What does the bible say about contraception?
My answer assumes that the questioner is talking about contraception within a marriage relationship. The Scriptures are clear that fornication and adultery are sins that displease the Lord. There are Bible verses that are used by some people to oppose contraception. Let us consider Genesis 1:27-28. In those verses we read “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto 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 moveth upon the earth.” The instruction to “be fruitful, and multiply” was spoken to Adam and Eve and has been fulfilled. It does not appear to be instruction against contraception.
Another passage that is sometimes used against contraception is Genesis 38:6-10. Those verses state “And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.” Onan used Tamar for his own sexual satisfaction but selfishly refused to father a son to his deceased brother since the baby would not be his own. I would suggest that the Lord was displeased with Onan and slew him because of his selfishness and not because he practiced a method of contraception.
Since there are no Scriptures that give us direct instruction about contraception, we should show grace to each other and permit each couple to decide this issue before the Lord. The Bible is clear in Exodus 20:13 that “Thou shalt not kill.” Therefore, any contraceptive method that is used should not involve killing an unborn child, no matter how early it is in the pregnancy. It is important to remember that “children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward” as we’re told in Psalm 127:3. Children are a blessing from God, for which we should be most grateful. With this verse in mind, some couples choose to have many children. Other couples read 1 Timothy 5:8 and are careful to only have a number of children within their means of provision. This verse states “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” We need to also remember that God is sovereign and all-powerful. Acts 17:25 tells us that He “giveth to all life, and breath.” If He wants to give life, then He can do that in spite of what contraceptive method is used. He can also, if He chooses, not allow a woman to conceive in spite of the most advanced fertility methods.
The main question for couples to ask is, “What is the Lord’s will for our family?” It can be very difficult to submit to the Lord’s will when it is different from our yearnings. However, the Lord will give wisdom to each couple who earnestly seeks to do His will in this matter and every other decision as well. (177.6) (DJ)