Is the Billy Graham Rule Above Reproach?

TIP JAR: https://donate.stripe.com/aEUdUE5YodhZgkUeUV 


Summary | Is the Billy Graham Rule Above
Reproach?


What do I mean by this question? It’s been suggested by many
holding to biblical sexual ethic that the Billy Graham Rule is a
prudential “rule of thumb” intended to mitigate the temptation
for sexual sin.


But is this true? As I’ve discussed and interacted with
Christians over the years, I’ve found there two basic
interpretations of this rule. Either it’s a blanket, hard and
fast rule, or it’s a good thing to consider in particular
circumstances with particular people. The former interpretation
comes from Billy Graham himself, and the latter comes from an
assumption made about the content of the rule. This assumption is
simply wrong.


Making prudential boundaries for oneself, to be used in
particular circumstances with particular people is not at issue
in this episode. By it’s very definition, boundaries require an
act of discernment. The Billy Graham Rule, on the other hand,
requires forgoing discernment and is from motivations that
demonstrate it’s a rule not above reproach, and therefore
un-Christian.


Main Points of Discussion


00:00 Introduction


01:27 What is the Billy Graham Rule and a thought experiment.


06:13 What does it mean to be “above reproach?”


11:38 Why Billy Graham created his rule and its implications


15:47 What the Billy Graham Rule is not


18:55 Concluding thoughts


 


Resource Links


What is the Billy Graham Rule? (According to Billy Graham)
https://billygraham.org/story/the-modesto-manifesto-a-declaration-of-biblical-integrity/


Billy Graham Rule https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Graham_rule


Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) Biblical Qualifications of
Elders https://www.opc.org/OS/html/V3/4e.html