"...waited until we got married, and that is almost unheard of". Exactly. That's not to say that the church went about the right way about teaching Biblical principles of relationships, since there were many who were taught wrong and they became repressed emotionally and that went out of control. At the same time, even if the church's prescriptions can be and has been wrong on many occasions, the diagnosis for the need for Biblical chastity was correct. And your story is just a beautiful example of how you did not lack anything in doing it in the way of the Bible. In fact, you were blessed with more. It's too bad that karezza seems to be considered too new agey for the church. Seems like even the church was influenced to think that physical intimacy always constitutes a climax, which is a curious case, if one thinks about it. I mean, isn't the whole point of Biblical chastity about realizing that true love isn't rooted in the rollercoaster of emotions that is physical infatuation? and that physical consummation of marital love is just that, placing the capstone on a structure that already has a strong foundation, without which the structure is just a sand castle unable to withstand a single ocean wave? Therefore, if indeed the claim is such, then does it not follow naturally that true consummation of marital love does not obligate the climax, which also leads to a rollercoaster of emotions? Before the first commandment to humans (Gen 1:28 'be fruitful and multiply') was the concept of union, as humans are created in the image of God first ("in Our Image", God said). That is to say, it can be inferred that pro-creation is sequentially subsequent to union. Also, practically speaking, in all the acts of consummation, how many times does a couple wish to pro-create a child anyways? Is it not primarily to consummate union? Too often, the church makes Biblical chastity seem like chains on a prisoner who wants to escape. Who wouldn't want to break the chains and escape as quickly as possible? Song of Solomon 8:4 " Not to awaken love until the time is right" Good on you and your husband for not awakening love until the time is right. May your marriage and family be all the more blessed for it.
"...waited until we got married, and that is almost unheard of".
Exactly. That's not to say that the church went about the right way about teaching Biblical principles of relationships, since there were many who were taught wrong and they became repressed emotionally and that went out of control.
At the same time, even if the church's prescriptions can be and has been wrong on many occasions, the diagnosis for the need for Biblical chastity was correct.
And your story is just a beautiful example of how you did not lack anything in doing it in the way of the Bible. In fact, you were blessed with more. It's too bad that karezza seems to be considered too new agey for the church. Seems like even the church was influenced to think that physical intimacy always constitutes a climax, which is a curious case, if one thinks about it. I mean, isn't the whole point of Biblical chastity about realizing that true love isn't rooted in the rollercoaster of emotions that is physical infatuation? and that physical consummation of marital love is just that, placing the capstone on a structure that already has a strong foundation, without which the structure is just a sand castle unable to withstand a single ocean wave?
Therefore, if indeed the claim is such, then does it not follow naturally that true consummation of marital love does not obligate the climax, which also leads to a rollercoaster of emotions? Before the first commandment to humans (Gen 1:28 'be fruitful and multiply') was the concept of union, as humans are created in the image of God first ("in Our Image", God said). That is to say, it can be inferred that pro-creation is sequentially subsequent to union. Also, practically speaking, in all the acts of consummation, how many times does a couple wish to pro-create a child anyways? Is it not primarily to consummate union?
Too often, the church makes Biblical chastity seem like chains on a prisoner who wants to escape. Who wouldn't want to break the chains and escape as quickly as possible?
Song of Solomon 8:4 " Not to awaken love until the time is right"
Good on you and your husband for not awakening love until the time is right. May your marriage and family be all the more blessed for it.