This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence

Book Description:

The chasm between the biblical vision of marriage and the common human conception is—and has always been—gargantuan. Reflecting on over forty years of matrimony, John Piper exalts the biblical meaning of marriage over its emotion, exhorting couples to keep their covenant as a display of Christ’s covenant-keeping love for the church. He aims to lift the church’s low view of marriage to something infinitely greater, namely, a vision of Jesus’s unswerving allegiance to and affection for his bride. This Momentary Marriage unpacks the biblical vision, its unexpected contours, and its weighty implications for married, single, divorced, and remarried alike. Now available in paperback with a freshly redesigned cover, Piper’s book on marriage holds even greater appeal.

Contents

Foreword: Pendulums and Pictures by Noël Piper 9

Introduction: Marriage and Martyrdom 13

1 Staying Married Is Not Mainly about Staying in Love 19

2 Naked and Not Ashamed 29

3 God’s Showcase of Covenant-Keeping Grace 41

4 Forgiving and Forbearing 51

5 Pursuing Conformity to Christ in the Covenant 63

6 Lionhearted and Lamblike—The Christian Husband 73

as Head: Foundations of Headship

7 Lionhearted and Lamblike—The Christian Husband 83

as Head: What Does It Mean to Lead?

8 The Beautiful Faith of Fearless Submission 95

9 Single in Christ: A Name Better Than Sons and 105

Daughters

10 Singleness, Marriage, and the Christian Virtue 117

of Hospitality

11 Faith and S e x in Marriage 127

12 Marriage Is Meant for Making Children . . . Disciples 137

of Jesus: How Absolute Is the Duty to Procreate?

13 Marriage Is Meant for Making Children . . . Disciples 147

of Jesus: The Conquest of Anger in Father and Child

14 What God Has Joined Together, Let Not Man 157

Separate: The Gospel and the Radical New Obedience

MomentaryMarriageDG.i03.indd 7 8/12/08 11:22:02 AM15 What God Has Joined Together, Let Not Man 167

Separate: The Gospel and the Divorced

Conclusion: This Momentary Marriage 177

A Few Words of Thanks 179

Scripture Index 181

Person Index 185

Subject Index 187

A Note on Resources: Desiring God 192