Dating

One of the highly charged and significant aspects of teenage and college life is the pursuit of a member of the opposite gender-- the dating and marriage process. This process is designed to lead to the second most important decision that we are called upon to make in life-- whom we will marry. It is good for teens and college students to put much thought into the process.

We have recently received the following request in terms of dating:

I would like to know your view on teen dating. What's a good age? How should we date? Should we date alone? Is kissing a bad idea? Some guys I know don't think dating is good until you are in college, but others say that it's good when you're a teen. So I would like your view on this.

These are very good questions, and are on the minds of many conscientious Christian teenagers as they begin to explore the dating process.

This matter is made difficult for many reasons. First of all, teenagers are called upon to make some pretty important decisions during the time of their lives when they are least prepared to make them. Furthermore, you bear a burden not borne by many of your ancestors: most marriages in the past were arranged in some form, and for a large part of history, marriage was done in the middle to late teen years. Now we choose our marriage partners, and marriage is getting pushed off later and later.

I say all this to say that the Scriptures do not give many direct answers to the questions presented. The Scriptures do give the young man and woman guidance, nevertheless, and they should consider that guidance when making decisions about who to date, when to date, and what to do when dating.

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body, (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals, (1 Corinthians 15:33).