Viret, Pierre
In an age of gender confusion and the redefinition of marriage, the words of 16th century Reformers Pierre Viret and his associate John Calvin offer a refreshing and astonishingly applicable examination of the Biblical definition of marriage and sexuality as well as its present application to our life and culture.
What is marriage? How is true chastity defined? What constitutes just grounds for a Biblical divorce? Is remarriage ever lawful? And what about sensual music, dances, and the current trend in women’s fashions?
Within this book Pierre Viret (1511-1571) answers these and countless other questions. Written in the form of a conversation between two fictitious characters, Viret presents his readers with an easily-understood, down-to-earth, intensely practical exposition of the seventh commandment.
Joining Viret, fellow-Reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) also offers his understanding of the Biblical definition of marriage, adultery, and sexuality in a sermon originally preached to his congregation in Geneva.
Contents
1. The Seventh Commandment
2. The True Chastity Required by God
3. Sensuality in Music and Dancing
4. Defining Fornication
5. An Examination of Adultery
6. Various Effects of Adultery
7. Adultery and the Family
8. Adultery and the Death Penalty
9. Christ’s View of Divorce
10. Separation and Abandonment in Marriage
11. Marriages between Believers and Unbelievers
12. In What Cases Divorce is Lawful
13. Did Christ Abolish the Death Penalty?
14. Is Polygamy Lawful?
15. Why Divorce and Polygamy were Permitted under the Old Covenant
16. Homosexuality and Other Atrocities
17. Modesty and Women’s Adornments
18. Women’s Fashions and their Purpose
19. The Seventh Commandment by John Calvin