that euthanasia is always wrong if it involves murdering a terminally ill patient, but that “letting die” is sometimes morally right (chap. 22). I conclude that drunkenness is always wrong, but that Scripture does not prohibit moderate use of alcohol, though I recognize good reasons why some Christians may choose total abstinence; in addition, I am opposed to laws that would legalize recreational marijuana (chap. 27).
I argue that some forms of birth control are morally acceptable (chap. 29). In a change from the first edition of this book, I now believe that there are several legitimate grounds for divorce—not just adultery and desertion, but also other situations that similarly harm a marriage—and that following a divorce for such reasons, remarriage is morally acceptable (chap. 32). I argue that Scripture always views homosexual conduct as morally wrong, and that recent attempts to say that Scripture does not condemn contemporary, faithful homosexual relationships are unpersuasive (chap. 33).
I believe that God approves private ownership of property (chap. 34) and that he also intends that in the process of subduing the earth human beings will enjoy increased prosperity, but I disagree with the distinctive teachings of the “prosperity gospel” movement (chap. 36). Regarding solutions to poverty, I believe that charitable donations and government welfare programs are important to meet urgent needs, but the only long-term solution to poverty will come not through increased generosity but only by the poor being enabled to have productive jobs by which they can support themselves for life (chap. 37). I advocate wise use of the environment, not destructive misuse, and I also give reasons to think that all of the earth’s natural resources will continue to be abundant for the foreseeable future. I argue that we should continue to use fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) as good gifts from God, and that the use of them will not cause dangerous man-madeglobal warming (chap. 41).
This does not mean that I ignore other viewpoints. Where there are differences on these issues within evangelical Christianity, I have tried to represent the other positions fairly, to explain why I disagree with them, and to give references to the best available defenses of the opposing positions. In several cases I have included an extended analysis of a highly influential book from an alternative position. I have also made it easy for students to find treatments of each topic in other evangelical texts by including, at the end of each chapter, the page numbers where that topic is treated in 13 other ethics textbooks.
In addition to the changes to the chapter on divorce and remarriage noted above, in this edition of Christian Ethics I have added new sections on (1) the problem of government officials who refuse to enforce the laws that they have taken an oath to uphold, resulting in alarming increases in shoplifting, homelessness, rioting, and open borders (chap. 16); and (2) the destructive consequences of socialism (chap. 34). In addition, in many sections, more recent research has been cited in the footnotes, and many statistics in various chapters have been updated.
3. Application to Life. Much of ethics is about application to life, explaining how God wants us to live in ways that honor him. Therefore, I have included much material on application within many of the chapters. In addition, I have added “Questions for Personal Application” at the end of each chapter, as well as a hymn related to the topic of the chapter, so that the study of ethics can be accompanied by worship in God’s presence.
4. Focus on the Evangelical World. I do not think that a true system of ethics can be constructed from within what we may call the “liberal” theological tradition—that is, by people who deny the absolute truthfulness and internal consistency of the Bible or who do not think that the words of the Bible are God’s very words (see the discussion of the authority of the Bible in chap. 3). For this reason, the other writers with whom I interact in this book are mostly within what is called the larger “conservative evangelical” tradition. I write as an evangelical and for evangelicals. This does not mean that those in the liberal tradition have nothing valuable to say about ethics; it simply means that disagreements with them almost always boil down to differences over the nature of the Bible and its authority. The degree of ethical agreement that can be reached by people with widely divergent bases of authority is quite limited. In addition, the world of conservative evangelical scholarship today is so rich and diverse that it affords ample opportunity for exploration of different viewpoints and insights into Scripture. (At several points I have also added interaction with Roman Catholic teaching, particularly the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church,4 because Roman Catholicism continues to exercise a significant influence worldwide.)
5. Hope for Progress in the Unity of the Church on Ethical Issues. Although I listed above several issues on which various viewpoints exist among evangelicals, I believe that there is still much hope for the evangelical church to attain deeper and more unified ethical understanding on many of these issues. Jesus is still at work perfecting his church “so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27), and he has given gifts to equip the church “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God” (Eph. 4:13). Though present ethical disagreements may discourage us, these Scriptures remain true, and we should not abandon hope of greater agreement.
6. A Sense of the Urgent Need for Greater Ethical Understanding in the Whole Church. I am convinced that there is an urgent need in the church today for much greater understanding of Christian ethics. My perception is that there is much confusion and uncertainty about ethics among evangelicals today. Not only pastors and teachers need to understand ethics in greater depth—the whole church does as well. It is not that Christians today lack the ability to understand ethics; it is just that they must have access to teaching on it in an understandable form. Once that happens, I think many Christians will find that understanding (and living) the ethical teachings of Scripture is one of their greatest joys.
Many people have helped me in the writing of this book, beginning with the students who took ethics classes from me, a new professor, at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota (1977–1981); the many students in my ethics classes at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois (1981–2001); and finally the students who took the ethics classes that I taught at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona (2001–2017, and I hope continuing for many years to come). In many cases, the positions that I finally adopted in this book have come as a result of correction, modification, or supplementation from thoughtful interaction with these wonderful students over the last 40 years.
In addition, I wish to thank the members of the Christian Essentials class, the adult Bible class that I taught at Scottsdale Bible Church for 12 years (2002–2014). During that time, I taught through the entire sequence of topics in this book and profited immensely from thoughtful interaction with the members of that class. Those class members and many other friends (including some special “prayer partners”) have been praying for me as I worked on this project for several years. I am grateful to God for answering those prayers and giving me strength and diligence to complete this project.
I wish to thank Professor John Frame, whose class in Christian ethics significantly influenced my thinking when I was a student at Westminster Seminary in 1971–1973. Although it is impossible to acknowledge my indebtedness to him at every point in this book, it is appropriate to express gratitude to him here and to say that he has probably influenced my thinking on ethical topics more than anyone else. Many of his former students, as well as readers of his excellent book The Doctrine of the Christian Life, will recognize echoes of his teaching in the following pages. In fact, his outstanding work The Doctrine of the Christian Life5 has been the primary textbook that I have used in my ethics classes for the past several years. (Prior to its publication, I used another truly excellent book, Ethics for a Brave New World,6 by my former colleagues John Feinberg and Paul Feinberg at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.)
Many people helped me with specialized knowledge in certain chapters, especially David Horner regarding the importance of character and the goal of ethics in chapter 4; Tim Kimmel regarding blessings for obedience in chapter 5; Garry Friesen regarding his view of guidance in chapter 6; John DelHousaye and Peter Gurry regarding recent studies in Greek grammar in chapter 6; John Stemberger regarding theonomy in chapter 8; Al Fadi regarding Islamic art in chapter 10; Jacque Chadwick with medical issues in chapters 22, 29, and 30; Michael Herrod and Steve Oman regarding various legal issues in chapter 24 and elsewhere; Jason DeRouchie regarding sexual ethics in chapter 28; Steve Eriksson, Joe Gordon, and Janice Noland regarding singleness in chapter 28; Wayne Lehsten regarding statistics on divorce in chapter 32; Denny Burk regarding homosexuality and transgenderism in chapter 33; Lars Kierspel regarding rabbinic backgrounds in chapter 33; and Vijay Raj and Cal Beisner regarding environmental statistics in chapter 41. In addition, the wisdom and economic knowledge of my previous coauthor Barry Asmus continued to influence my thinking in the material on economics in chapters 34–41.7 Andy Naselli read the entire manuscript and made numerous suggestions that significantly strengthened the book. And I am deeply grateful to Greg Bailey of Crossway, who edited the entire manuscript with meticulous care, improving many sentences, strengthening many arguments, correcting many footnotes and Scripture references, and improving the organization of the material in many chapters. The book is much better because of his skillful work.
Jenny Miller typed several of the chapters with her usual care and precision, and Dan McCurley and Jeff Phillips also did excellent work in typing many of the remaining chapters. For the past several months, Phil Hoshiwara and Michael Alling, my student assistants at Phoenix Seminary, have worked many long hours in carefully proofreading the various chapters, typing the bibliographies, and helping in several other ways. Previous student assistants Josh McCoy, Jason Miller, and Danny Malakowsky also helped with research tasks and computer maintenance. Scott Bauer compiled the cross-references to 13 other ethics texts and helped with other research in various chapters. Brenda Dinell typed those same cross-references and the hymns, and added the Scripture memory passages, at the end of each chapter. Mitch Miller helped me with additional bibliographical research. Mary Lisa Urban helped me improve my skills in using Naturally Speaking software. During the final months of preparing the manuscript, Eric Wildgen and Ryan Carpenter provided additional valuable help in research and proofreading. For this updated edition (2024), Alexander Grudem (my theologian son), Brett Gray, Nathan Consalvo, and Justin Hester also provided help in research and proofreading, Mike Slominski solved some difficult computer problems, and Monica Olives helped with editing and administrative tasks.
I am also grateful to Holly DelHousaye, who helped me to see the wisdom of making this book a higher priority than other planned writing projects; to Darryl Gregg, for setting up the lighting in my study; and to Trent Poling, for help for a software problem.
I also wish to thank Stan Gundry, senior vice president and editor-in-chief at Zondervan, for graciously granting me permission to adapt several sections from my Zondervan books Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine and Politics—According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture for use in this book. It is inevitable that some topics traditionally treated in ethics courses (such as capital punishment, war, abortion, and euthanasia) will overlap with a book on a Christian view of politics, but I have tried to keep the focus in this book on biblical and ethical considerations, and I frequently refer readers to the longer treatments of the actual political questions that are found in Politics—According to the Bible. There is less overlap between this book and my Systematic Theology, but I have adapted some sections from that book in my treatment of topics such as aging and death, and in the introductory material in the preface and chapters 1 and 3. I am also grateful to Inter-Varsity Press of the United Kingdom for similarly granting me permission to use this material from Systematic Theology.
In the summer of 2014, I spent several weeks at the Tyndale House library in Cambridge, England, working on this book. Conversations about my work with Peter Williams, David Instone-Brewer, Dirk Jongkind, Peter Heslam, and Jonathan Chaplin were helpful to me during that time. Librarian Simon Sykes cheerfully helped me with various arrangements in the library, and Brad Green graciously made it possible for me to have a quiet desk in the crowded library.
Once again, as with my book Politics—According to the Bible, I owe a great debt of gratitude to Craig Osten, who accurately and quickly provided me with excellent assistance in researching a large number of specific factual details that I needed for many of the chapters. And Phil Hoshiwara accurately compiled the glossary for the entire book.
In 2006, my friend C. J. Mahaney approached me about a plan that would enable me to teach half-time at Phoenix Seminary (spring terms only), giving me eight months a year to write. The leadership at Phoenix Seminary agreed, and C. J. then raised the funding to make this possible for the first three years (2007–2010). Since then, I have been able to continue on a half-time schedule, and this is now the seventh book that I have written or coedited as a result of that plan. I am deeply grateful to C. J. for his 2006 idea, for it changed the entire course of my life for the last 10 years.
I am also deeply grateful to my friends Bret Edson, Brad Edson, Brad Routh, and their colleagues at Marketplace One, who have believed in this book from the beginning and who provided financial support that enabled me to continue to be free from teaching during the fall semesters and that also covered some research-related expenses. And I am grateful to President Darryl DelHousaye and Academic Dean Bing Hunter at Phoenix Seminary, who continue to encourage me in my writing.
After I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in December 2015, my son Alexander moved back home to help me complete this book. He had earned an MA in theology at Regent College, Vancouver, and that academic background enabled him to provide me with substantial assistance. He read through every chapter, made helpful suggestions again and again, and also provided me with a digest of alternative viewpoints from other ethics books in many chapters. The book is much better as a result of his work. (And as I write this in August 2023, I am thankful to God that my Parkinson’s symptoms continue to show only slow progression.)
At a late stage in the editing process of this book, I realized—to my dismay—that I had failed to add to the end of each chapter the appropriate page numbers for two recent ethics textbooks, both of which are truly excellent works: Daniel Heimbach, Fundamental Christian Ethics (B&H Academic, 2022), and Ken Magnuson, Invitation to Christian Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues (Kregel Academic, 2020). Both of these men are my friends, both have extensive expertise in the field of ethics, and both are fully committed to the complete authority of Scripture in governing our lives. Both books treat fewer topics than I do, but often with more depth of investigation of each topic that they consider. I am glad to commend both books to Christian readers.
Finally, I am thankful to God for the remarkable help of my amazing and wonderful wife, Margaret, who prays for me many times a day and who will always pray for me specifically when I tell her that I am “stuck” in attempting to write a certain section. She protects me from disruptions, brings meals into my study when I am working, encourages me to persevere when I am discouraged or frustrated, and simply contributes joy to our life together in so many ways. She has seen the importance of this book from the beginning, and has continued to support and encourage me as I worked on it.
An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life. (Prov. 31:10–12)
I am sure that this book, like all merely human books, has mistakes and oversights, and probably some faulty arguments as well. If I knew where they were, I would try to correct them! Therefore, I would be grateful if any interested readers would send me suggestions for changes and corrections. I do not guarantee that I can acknowledge each letter, but I will give consideration to the material in every one, so far as I am able, and will make corrections where I can.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever! (Ps. 118:29)
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory. (Ps. 115:1)
Wayne Grudem
Phoenix Seminary
7901 East Shea Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
USA
1Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 2nd ed. (London: Inter-Varsity, and Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020).
2The next several paragraphs are adapted from ibid., xxi–xxvi, with permission of the publishers.
3The “Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy” can be found in my Systematic Theology, 2nd ed., 1484–88.
4Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (New York: Doubleday, 1997).
5John M. Frame, The Doctrine of the Christian Life: A Theology of Lordship (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2008).
6John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg, Ethics for a Brave New World, 2nd ed. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010).
7 See Wayne Grudem and Barry Asmus, The Poverty of Nations: A Sustainable Solution (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013).
Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.
Psalm 119:165
Part 1
Introduction
Chapter 1
Introduction to Christian Ethics
What is Christian ethics?Why should Christians study ethics?How should we study it?Why should we base our study of ethics on everything the Bible says rather than on a few major ethical principles from Scripture?
A. Definition of Christian Ethics
1. Definition for This Book. For purposes of this book the following definition of Christian ethics will be used:
Christian ethics is any study that answers the question, “What does the whole Bible teach us about which acts, attitudes, and personal character traits receive God’s approval, and which do not?”1
This definition indicates that our study of Christian ethics will be God-centered and Bible-centered. This book will attempt, for each ethical topic, to collect and synthesize the teaching of all the relevant Bible passages about that topic and then to apply that teaching wisely to various life situations.
My approach here is similar to the approach I took in my book Systematic Theology, in which I defined systematic theology as “Any study that answers the question, ‘What does the whole Bible teach us today?’ about any given topic.”2 But, as I explained there:
The emphasis of systematic theology is on what God wants us to believe and to know, while the emphasis in Christian ethics is on what God wants us to do and what attitudes he wants us to have. . . . Thus theology focuses on ideas while ethics focuses on situations in life. Theology tells us how we should think while ethics tells us how we should live.3
This book, then, is about how to live one’s life as a Christian today.
This first chapter has several parallels to chapter 1 in my book Systematic Theology. This is because my approach is similar: I am asking what the whole Bible says about various topics in both books.
2. Relationship to Other Disciplines. The emphasis of this book will not be on historical ethics (a study of how Christians in different periods of history have understood various ethical topics) or philosophical ethics (studying ethical topics largely without appeal to the Bible, using the tools and methods of philosophical reasoning and analyzing what can be known about moral right and wrong from observing the world).
These two subjects, which are worthwhile for Christians to pursue, are sometimes also included in a broader definition of the term Christian ethics. In fact, some consideration of historical and philosophical matters will be found at points throughout this book. This is because the study of history informs us of the insights gained and the mistakes made previously by others in understanding ethics, especially in the light of Scripture. And the study of philosophy helps us understand theories of moral right and wrong that are common in our culture and have been common in other cultures throughout history, and often helps us reason carefully about difficult ethical situations. But these two areas of study are not the focus of this volume, which emphasizes interacting directly with the biblical text in order to understand what the Bible itself teaches us about various ethical topics. Even though historical and philosophical studies do contribute to our understanding of ethical questions, my conviction (which I will explain in chap. 3) is that only Scripture has the final authority to define which actions, attitudes, and personal character traits receive God’s approval and which ones do not, and therefore it is appropriate to spend significant time analyzing the teaching of Scripture itself.
My emphasis in this book is also different from a third approach that I will call theological ethics. Rather than seeking to understand and apply what the whole Bible teaches us about how to live (which is my approach), theological ethics begins with a few major Christian doctrines and then reasons from those doctrines to ethical principles. For example, Oliver O’Donovan starts with the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ and reasons from it to several significant ethical conclusions.4 Another example is Richard B. Hays, who starts with the New Testament doctrines of community, cross, and new creation, and then reasons to ethical conclusions.5 I agree that the doctrines they use as starting points are clearly emphasized in the New Testament, but rather than limiting our study to what can be deduced from those doctrines, in this book I will attempt to take into account the teachings of the whole Bible on each ethical topic—and that will include taking into account biblical passages that contain ethical teachings that could not be directly derived from those important doctrines.
While I agree that a study of the ethical implications of various Christian doctrines can and does bring beneficial insights into our ethical responsibilities, my concern is that the results of such studies are necessarily more limited in scope, more tentative, and more subject to bias in favor of the personal ethical conclusions of the practitioner, because they do not work on the basis of the richness of all the biblical data or face the constraints of having to be subject to every relevant passage rather than just those passages clearly related to the chosen themes.
Christian ethics, as I have defined my task here, also differs from Old Testament ethics6 and New Testament ethics.7 These two disciplines emphasize careful study of various ethical themes in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, but place less emphasis on attempting to draw together the teachings of the whole Bible on various topics as they apply to Christians today. At various points, I will make use of the careful work that has been done by specialists in Old Testament ethics or New Testament ethics, and I will then attempt to use that material to draw conclusions about what the whole Bible says to us today about various topics.
3. Major Categories for Ethical Study. This book is organized into seven broad areas that cover seven areas of ethical decisions. Although I do not think that the old covenant is morally binding on us today (because we are now under the new covenant; see chap. 8), we still need to use some kind of system to organize the study of ethical topics, and I find that the Ten Commandments provide a helpful structure for such a study. In using this structure, I am following in a long line of Christian writers on ethics who have done so.8 The broad categories that I employ follow the structure of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1–17) in the following way:9
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Protecting God’s Honor
Commandment 1: “You shall have no other gods before me.”
Commandment 2: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image.”
Commandment 3: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”
Commandment 9: “You shall not bear false witness.”
Commandment 4: “Remember the Sabbath day.”
Part 3: Protecting Human Authority
Commandment 5: “Honor your father and your mother.”
Part 4: Protecting Human Life
Commandment 6: “You shall not murder.”
Part 5: Protecting Marriage
Commandment 7: “You shall not commit adultery.”
Part 6: Protecting Property
Commandment 8: “You shall not steal.”
Part 7: Protecting Purity of Heart
Commandment 10: “You shall not covet.”
B. Ethical Systems: Secular and Christian
Because my goal in this book is to show what the whole Bible teaches Christians about how to live a life that is pleasing to God, I do not focus much attention on secular theories of ethics, for secular ethical systems do not claim to be subject to the moral authority of the Bible. I have added a brief discussion in appendix B: “Ethical Systems: Secular and Christian” .
C. Why Should Christians Study Ethics?
Why should Christians study Christian ethics? That is, why should we engage in the process of collecting and summarizing the teachings of many individual Bible passages on particular ethical questions? Why is it not sufficient simply to continue reading the Bible regularly every day of our lives?
1. The Basic Reason. In answering these questions, we must be careful not to propose a reason to study Christian ethics that implies that we can somehow “improve” on the Bible by doing a better job of organizing its ethical teachings or explaining them in a better way than the Bible itself has done. If we do this, we may be implicitly denying the clarity or sufficiency of Scripture (see chap. 2).
The basic reason that we should study ethics is to better know God’s will for us. The New Testament tells us in several places that we should live in obedience to God’s will. For example, Jesus taught that his followers should keep his commandments:
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. (Matt. 28:19–20)
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. (John 15:10; see also Rom. 13:9; 1 Cor. 7:19; 1 John 2:3–4; 3:22, 24; 5:2–3; Rev. 12:17; 14:12)
But in order to keep Jesus’s commandments, we have to know what they are and understand how they apply to us today, including their Old Testament background and their further explanation in the New Testament Epistles.10 That is the study of Christian ethics.
The New Testament Epistles also give instructions to readers that sound very much like calls to study ethics:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you maydiscern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom. 12:2)
Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (Eph. 5:10)
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Phil. 1:9–11)