What is the Christian view of abortion and birth control?
Answer:
Now, that is a very important question; particularly, I think, in the day in which we live, when there is being a tremendous amount said on the subject. There is, very definitely, a scriptural view of abortion. Just to give you a simple definition, abortion is—and I’m just quoting medically—“the expulsion of a human fetus from the uterus, prematurely, with the stoppage of life. When this occurs spontaneously, it is called miscarriage.” It is the expulsion of a fetus. We have come to know abortion not in the natural sense or the spontaneous sense, but rather, in the induced sense where embryonic life is terminated either by medical, surgical, or chemical or physical means.
Such abortion has become a rather common process of birth control: if the pill doesn’t work, we get an abortion. Therapeutic abortion, as it is called, is granted today on three bases: one, when the continuation of the pregnancy may threaten the life of the woman or seriously impair her health; two, when pregnancy has resulted from rape or incest; three, when continuation is likely to result in the birth of a child with grave physical deformities or mental retardation. Now, in these cases, we have what we know as therapeutic abortion. For the most part today, however, you could get an abortion for any whim or any reason that you want it. There are clinics that just constantly offer that service.
To find out what the Bible instructs about abortion is, I think, a very simple thing. Let me give you some incidents from the early church because it’s important for us to know what the early church thought. In the teachings of the twelve apostles—which is, incidentally, one of the earliest historical writings that we have after the years of the church (the early church)—it says this: “Thou shalt not slay a child by abortion, nor what is begotten shalt thou destroy.” The viewpoint of the first century church and the second century church was that abortion violated the commands of God.
Tertullian, who was one of the early church fathers, said, “To hinder a birth is merely a speedier way of killing, nor does it matter whether you take away a life that is born or destroy one that is coming to birth; that is, a man which is going to be one. You have the fruit already in the seed.” The early church had a writing entitled “The Apostolic Constitution” and in it, it said this: “Thou shalt not slay a child by causing abortion.”
Now, the reason we quote these extrabiblical sources is because the Bible does not say anything about abortion, particularly. But it does say, “Thou shalt not kill.” And we believe that the Bible teaches that abortion is tantamount to murder. That is, I think, supported for many reasons. For one very interesting passage, look at Exodus 21. And we’re not going to spend a lot of time on this, but I would like to point out this is where we have some indication regarding fetal life.
Exodus 21:22. Assume that in the middle of the street or in the middle of the house, two men start a fight and there happens to be a pregnant lady there who gets somehow drawn into the fight—not according to her own wishes, but she is either struck or hit or knocked over or something and you have the incident indicated here. “If men strive”—that is, if there’s a fight going on, “and they hurt a woman with child so that her fruit depart from her and yet no mischief follows, he shall be surely punished according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him and he shall pay as the judge has determined.” If a fight occurs and a woman loses her baby—without an intent, by accident—then there was a price to pay. “If any mischief follows,” verse 23, “then thou shalt give life for life.”
Now, there are two interpretations: that mischief means the death or the injury of the mother or that mischief means the death of the unborn child. And most commentators would say that it refers to the unborn child. Now, if the unborn child dies, according to verse 23, if that’s what “mischief” is, then you shall give what? Life for life. And therein does God regard that life, that fetal life, as real life, as actual life, and required—if that is indeed the meaning of the term “mischief” the life that took that life.
I think Psalm 139 bears reading. Verse 13 and following: “For thou hast possessed my inward parts, thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hidden from thee; when I was made in secret and intricately wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unformed and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them!” In other words, “God, you had a perfect description of me, physically, before I ever existed. When I was yet in the womb and unformed, you knew what I would be when I was formed.”
“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God; how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.” And here we find God active in forming the fetus, God active in the actual life of that child before it is born. And I think this is sufficient evidence to indicate that the fetal life is indeed considered by God to be actual life. And God certainly is the One who created that life. If God wanted the cessation of that life, God could take care of it. The natural process of miscarriage is God’s way of aborting that which God does not desire to be born. And I don’t believe that even in the cases of therapeutic abortion, there is any justification for such abortion. I think it has to do with the providence of God and the care of God and God bringing about that which He desires; He will affect what He will affect.
Now, in the case of birth control—just to add to that—I don’t think there’s anything in the scripture to limit birth control. Certainly by abortion, yes. But by other means, I don’t think the scripture qualifies anything against birth control. I don’t think the argument of population explosion—you know, we read that somewhere in the world there’s a woman having a baby every fourth of a second… Course I think we ought to find her and stop her, but I don’t really think that that is any reason to defend birth control. I think birth control the Lord has left up to every individual husband and wife for their own determination, for what is the will of God for their life, and what they are desirous of doing. The scripture is silent on that issue. I think it is wisdom that does allow for some birth control in some certain cases, obviously.
- - - - - - - - -
- - -
The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1301, titled "Bible Questions and Answers." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Our websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986
- - - - - - - - - -
The publisher and editors of The Christian Beacon do not necessarily agree with all of John MacArthur’s comments. We offer this article for your personal study and to help you form your own beliefs regarding the subject above.