Redeeming Singleness: How the Storyline of Scripture Affirms the Single Life

by John Piper (Foreword), Barry Danylak

Though marriage is highly esteemed throughout Scripture, the Bible also affirms singleness as an important calling for some Christians.  Redeeming Singleness  expounds a theology of singleness that shows how the blessings of the covenant are now directly mediated to believers through Christ. Redeeming Singleness  offers an in-depth examination of the redemptive history from which biblical singleness emerges. Danylak illustrates the continuity of this affirmation of singleness by showing how the Old Testament creation mandate and the New Testament kingdom mandate must both be understood in light of God’s plan of redemption through spiritual rebirth in Christ. As the trend toward singleness in the church increases, the need for constructive theological reflection likewise grows.  Redeeming Singleness  meets this need, providing encouragement to those who are single or ministering to singles and challenging believers from all walks of life to reflect more deeply on the sufficiency of Christ.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Nonfiction, Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Relationships

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as senior pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem.

John is the author of more than 50 books and more than 30 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and twelve grandchildren.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Tori Samar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think you would be hard-pressed to find a more substantive Christian book on singleness. In the foreword, John Piper refers to Danylak's book as a "theology of singleness," and he's definitely right. If you're looking for a straightforward, feel-good, easy-to-read book about living the single life as a Christian, Redeeming Singleness is not what you want. But if you're willing to slow down, read plenty of thorough biblical exposition, and dig deep into some rich concepts and discussions, then you should definitely read this book. Fair warning though—you have to read the book cover-to-cover. It's tempting in some of the beginning chapters to say, "What does this have to do with singleness?" But if you really do want to see "how the storyline of Scripture affirms the single life," then you need to stick with it to the end.

So how does Scripture affirm the single life? Here are some of Danylak's best arguments:

Singleness "testifies to the complete sufficiency of Christ for all things." The storyline of Scripture ultimately establishes that the path to blessing is through Jesus Christ. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Whereas the Jews needed a name and offspring (hence, also marriage) to maintain their inheritance of land, we have an eternal inheritance and every spiritual blessing granted through faith in and union with Jesus Christ. Marriage is not required to obtain or maintain these blessings. Furthermore, to live in singleness for God's glory is to live out a beautiful picture of Christ's sufficiency. This is not to denigrate marriage, but rather to highlight the beauties of both marriage and singleness. Marriage gives us a particular picture of a gospel reality (the relationship between Christ and the Church). So does singleness (Christ's sufficiency for all things).

Single people can have spiritual offspring and a spiritual family as dear to them as any blood relations. Danylak looks to Jesus Himself and the apostle Paul to make the argument that to be single is not to be alone. Regarding Jesus—consider the intimate relationships He had with His disciples. There was an "inner circle" with Peter, James, and John, not to mention the fact that John always referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Or consider how Jesus labeled His family members as the ones who do the will of God (Mark 3:34-35). And then there's Paul. Danylak walks the reader through many instances of Paul's referring to churches and other believers in familial terms (parent/child seems to be his favorite). Paul had an abundance of spiritual offspring. And single believers today can have what Jesus and Paul did. They can build deep relationships within the body of Christ, "[beget] children through the gospel," and "[raise] them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord until they too are mature disciples."

Singleness is a unique "freedom to serve." This is Danylak's overarching argument based on 1 Corinthians 7 and Matthew 19:11-12. Danylak argues that God has granted some the gift of singleness, i.e., "a Spirit-enabled freedom to serve the King and the kingdom wholeheartedly without undue distraction for the longings of sexual intimacy, marriage, and family." Even if you disagree with Danylak's particular view of singleness as a charisma, you can still see how singleness is a unique freedom to serve. Some are single (temporarily or permanently) due to circumstances outside their control and can embrace the freedom to serve God wholeheartedly in that season of life. But I also agree with Danylak that God has given some the ability to remain single voluntarily throughout their lives so that they are free to serve whenever and wherever He calls them. Regardless of why individuals might be single, singleness is absolutely a special freedom to serve God, for anyone willing to embrace it as such.

Any Christian can learn much from this book, whether he or she is currently single or not. Praise God for marriage and praise God for singleness!

(Read for the 2017 Tim Challies Christian Reading Challenge: A book about theology)

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great expository manual on a relevant subject for many like myself. Free from authorial advice, this is a scholarly work that presents an analysis of the full Biblical teaching on singleness. I recommend it highly. Clears away the interpretive weeds that surround the highly contextual 1 Corinthians 7. Paul was speaking to a group of Greco-Roman people who would have shared pagan notions of marriage and sexuality. Jews would have held that marriage and fruitfulness is a command, and fruitfulness is connected to God’s blessings for righteousness; with the New Covenant, there is a new identity in Christ and a new shared spiritual family in the church; there is no need to marry in the light of eternity, but there is nothing wrong with marriage. Some have the rare “gift” of singleness - identified by the absence of that “burning passion” that is undoubtedly the common state of affairs for mankind. But for those like Paul who have no desire to marry, there is an urging to reserve one’s life for service to God as a single person. There is no obligation to be married or to remain single for anyone - only a newfound identity in Christ that will one day redeem all broken marriage relationships and all earthly loneliness in the eternal realm where we will be “like the angels,” fully satisfied in Christ with no more marriage at all.

[Hanna Ray Hardman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because it has a theological approach to singleness/relationships which is something I’m not used to. most books on related topics are typically more practical/emotional and will use Scripture to back up the author’s personal points, but this book talks about singleness through the lens of the covenants throughout the Bible and how and why the perspective on singleness has changed over time. I wish I could give it 4.5 stars because the writing style is a little dry and can be difficult to get through at some points, but I still rounded up because the nerdier side of me geeked out over the theological perspective

[Rachel Winkler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars is probably more appropriate. This was really interesting and overall good and helpful in a lot of ways. Tracing the themes of marriage, childbearing, and singleness through the storyline of Scripture is not something I have seen before, and I really appreciated the thoroughness with which Danylak did so. It was really helpful to see how marriage and childbearing were necessary under the old covenant for the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people, and how marriage and children were a sign of God’s blessing. As such, singleness was a curse, resulting in the blotting out of family lines and heritage.

In the new covenant, however, singleness is not indicative of one’s covenant status or lack of God’s blessing — it is a good thing because all of God’s promises have come to fulfillment in Christ, who alone is our all-sufficient sole source of identity. Our identity no longer lies in our name being carried on after we die, we are no longer awaiting the promised Messiah (because He has come as the true seed of Abraham and David), and we are complete in Christ alone and made part of the church as our spiritual family.

The one thing I take issue with in this book is Danylak’s interpretation of “the gift of singleness” in chapter 7. Here he exegetes 1 Corinthians 7, and I think his reconstruction of the Corinthians’ situation and potentially the question to which Paul was responding is very convincing. However, Danylak says the following about “the gift of singleness”:

“The charisma of singleness is a Spirit-enabled freedom to serve the King and the kingdom wholeheartedly, without undue distraction for the longings of sexual intimacy, marriage, and family. The essence of the gift is a freedom that transcends the innately human desires for marital intimacy and family life, desires which are good and normal and part of how God has designed us as male and female for the present age. The definition does not imply that those with the gift of singleness are asexual individuals with no interest in marriage or family life. But it is suggesting that they experience a genuine freedom that allows them to serve God with a whole heart, irrespective of whether they ever experience the fulfillment of marital intimacy and family life.”

While there are without a doubt some single Christians who have a call on their life to remain single by choice, as Jesus talks about in Matthew 19, I think that interpreting what Paul is saying here about the “gift of singleness” can be a bit dangerous when played out practically. It is true that some choose singleness for godly reasons, and that is wonderful. But for those who are single not by choice — godly singles who desire/seek marriage — this interpretation leaves them in a position where they may feel they do not have the “gift” or “ability” to faithfully live for God’s glory in the situation He has ordained for them. If we say that only those with this special spiritual gift are given the ability to live a chaste, content, joyful life for God’s glory, then those who long for marriage yet remain single are left thinking 1) they are entitled to marriage because they don’t have the “gift” necessary to remain single, 2) they must not be expected to remain above reproach sexually because they have not been given the “gift” to do so, 3) they have an excuse for discontentment in their singleness, or 4) they cannot really live joyfully or fully until (if) they get married since that is their real calling.

The more accurate picture the Bible gives us, I believe, is to be content and joyful and thankful in all circumstances, whatever that may be. Danylak may very well intend for this to come across in his writing even to those who are not single by choice — but he doesn’t ever address this group directly. Rather he focuses on those who choose to be single for the sake of the kingdom. I think it would be more helpful to distinguish between “single by choice” and “single by circumstance” in this discussion, because while the admonition to both is the same — your singleness is a gift from God for His glory and the good of you and your local church, and you can fully glorify God and live an abundantly joyful life as a single Christian — there is a marked difference in addressing those who desire it and those who do not.

Aside from this difference in understanding regarding the gift of singleness, I thought this was a really solid and thorough walk-through of singleness throughout the storyline of Scripture and really appreciated Danylak’s labor in writing this.

“Like Christian marriage, Christian singleness lived in its fullest expression is a powerful testimony to the gospel. In the unchanging commitment of love and submission expressed between husband and wife, Christian marriage testifies to God’s faithful covenant love toward his people and their submission and reception to his sovereign love. Christian singleness is a testimony to the supreme sufficiency of Christ for all things, testifying that through Christ life is fully blessed even without marriage and children. It prophetically points to a reality greater than the satisfactions of this present age by consciously anticipating the Christian’s eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God. Christian singleness lived as a testimony of this gospel truth is a redeeming singleness.”

[Hazel Stones · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting biblical take on singleness. It leaves one feeling less of an object of pity and more motivated to see the single state in a positive light.

[Katie Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really glad this book exists. It's a very thorough and careful tracing of the development of singleness as a theme from Genesis through to 1 Corinthians, and it's clear, convincing and positive. It strengthened my convictions about singleness with the shape of the whole Bible story, answered a couple of questions that had been bothering me for a while about singleness and the relationship between the Old Testament and the New and pushed me to think harder about some things in a useful way. Particularly enjoyed seeing how the shift from this-world focused promises to recreated-world focus in the prophets includes the beginnings of a shift in the way that singleness is viewed in Jeremiah/Isaiah 54&56. A nuanced and fairly convincing take on singleness as a spiritual gift for the good of the church, as well.
The reason I've gone for 4-stars and not 5 is that the prose isn't very engaging and the first couple of chapters are incredibly slow and (I felt, but I'm not a theologian so maybe it's my limitation) take a long time to say not totally necessary/relevant things. I found this a real struggle with the Creation and Abraham chapters (and it felt like he was rehashing himself quite a lot on Abraham when he got to Galatians). Similarly with the 1st century marriage-debate context in 1 Corinthians, even though I personally found it very interesting. I wonder if better editing could have helped.
TL;DR: I'd really recommend - if not to people who don't read much/haven't thought about singleness much - but I'd recommend skimming the first half more than I did!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far from most books on singleness full of anecdotes and “fluff”, Danylak provides a thorough commentary on marriage, family, and singleness throughout Scripture. His explanations of the Old Testament covenants gave me a much deeper understanding of their significance and Christ’s sufficiency in completely fulfilling them. His discussion of the themes in the Major Prophets made me excited to read those books again, and he gives significant cultural background regarding the New Testament that was eye-opening. Each chapter led me to understand the Gospel in a deeper way. Would recommend this book to all Christians!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not recommend this more!! Truly got to the heart of God’s design for singleness in the new covenant, their place in the church, and their witness to the world!! Absolutely loved! Will read again!!

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. What a theologically rich book. Danylak goes through chapters of some heavy biblical theology to develop his arguments, but once he gets there he will make you rethink typically accepted western Evangelical views on singleness, marriage and child-bearing. I was surprised at how my "Christian" understanding of marriage, family and singleness was actually a more pre-Jesus Old Testament understanding of those things.

[Fiona Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this read. It was extremely informative as it analyzed biblical passages in forensic detail. At firdt, the book does not seem to affirm singleness. However, you have to read the whole book to see how it all ties together to support the notion of singleness. this book made me view singleness and Christ’s atoning work on the cross in such a different way. Who knew that singleness could relate to the gospel message! Would recommend to anyone who wants a more challenging and “academic” break down of scripture.

[Clayton Wagler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danylak traces themes of singleness, marriage, seed, and more throughout the Bible. He does not downplay the value of marriage, but definitely helps people see the value singleness has according to the Bible. A large chunk of the book is a study of the Old Testament and ancient Jewish perspective of marriage and family so that one can properly understand singleness in the Gospels and Paul's letters. 4.5/5 stars.

[Madelyn VK · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion, the most interesting point the author made is that Christianity is the only monotheistic religion that values singleness. Overall, I found it a helpful read, but know before you jump in that it is quite heady and theological.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barry Danylak obviously put a huge effort into his thesis that singleness needs to be “redeemed” in the church. I enjoyed reading it. However, while I agree that singles in the church are just as valued as married members, I think that his attempt to define a theology of singleness was done at the expense of the theology of marriage. He states, “It is the new birth that defines one’s membership in the new family and if being truly blessed of God is realized in being part of that new family, then marriage no longer plays the fundamental role in the new family of God as it did in the old covenant”.

This statement is really the basis for his argument for redeeming singleness. But he never develops the fact that marriage in the NT and more importantly from creation, is also meant to display Christ’s love for His Bride, the church. Marriage was not designed by God simply for the numerical increase of His people until the better way came with Christ, and yet that seems to form the foundation for the author’s high view of singleness. Danylak seems to want us to appreciate marriage, but encourages readers to focus more on a single’s ability to point to the all-sufficiency of Christ than on marriage pointing to His relationship with His Bride.

Both may be true, but I think he could have been more balanced in his approach. I was also disappointed that he only minimally addressed the culture shift which has resulted in more single adults in the world and in the church. Seems to me that if a “theology of singleness” is now necessary, we should look deeper at the reasons why.

[David Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

In an age of evangelicalism marked by the fierce defense of marriage and the nuclear family, Barry Danylak offers a thorough and compelling biblical theology of the role marriage, procreation, and singleness play through Scripture’s redemptive arc. Redeeming Singleness finds its strength in its extensive treatment of the Old Testament covenants and the primacy of marriage for Israel. Only by building this deep foundation can Danylak approach the crux of the matter with intellectual rigor: Why the strong shift from kin to church? Is Jesus a “family man”? How can singleness move from a cursed state to a powerful gift, a charisma?

In his treatment of singleness, Danylak emphasizes Paul’s caution in 1 Corinthians 7:9 that those those unmarried and widows who “cannot exercise self-control ... should marry.” He then emphasizes this qualification for singleness—that it is a call only for “those who can willingly receive it in a life of sexual purity.” While he rightly discusses the calling of purity on the single life, Danylak avoids the full nature of chastity for both the single and married. Far from giving marrieds a carte blanche in the sexual arena, Danylak echoes Paul’s commands against sexual immorality throughout his surviving letters to the Corinthians; however, he fails to direct readers to the high calling of chastity for marrieds (e.g., 1 Cor. 7:3-5) with the same fervor with which he discusses chastity for the single. Scripture emphasizes a holiness and great self-control for singles. While it may appear different for marrieds, it is of no less importance: Both marriage and singleness are training grounds for our sexual desire and chastity, and neither are to be taken lightly.

Danylak’s reverent treatment of marriage and singleness lifts readers’ eyes to the God who made both vocations, who instilled each with power and purpose at varying points in the redemptive timeline. Danylak weaves chronologically through this timeline, creating bombshell moments when God drastically turns “the way things were” on its head into “the way things are and will be”—but nota bene, these bombshells sit quietly behind the academic veneer of a biblical theology text. While not a casual read, this book is the theology text the Church needs to redeem singleness.

[Tirzah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

What an insightful book! I think this is a beneficial read for all Christians, single or married. There are many common misconceptions about singleness in today’s churches and Barry Danylak clears a lot of them up through Scripture and scholarly interpretation of the Scriptures. It is a theological book so be prepared for some lengthy and heavy discussions, but those parts are minimal and most of the book is understandable to the layman. If you are unsure whether to read this or not, I encourage you to read the Introduction as it shares what the book is about, its structure, and its approach. I am pretty certain after reading the Introduction many will want to continue and discover the wonderful way of how singleness is interwoven within God’s unfolding story. If people are fearful that this book downplays marriage, it does not. It acknowledges marriage as a gift from God whilst also acknowledging singleness as a gift from God. One of the best things about reading this was being reminded of God’s awesomeness and love and how truly redemptive Jesus's death was and still is.

A couple times, Danylak refers to Judaism, Islam, and Mormonism as "monotheistic siblings" to Christianity, which makes me uncomfortable as I do not view them as such. I understand that he was comparing certain aspects of the said faiths and made it clear how they differ, but I would not use the "sibling" term. That is a personal preference and it by no means deterred me from reading or deters me from recommending. Overall, Redeeming Singleness is a very well-written and well-researched book. Similar to the church in Corinth, many of today's churches are exposed to the sex-obsessed worldview that they fall prey to viewing relationships through secular lens and not God's lens. I hope this book will aid Christians in turning their eyes back to the Bible on the matter of singleness and with all other matters of life.

[Katie Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

How the storyline of the Scrpiture affirms the single life.
Above all, I believe waiting on the Lord, putting our full trust in Him- despite the difficulty of whatever season we are in, shows true faith.  And I desire and pray for strengthened faith daily. 
Partially out of curiosity and partially out of interest- I picked up Redeeming Singleness and I believe the text allowed for much understanding and further insight on the topic.  As a currently single woman at the age of thirty two, I have struggled from time to time with my purpose in God’s plan as either remaining single or continuing to be prayerful as I wait for my future husband. Danylak’s book has given me so much to think about in such a way which I feel things have become more clear for me in this season of my life.  When I analyze the desires of my heart and where I see my future, it is with a spouse and perhaps even children if the Lord blesses us in such a way. Danylak’s book allowed me to see clearly God blesses both those who are married and those who are single. There are individuals who are single by choice and those who have yet to meet a suitable partner.  I believe with the Lord’s leading, being patient, content in this season, and the willingness to risk the comfort of my single season, the Lord can lead that suitable partner into my life in a beautiful way. Will you join me, believers, in prayer for deepened faith whether in married or single seasons?
Barry Danylak writes Redeeming Singleness with Biblical knowledge, a plethora of examples and explanations which allowed all his points to be immensely clear.  The reader is able to take away from the text confidence acknowledging the fact that there are both married and single people and the Lord loves and blesses them both.  Danylak’s included Biblical stories with characters which exemplify both marriage and singleness become both challenging and encouraging.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars - rounded up to 4 because it is an important enough book to warrant a higher rating.

This theological treatise on singleness by Danyluk is critical in our current era in the church, when sexuality is highly polarized and cultural sexual norms are prevalent in the church. The book is not a list of rules, but rather a careful examination of the theological understanding of marriage and singleness, both in the Old Testament and under the New Covenant.

Positive:
I was deeply impressed with the author's care in examining the command "be fruitful and multiply", to whom it was given, and under what context.

I appreciated his examination of the "curse" of singleness and childlessness under the Old Covenant, and the shocking difference in Jesus's discussion of marriage under the New Covenant - especially how counter-cultural that would have been seen then - and still is.

I appreciated his summarizing thoughts on the "gift of singleness" and why, exactly, that is a necessary gift to the world and the culture at this point in time

I also appreciated his avoidance of the same-sex marriage debate, because while the points he makes in the book can and should speak to the debate, it is not the primary function of the book and he was wise not to be distracted.

Slightly less positive:
I found his examination of Paul's commands regarding sexuality to the Corinthian church both less convincing and also dragging in style - I struggled most in this section, which is what dropped my review from 4 stars to 3.5.

Summary:
I highly recommend this book for anyone who has the responsibility of discussing sexuality, marriage, and singleness in a theological context, whether in the church or academia or elsewhere; because I think it contributes critical insight to the discussion that I have not heard said elsewhere.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall point of this book: 5 stars

Reading style: 3 stars (it’s not poorly written, though sometimes a little repetitive, but it’s very dense and may make you think of theological articles from classes at a Bible college)

I haven’t before read a book that frames Christian singleness this way. I really like how the author, Barry Danylak, shows that covenantal blessings from God were provided through physical offspring in the OT, but after the one offspring who culminated those promises (Jesus), physical offspring is no longer necessary to be fully included. Anyone can be fully blessed in Christ regardless of marital status, which is quite distinct from other Abrahamic religions.

Considering that 1) the church includes people who stay permanently single; 2) even people who marry will spend a decent chunk of their earthly lives single; and 3) on top of that we’ll all spend our eternal lives single—it’s wonderful to have a book that provides such solid theological underpinnings for singleness in a much deeper way than just having more time for God’s work. This book shows what a revolution Christ brought to the way we’re included in the blessings of God.

[Samantha Burgees · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll admit sometimes I felt a little bogged down in this book but sometimes I wonder if that’s just because I’ve always been a bit of a slow reader. Regardless the content was very interesting to see how singleness was viewed in the Old Testament as it relates to the covenants and moving into the New Testament and today. It’s cool to see the shift from singleness as an affliction to an opportunity to serve God well, even if only meant for a season. I also for some reason never really made the connection of the importance of a person’s name, especially in the Old Testament. Beyond them having significant meanings to the person, it was cool to learn what it meant for a name to be “blotted out” as it relates to childlessness under the old covenants.

[Elizabeth Aucoin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on singleness, definitely wouldn't read for practical application. Very 'dry' if you are looking for encouragement in singleness or starting to think through what it should look like biblically. (I'd recommend Sam Albery's writings or talks). But it was very rich scripturally and historically. Danylak walks through the Bible and opened my eyes more to how the OT covenants focus on marriage and procreation because the promises by God were (broadly) centered on Abraham's descendants becoming a great nation and Israel receiving land. And there is hope and beauty in the New Covenant that Christ brought affirming the single life more than the church currently displays.

[Maggie Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an informative book and teaches about Christian singleness in a way I’ve never heard before. Unlike many other books and teachings, here singleness is not treated as a problem to be solved but as a gift to be embraced for Jesus. It’s beautiful. But you should know that this is a very theologically dense book, and the first few chapters won’t seem to be about singleness at all. Danylak gives an overview of the theology of marriage and singleness from the start of creation to now, so there is a lot to cover regarding the Old Covenant. If you are willing to read you will learn a lot and walk away blessed.

[Sarah Metcalfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was recommended this book by a friend and goodness it might be my favorite book of the year. I highlighted most of the latter chapters:

“Nor are we suggesting that health, marriage, children, family, wealth, career, and so on are not also blessings of God. Every good gift comes to us from God alone (James 1:17). What we are saying is that if, heaven forbid, we should lose our health, marriage, wealth, or whatever, we are no less fully blessed in Christ as children of the new covenant and fully anticipating an imperishable inheritance awaiting us in his kingdom.”

Hopefully the snippet does the trick and you read it too.

[Benaiah Neetz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redeeming Singleness does a wonderful job laying out a biblical theology of how, in Christ, God’s family is ultimately defined by faith, not by having kids or being married. It’s a rich and thoughtful book that shows how singles are fully part of God’s household. My only disagreement is that the book can get a bit heavy in its theological detail. Sometimes it feels like there’s a bit of confusion between God’s temporary creational order for this life and the eternal end we’re moving towards. But overall, it’s a great read and definitely one I’d recommend!

[Maddie Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of the book (marriage/singleness in the Old Testament) was really slow moving and repetitive, in my opinion. The second half of the book (focused on the New Testament) was much richer and captivating! Overall, a good read with some great teachings on how Christians should view, teach, and live out singleness in the new covenant era.

[Cando · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the overarching point of the book and I think it is something that is scantly discussed in the church or Christian circles. It was very theological and academic in the writing style and I would have preferred an easier to read version. Nonetheless I think he was able to make his argument.

[John Wee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for people wanting to build a more scriptural foundation in understanding marriage and singleness.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐️

[Joshua Hu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Biblical theology of singleness, though I disagree with his view of the "gift of singleness" in Ch. 7.

[Jake Baur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. A bit headier, but designed as a true Biblical theology of singleness.

[Sophie Del8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

trop super ! je voulais le lire depuis longtemps mais en même temps j'évitais le sujet.
le dernier chapitre Commentaire de 1 Corinthiens 7, c'était formidable. hyper beau, pointu et encourageant 🔥💖👏