Book Review: This Momentary Marriage by John Piper

This Momentary Marriage

by John Piper

ISBN-10: 1433507129

ISBN-13: 9781433507120

178 pages of great writing is what is contained in this book. Piper hits a home run. Though we may find minor details about which to quibble, I am convinced that Piper has done us all a service by writing this book.

This Momentary Marriage (hence TMM) is the fruit of Piper’s forty years of marriage as well as many years of Bible study. He gives to us the voice of Scripture and experience.

Piper reminds us that marriage is not all about love. Marriage is not sustained by staying in love. Marriage is about covenant keeping.

Piper takes us to the Garden, to the Cross, to the altar, to the marriage bed, and to divorce court. In every place he tells us what the Word of God tells us, and in every place he calls us to strive for permanence in our marriages because it is God’s revealed will for us.

Piper reminds us that marriage is to show forth Christ and His church. Thus it is that the relationships within marriage serve to glorify God. It is also in this that we find many characteristics that should be found in the lives and hearts of husbands and wives.

Piper calls upon us to remember that we are to be fruitful and multiply, as God has commanded us. TMM gives us a nudge in the direction of child training by reminding us that the goal of Christian child bearing is to make children disciples of Jesus.

In the end, Piper discusses divorce. Granted, Piper’s views are a little more stringent than those of even most conservative evangelicals and fundamentalists today. At the same time, agree or disagree, Piper argues his point well by calling us to remember that Jesus is faithful to His bride. He then calls for us to have the same covenant faithfulness in our own marriages.

It is my wish that this become a classic book on the subject of marriage.

It’s that good!