Most of us were taught what the Bible says about marriage before we ever sat down and traced the argument for ourselves. So let’s start small. There are three familiar details you can check in a few minutes, followed by a marriage law that is almost never mentioned in the usual explanation. That law does not settle the question, but it gives us a reason to keep reading through Genesis, Jesus, Paul, and the rest of Scripture.
01It takes about five minutesCheck the three passagesThere is nothing to sign up for, buy, or join. Take your time and read privately.
Three familiar Bible details
One marriage law that is often left out
Then Genesis, Jesus, and Paul
You may be wondering what these passages mean for a woman, or what they require of a man. Start with the question that is actually on your mind.
Both begin in the same place: Exodus 21:10
You can read the passages, check the historical sources, look at the manuscripts, or go straight to the question that is bothering you. Each page links to the material it relies on.
Exodus 21:10 describes a household that does not fit the sentence many of us learned. Read the law, then decide what it proves and what it leaves unanswered.
Read Exodus 21:10
Augustine made a distinction in 401 that many Christians have never heard. The history page follows 26 moments and 22 source records from the early church to today.
Read the history
Israel's neighbors wrote laws and contracts about the same kinds of households. Those documents do not interpret Scripture for us, but they do show which legal questions ancient people were asking.
Read the ancient records
There are 8 manuscript images here. You can open a folio in deep zoom and compare the ancient wording with the claims made about it.
Open a manuscript
The Questions page answers 24 concerns, including consent, abuse, Genesis, Jesus, and Paul. Start with the one already on your mind.
See the questions
If you find a material error after the finished launch, I will post the old wording, the correction, and why it mattered.
Open the recordI will not build a conclusion from a sentence while ignoring the chapter around it.
There is no deadline, decision form, mailing list, or person waiting for your answer.
I will state it in terms that a pastor who holds it would recognize.
I will tell you when a conclusion goes beyond the words printed in a source.
If a passage does not support my conclusion, I will change the conclusion instead of forcing the passage.
After the finished launch, material errors you report will be listed with the old wording and the reason for the change.
The book behind this work
Unblinded makes the full argument in 128,457 words across 18 chapters. The passages and sources are already available here. The full text is coming soon, free, with no account or list to join.