Procreation
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Definition and Significance:
Procreation refers to the act of reproducing or bringing forth offspring. In the biblical context, it is seen as a divine mandate and blessing from God, integral to the continuation of human life and the fulfillment of God's purposes on earth.

Biblical Foundation:
The concept of procreation is introduced in the very first chapter of the Bible. In Genesis 1:28 , God commands the first humans, Adam and Eve, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it." This directive establishes procreation as a fundamental aspect of human existence and stewardship over creation.

Marriage and Procreation:
The Bible presents marriage as the ordained context for procreation. Genesis 2:24 states, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." This union is designed to be fruitful, as seen in the numerous genealogies and family narratives throughout Scripture.

Children as a Blessing:
Children are consistently portrayed as a blessing from God. Psalm 127:3-5 declares, "Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." This passage underscores the value and joy that children bring to a family.

Procreation and the Covenant:
In the Old Testament, procreation is closely linked to the Abrahamic Covenant. God promises Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5). This promise is fulfilled through the procreation of the patriarchs and their descendants, forming the nation of Israel.

New Testament Perspective:
While the New Testament does not emphasize procreation to the same extent as the Old Testament, it upholds the sanctity of marriage and family. In Ephesians 6:1-4 , children are instructed to obey their parents, and fathers are encouraged to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, highlighting the importance of raising godly offspring.

Moral and Ethical Considerations:
The Bible addresses the moral and ethical dimensions of procreation, emphasizing purity and fidelity within marriage. Hebrews 13:4 states, "Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers." This underscores the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the marital relationship as the proper context for procreation.

Barrenness and Divine Intervention:
Scripture also addresses the issue of barrenness, often depicting it as a challenge that God can overcome. Notable examples include Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Hannah, whose accounts demonstrate God's power to grant children in His timing and according to His purposes (Genesis 21:1-2, 25:21; 1 Samuel 1:19-20).

Spiritual Procreation:
In a metaphorical sense, the New Testament speaks of spiritual procreation through the spread of the Gospel and the making of disciples. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 calls believers to "go and make disciples of all nations," reflecting a spiritual multiplication that parallels physical procreation.

Conclusion:
Procreation is a central theme in the Bible, reflecting God's design for humanity to multiply and fill the earth. It is viewed as a divine blessing and responsibility, with significant implications for family, society, and the fulfillment of God's covenant promises.
Topical Bible Verses
Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.
Topicalbible.org

Genesis 2:24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall join to his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Topicalbible.org

Library

What we must Answer to those who Raise the Question --"If ...
... What we must answer to those who raise the question""If procreation is after sin,
how would souls have come into being if the first of mankind had remained ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/xvii what we must answer.htm

That God is Without a Body, nor Does He Need Difference of Sex for ...
... the divine institutes book i. of the false worship of the gods. Chap. viii."that
god is without a body, nor does he need difference of sex for procreation. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap viii that god is without.htm

Whether Consanguinity is Rightly Defined?
... defined by some as follows: "Consanguinity is the tie contracted between persons
descending from the same common ancestor by carnal procreation." For all men ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether consanguinity is rightly defined.htm

Whether Adoption is Rightly Defined?
... Objection 3: Further, adoption, whereby someone is taken as a child, is likened
to natural procreation whereby a child is begotten naturally. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether adoption is rightly defined.htm

Whether a Person Contracts Affinity through the Marriage of a ...
... viii, 12), arises in two ways; first, from carnal procreation; secondly, from
connection with orderly carnal procreation, wherefore he says (Ethic. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether a person contracts affinity.htm

Fifth Tractate. On Love.
... Those that desire earthly procreation are satisfied with the beauty found on earth,
the beauty of image and of body; it is because they are strangers to the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/plotinus/the six enneads/fifth tractate on love.htm

Of the Symbol of the Breast, and of the Shameful Mysteries of the ...
... This proves that you approve of having a wife, not for the procreation of
children, but for the gratification of passion. In marriage ...
/.../chapter 18 name the symbol.htm

Concupiscence Alone, in Marriage, is not of God.
... these qualities, inasmuch as the difference of sex belongs to "the vessels" of the
parents; while the union of the two pertains to the procreation of children ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 14 v concupiscence alone in.htm

Whether Immersion in Water is Necessary for Baptism?
... And although original sin is transmitted through the members that serve for procreation,
yet those members are not to be sprinkled in preference to the head ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether immersion in water is.htm

Whether virginity is Unlawful?
... from all food, as this would be to act counter to the good of the individual, so
too it is a sin to abstain altogether from the act of procreation, for this is ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether virginity is unlawful.htm

Resources
What does the Bible say about reproductive rights? | GotQuestions.org

If Adam and Eve hadn't sinned, introducing death into creation, wouldn't the world have gotten overpopulated? | GotQuestions.org

Why did God allow polygamy / bigamy in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Multiply: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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