January 18, 2006

What Does a Biblical Relationship Look Like?

In this article on Boundless, Scott Croft explores differences between courtship and dating. As you can see, the difference isn't merely semantic:
Courtship ordinarily begins when a single man approaches a single woman by going through the woman's father, and then conducts his relationship with the woman under the authority of her father, family, or church, whichever is most appropriate. Courtship always has marriage as its direct goal.

What then is dating? Dating, a more modern approach, begins when either the man or the woman initiates a more- than-friends relationship with the other, and then they conduct that relationship outside of any oversight or authority. Dating may or may not have marriage as its goal.
He goes on to elaborate on the motives, mindset, and methods of each approach to relationship-building.

The first step.

Every journey begins with a single footstep. Step.