Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot
Week 11: Chapters 21–22 — Marriage, Preparation, and the Purpose of Love
Read Chapters 21–22 of Passion and Purity. Primary Scripture: Ephesians 5:25–33; Genesis 1:27–28.
Previewing Week 11 of Passion and Purity
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
Elliot arrives, finally, at marriage — but she is careful to describe it not as the goal of all this waiting but as a new kind of calling that requires the same posture of self-giving that singleness demanded. The goal was never marriage; it was always Christlikeness.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.How does Elliot describe the purpose of marriage? Is it primarily about companionship, personal fulfillment, or something else? What does she say it is for?
2.She argues that the habits of self-giving developed in singleness — surrender, discipline, honor, servanthood — are exactly the habits that make a marriage flourish. How does that reframe singleness as preparation rather than deprivation?
3.Ephesians 5 holds up Christ's love for the church as the model for a husband's love for his wife — a love that gives up everything for the beloved. How does that image reshape what we should be looking for in a spouse, and what we should be becoming ourselves?