Expert: Brenda Martin - 7/7/2006

Question
Hi,
thank you for reading my letter. I was woundering what the bible says about what the approprite dateing age is. My parents say not until collage, i was wondering if the bible says the same thing?

Answer
HI Trudy, you asked--"WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE DATING AGE ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE?"

The apostle Paul spoke of being “past the bloom of youth”? 1 Corinthians 7:36 .Basically he was referring to being past the time when one’s sexual desire has first bloomed or become strong.

If you are a teenager, you are probably in what the Bible calls “the bloom of youth.” (1 Corinthians 7:36) You are just beginning to blossom into the man or the woman that you will eventually be. During this period of time, you begin to mature physically, emotionally, and sexually. Your feelings—including sexual desires—may be as strong as they will ever be. However, those feelings may also be subject to rapid changes. For this reason, teen romances tend to be very short-lived. “When I’d date,” recalls one teenage girl, “it was usually on one week and off the next.”

Clearly, it doesn’t make sense to date during “the bloom of youth.” It is best to wait until you know who you are, what your likes and dislikes are, and what goals you wish to pursue. Also, you should be old enough to carry out the responsibilities of marriage.

Waiting until you are ready to date will not be easy. But it is worth the wait. By using “the bloom of youth” to grow up into a mature, responsible adult, you will spare yourself a host of problems. You will give yourself the time to develop into the kind of person who can handle the pressures and responsibilities of marriage. You will also allow yourself time to grow into a spiritual person. That way, when you are finally ready to date, others may very well see you as someone really worth getting to know better.

All the best
Brenda