With the presidential debates taking place, I thought it would be a good time to review what the Bible teaches about some of the moral societal issues of today. At the forefront of these issues are abortion and homosexuality (and same sex unions). In today’s blog, I would like to center our attention on abortion. In a later blog entry we will look at homosexuality and same sex-marriages.
Let’s begin today’s look at the Scriptural teachings on abortion.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Exod 20:13 (KJV) Thou shalt not kill.
Matt 19:18 (KJV) He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Rom 13:9 (KJV) For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Rev 22:14-15 (KJV) Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Matt 18 (KJV) At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Matt 19:13-15 (KJV) Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put [his] hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid [his] hands on them, and departed thence.
Gen 25:22-23 (KJV) And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If [it be] so, why [am] I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Luke 1:41 (KJV) And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
Luke 2:12-16 (KJV) And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Job 3:3 (KJV) Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night [in which] it was said, There is a man child conceived.
Luke 1:36 (KJV) And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Num 12:12 (KJV) Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.
Luke 1:43 (KJV) And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Ps 51:5 (KJV) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Job 31:13-15 (KJV) If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
Ps 139:13 (KJV) For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
Ps 22:9-10 (KJV) But thou [art] he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope [when I was] upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou [art] my God from my mother's belly.
Gal 1:15 (KJV) But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called [me] by his grace,
Jer 1:4-5 (KJV) Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Isa 49:1 (KJV) Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Luke 1:15 (KJV) For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
Psa 139:14-16 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.
Deut 22:25-27 (KJV) But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die: But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; [there is] in the damsel no sin [worthy] of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so [is] this matter: For he found her in the field, [and] the betrothed damsel cried, and [there was] none to save her.
Lev 20:11-17 (KJV) And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them. And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood [shall be] upon them…. And if a man take a wife and her mother, it [is] wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you… And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it [is] a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
Ezek 18:20 (KJV) The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Rom 12:17-21 (KJV) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Titus 2:4 (KJV) That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
1Cor 13:4-7 (KJV) Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
John 15:13 (KJV) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Matt 23:37 (KJV) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not!
Exod 21:22-23 (KJV) If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart [from her], and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges [determine]. And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
THE STUDY:
I. The Taking of Innocent Life Is Murder
Most, if not all of us, understand that the taking of innocent life is sinful. Both in the Old and New Testaments, we find this teaching clearly on display…
“Thou shalt not kill” is not only a part of the Old Testament law (Ex 20:13), but it is also reaffirmed by Christ Himself in the New Testament (Matt 19:18). Also, we find the Apostle Paul repeating the murder prohibition in Romans 13:9. Finally, we see clearly that those who are found guilty of the sin of murder will be restricted from heaven and eternally judged for their sin (Rev 22:14-15) The Bible is clear… murder is a sin in God’s eyes punishable by eternal death.
The Lord Jesus also made it plain that young children were to have special protection, attention and care given to them (Matt 18:1-6, Matt 19:13-15).
In our study of abortion, if we accept that the taking of innocent life is sinful, the question then becomes… does a fetus, in its mother’s womb possess life? If so, at what point does its life come into existence? At whatever point the fetus possesses life, the abortion procedure becomes murder. This is the issue that we are going to examine in this study.
II. A fetus in the womb is considered a child and the pregnant woman is considered the child’s mother.
In Genesis 25:22-23, twins in their mother’s womb are given the title “children”. The Hebrew word for children is Ben…. It is the common word used to describe children throughout the OT. In Luke 1:41, John the Baptist while yet in his mother’s womb is described as “babe”. The Greek word for babe is the word brephos…. This same Grk word is used in Luke 2:12-16 to describe Christ, the babe that was wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in the manger in Bethlehem.
In both of the above examples, we can clearly see that based upon vocabulary usage, the Bible does not differentiate between a babe in its mother’s womb and a babe that has been born into this world.
You can also see this principle in Job 3:3 where we are told that it was a “man child” that was conceived in his mother’s womb. Luke 1:36 tells us that it was a “son” that was conceived.
In Numbers 12:12 – we find that even in the case of a woman who has given birth to a still born child. She is still considered a mother, because her child had possessed life while the baby was within her womb. This same principle is presented in Luke 1:43 when a pregnant Mary is described as the “mother of my Lord”
III. A fetus in the womb is considered a distinct human being with whom the Lord actively intervenes.
In Psa 51:5 the psalmist describes himself, at conception, as “I” and “me”. Pointing to his personhood beginning with his conception, throughout his mother’s pregnancy and birth and then throughout his life outside the womb. This can also be seen in Job 31:13-15, where Job describes himself in the womb as “I”, “me” and “us”. In Psa 139:13, the psalmist says “thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb”. Once again, we can see that during his time in his mother’s womb, he was an individual human ( “me”) that was simply “covered” in the womb.
In Psalm 22:9-10 we are told that God was in control of the conception, formation and birth of the child. This is proof that He was the child’s God even from his mother’s womb.
The Apostle Paul was called by God to his ministry while he was yet in his mother’s womb in Gal 1:15. The same holds true for Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-5), Isaiah (Isa 49:1), and John The Baptist (Luke 1:15).
IV. When does life begin in the womb?
In Psa 139:14-16, we find the development of the fetus is in view. Please notice the 2 stages of development include….
1. the initial formation of genetic material (at conception when the seed meets the egg) “in thy book all were written… when as yet there was none of them.”
2. the continual forming of the body (based upon the dictates of the genetic material) “in continuance was fashioned” The continual forming and growth of the baby from coneption forward is a sign of the baby possessing life from conception forward.
In other words, the Lord made the Psalmist “in secret” (ie in his mother’s womb – “lowest parts of the earth”) . When the Lord first made the Psalmist, he was “yet unperfect” (undeveloped) . However, even though he was undeveloped, all the genetic instructions (“in thy book all my members were written”) were present . The baby’s body, organs etc, were not physically in existence (“as yet when there was none of them”) although they were in existence in the genetic code.
The baby was in existance and an individual human being from conception. As the baby grows and develops (following the genetic instructions that are received at conception) the life within the fertilized egg is clearly seen.
Here, we find the answer to the question, “When does the baby receive life while in the womb?” The Bible makes it plain that the genetic makeup of the child was existing from the very beginning of its formation. This same genetic code is proof that the child is not simply a part of the mothers’ body. On a genetic level the baby existed, in it's entirety from conception. Add to that the principle of growth and development immediately beginning at conception and we have a clear answer to our question. The baby's life began at conception.... the baby existed in it's entirety at conception and exhibited growth and development from that point forward.
V. What About Rape or Incest… Is Abortion Allowed In These Cases?
Both Rape and Incest are horrible sins in the eyes of the Lord (Lev 20:11-17, Deut 22:25-27). Any victim of these brutal acts should be treated with the greatest amount of concern, compassion and aid. As Christians, we have the responsibility to help these victims in any way possible.
In Eze 18:20 we find a basic Biblical principle that I believe applies in these cases…. “the son shall bot bear the iniquity of father”… Although a pregnancy may have come about due to the heinous sinful act of another, the child should not be punished for the sin of their father. In other words, taking the child’s life, simply because the child was conceived in a sinful manner (rape, incest) cannot be defended.
Please keep mind, although the child may have been conceived as the result of sin, the murder of the child cannot be justified. Two wrongs do not make a right, nor is a murder justified by the act of rape or incest. In Rom 12:17-21… we are reminded that the Biblical method of dealing with wickedness is to “overcome evil with good”. In other words, to “recompense” one evil act with another evil act is of no spiritual value. But by displaying love and kindness to others in the midst of wickedness is glorifying to the Lord who set us
the ultimate example of goodness in the midst of wickedness.
VI. What About Abortion To Protect The Life of the Mother?
One of the most difficult situations a mother can face is to know that by giving birth to her child may endanger her life. Anyone in this situation should prayerfully, consider the Biblical teachings on the Mother/Child love relationship.
In Titus 2:4 young mothers are told to” love their children”. 1 Cor 13:4-7 helps us to understand that the basis of a true, Biblical love is self-sacrifice. Both of these verses, when viewed together, helps us to understand that a mother’s role is one of self-sacrifice… constantly working for the good of the child even at great personal cost. That great personal cost may even extend to the giving of one’s life.
In John 15:13, our Lord tells us that “greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” This principle applies to a mother and child as illustrated by our Lord in Matthew 23:37… where the Lord speaks of a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings, protecting them from harm at the risk of her own life.
In the rare event that a pregnancy puts at risk the mother’s life… would it not be proper for the mother to be willing to risk her life for the sake of her unborn child?
VII. Is There Any Example of Someone Being Punished For Harming A Child In The Womb?
In Ex 21:22-23 we find the case of a pregnant woman who is accidently harmed during a fight between two men. In this case, if she gives birth prematurely due to the injury she received, the party causing her injury was to be “punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him”. The implication is that the child is prematurely born but does not suffer harm nor death.
However, these verses go on to explain if “mischief” follows. IE if the child is permanently harmed or dies then “thou shalt give life for life”. The offender must pay for the mischief that befalls the child due to the premature birth. If the child dies due to the premature birth then, the offender life was to be taken… “Then thou shalt give life for life”.
This verse clearly tells us that harm to a child within the womb is to be treated just as if any other human being was harmed. But more importantly, we see that harm to a child in the womb that results in the child’s death is to be punished with death.
What clearer declaration about the sinfulness of abortion could we find anywhere in Scripture?
Exod 21:22-23 (KJV)
22) If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart [from her], and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges [determine].
23) And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Currently, since abortions are legal in our country, the abortion decision must be made on an individual basis between the parents of the unborn and their God. By God’s grace, a proper understanding of the Scriptures will make clear the sinfulness of abortion and the need for the unborn to be brought to full term.
For those who have already aborted their child, or for those doctors who have committed abortions, forgiveness can be found with our God.
Isa 55:7 (KJV) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Mark 3:28 (KJV)
28) Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
If you have more questions concerning forgiveness and the way of salvation please feel free to visit or call a Bible teaching church in your area. They will be happy to speak to you about the Lord Jesus and the salvation He graciously gives.
Or, if you would rather, feel welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to answer any question you may have.
Also, if you look at my blog page “How To Have A Relationship With God”. On this page you will find several blog entries explaining the way of salvation.
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Great post. I agree with you (and God), abortion is outright sin. And the modern pro-abortion movement is nothing less than Baal worship. In fact, I recently posted on this on my blog.
ReplyDeleteChristopher,
ReplyDeleteI just visited your site... your posting about the worship of false gods and its relation to abortion was right on. May the Lrod bless you for sharing the truth with your readrs.
Great post! I totally agree. Abortion is murder, regardless of the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteAngela,
ReplyDeleteYes, the Bible is plain... there should be no doubt about it.
Thanks for the comment