February 9, 2011
For Valentine”s Day . . . a Command
By Mark A. Taylor As churches everywhere capitalize on Valentine”s Day, all of us can ponder a biblical mandate more serious than hearts and flowers. Sweetheart dinners, couples retreats, and sermons about love are all great, as long as they move us beyond the frivolous expressions typical of our culture”s shallow take on deep issues. When it comes to marriage, God has spoken. His command comes three times in Paul”s epistles, twice within a few phrases of each other. “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” Paul tells the Ephesians. “Husbands
