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Biblical and Theological Basis for a Premarital Counseling Ministry
No full textMarriage is one of the two institutions God ordained before sin entered this world and is God’s ideal for all people. The history of marriage begins along with the history of creation. The account of the first marriage is found in the Book of Genesis, which also contains the history of several other good and not so good marriages. Over the years, the purpose of marriage has been weakened so that today, many cultures have reinvented and reshaped marriage to suit their need. However, in God’s perspective, marriage is still the unchangeable foundation for human life. The apostle Paul says, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb 13:4).
Genesis 24 describes the various steps taken by Abraham as he planned for Isaac’s marriage. In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul warns church members not to be “unequally yoked” in marriage. Samson and Delilah (Judges 13-16) are an example of an “unequally yoked” couple. As a pastor, I often see young people who are not keen on following the biblical principles of marriage. The results of such marriages are cause for concern. Because some inter-denominational and inter-religious marriages result in divorce due to tensions with religions, it is important to address this challenge, so this is where the need for premarital counselling arises. In this article, the first section examines the biblical foundation for marriage and family life. God’s intention for marriage is discussed, Old Testament patterns of marriage are reviewed, and lessons are drawn. The apostle Paul’s writings contribute much to setting forth the principles for present-day marriages. Special attention is given to 2 Corinthians 6:14, which says, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”
Multiple examples of interfaith marriages are briefly looked at in this section. This article is not only about Adventists and their marital life. It deals with other people with different faith backgrounds. Therefore, part of this article discusses the principles other Christian writers have about marriage. Ellen White is one of the Adventist writers who wrote widely on the importance of following God’s principles in every aspect of one’s life. Her writings are used to help form a model for the family and her writings on preparation for marriage are used as the basis for an Adventist approach to premarital counseling. Other Adventist writers’ contributions in this regard are also dealt with.
The concluding part of this article looks at existing Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and practices of marriage. How the Seventh-day Adventist Church looks at this issue is discussed, followed by studies and materials within the Adventist Church that can help in forming a new strategy to influence people of other faiths through a premarital counselling approach. A biblical foundation for marriage is included as part of the discussion in the next section
Nivel de conocimiento financiero y desempeño laboral de directivos del corporativo adventista en Cuba
No full textEl objetivo del estudio fue conocer si existe una correlación significativa entre la alfabetización financiera necesaria para las tareas administrativas diarias y los niveles de rendimiento de los administradores dentro de la red corporativa adventista en Cuba. Esta investigación fue no experimental, cuantitativo, transversal y correlacional. Se utilizó un muestreo estratificado, incorporando a 123 directores de la red corporativa adventista en Cuba, de una población total de 242. El coeficiente alfa de Cronbach de 0.721 para el instrumento de alfabetización financiera de 15 ítems, y 0.870 para el instrumento de rendimiento laboral de 19 ítems, ambos considerados aceptables para este estudio. Se aplicó la prueba de rango correlacional de Spearman debido a la distribución no normal de los datos. Se encontró un coeficiente de correlación de Spearman (r) de .311 y un nivel de significancia (p) de .001. Dado este nivel de significancia (p \u3c .05), se rechazó la hipótesis nula que sugería que no había relación entre las variables, apoyando la hipótesis alternativa de una correlación positiva de fuerza media. Los hallazgos sugieren que mejorar la alfabetización financiera necesaria para las tareas diarias, se correlaciona con un mejor rendimiento entre los administradores corporativos adventistas en Cuba que participaron en este estudio
Infinite Cardinality and the Possibility of an Infinite Past
No full textWe analyze two arguments popularized by William Lane Craig for temporal finitism. Although these arguments are often advanced to support the Kalam cosmological argument for a beginning of the universe, they have broader implications for how one understands God’s relationship to time. The first argument appeals to Hilbert’s hotel to argue that if there existed an actual infinity, absurdities would follow. The second argument alleges that an infinite collection could not be formed by additive succession. Although we ultimately find the arguments to be uncompelling, we believe they serve as a meaningful point of contact between mathematics, philosophy, and theology
The Impact of GDP, Geographic Region, and Development Status on Commodity Export Price Index: mb
No full textThis study investigates the trends and determinants of the Commodity Export Price Index across four major regions—Asia, Americas, Europe, and Africa—over ten years (2014-2023), distinguishing between developed and developing countries. Using descriptive statistics, multivariate analyses, and graphical interpretations, the research reveals that GDP significantly impacts the Commodity Export Price Index, but its effect varies by region. Asia, particularly developed countries, showed consistently higher indices, while developing countries in the Americas and Africa experienced significant variability, reflecting economic vulnerability. During global disruptions like COVID-19, a temporary convergence in export prices occurred, but long-term trends indicate region-specific patterns. The study concludes that development status alone cannot explain these variations, suggesting the need for tailored regional strategies
