What Did Jesus Say About Sex

Jesus On Sex

First and foremost, Jesus doesn’t say much about sex prior to marriage in his teachings. If he did, you would begin to suspect that someone had doctored the text of the Bible because first-century Jews married shortly after reaching puberty, which would raise the possibility of a forgery (girls around 13 or 14, guys a little bit older). As a result, having sexual relations prior to marriage was not a significant issue. While it may be difficult to imagine 12- and 13-year-olds still acting like children and becoming nervous rather than excited about their wedding night in today’s sex-obsessed culture, this was the case in the first-century Jewish culture that received Jesus’ firsthand teaching.

Because parents were marrying off their children young, often to strangers, the negative side effect of this practice was that not all first-century marriages were happy.

We must therefore apply the three golden rules of Scripture interpretation to Jesus’ teaching on sex, asking first “What did Jesus say to his original hearers?”, then “What is Jesus saying to us today?”, and finally “How does Jesus want me to apply that teaching to my life?” The words of Jesus in Matthew 19:1-12 are probably the most obvious place to begin.

However, some of what he says is extremely relevant to the question of sex before marriage.

As a result, they are no longer two people, but one.
Now, let us consider what Jesus is trying to teach us through this passage.
Why is it that Christians are so much more vocal about how not to have sex than they are about how to have sex?!
“We were taught that sex is a dirty, filthy thing, and that you should save it for the person you marry,” says Tony Campolo, in an even more blunt statement.
Passages like this one inspired the author of Hebrews 13:4 to write that “the marriage bed should be kept pure” (rather than made pure), because sex within marriage is a wonderful gift from God.
If you need any additional encouragement to believe that God approves of sex, read the book of Song of Songs from the Old Testament.
Prepare yourself for something shocking to happen next.
He expects us to go back to the passage he quotes from Genesis 1:26-27 and read the whole verse: “God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our image and let them rule’.
It says God made human beings male and female in order that we might reflect his own image – “our own image”, as he puts it, referring to the three-in-one Trinity.
Sex isn’t merely recreational and consensual.
You’ve got to understand this as a central plank of Jesus’ argument if you want to understand what he says.

Jesus intervened to save an adulteress from being stoned to death in John 8, but he didn’t play down the seriousness of her crime when he warned her to “Go and leave your life of sin.” The Old Testament treated sexual sin as a form an of blasphemy, a vile parody of the Trinity, and Jesus endorsed and reinforced that view.

3) Sex doesn’t belong to us Consequently, Jesus teaches in Matthew 19 that sex does not belong to us.
If God is our Creator and he made humans male and female in order to reflect his glory to the world, then it stands to reason that he can tell us sex belongs to him.
That’s the bottom line when it comes to following Jesus’ words on sex.
If we want to live for Jesus, then he tells us that sex is even better than we thought.
But it also means that Jesus wants to be Lord of what we do in our bedroom (etc, etc!) in private, because our whole lives belong to him.
He has one more big thing to say.

The disciples don’t know whether to be horrified that marriage is such a serious matter (they ask if it might be too holy a state to enter into at all in verse 10), or to be overjoyed that God’s plan for sex and marriage is so much better than the way these things are viewed in their culture (we can tell from the New Testament letters that this second option ultimately won their hearts) (we can tell from the New Testament letters that this second option ultimately won their hearts).

Jesus tells us that we have only understood what he says about sex if we are similarly overawed and overjoyed.
Jesus is clear that sex is reserved for lifelong marriage between one man and one woman, and that he created it to be incredible fun so that we would make love often and enjoy it – whilst reflecting the fact that God is far greater than a man or a woman.
If you are not living this way, then sex should not be a reason for you to reject Jesus but for you to accept him.
He also promises you forgiveness as he did the adulterous woman in John 8, telling you “I do not condemn you; now leave your life of sin.” If you are not yet married but are trying to live Jesus’ way, then you should be encouraged.
Perhaps he is already planning your reward.
He encourages you to go and make love to your husband or wife to the glory of God!

He tells you that some of your best worship should not be sung in church on a Sunday morning, but enjoyed in bed on a Sunday afternoon! In fact, shouldn’t you stop spending time reading this blog and go forth to apply it for the glory of the Triune God?!

5 Surprising Things That the Bible Says about Sex

In light of the fact that the Bible is primarily concerned with God, with ourselves, and with how God rescues us through the person and work of Jesus Christ, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Bible has a great lot to say about sexual relationships. In the same way that God created us as male and female, the tale of creation, fall, and redemption must unavoidably be seen as a story about human sexuality in some form or another. Sections of that tale are fairly widely known, but other parts can be rather unexpected – and even startling – to those who are reading the Bible for the first time in their lives.

1. It’s good

In our current culture, Christianity is frequently seen as being quite sexually conservative in its practices. Christians are well-known for opposing homosexual sex, pre-marital sex, and extramarital sex, and as a result, the perception is that Christians feel that sex is inherently harmful – yet this couldn’t be further from the truth! According to the Bible, the first husband and wife were “both nude and were not embarrassed” when they married (Genesis 2:25 ESV). Sex existed in the created order prior to the fall, before the transgression of Adam and Eve.

Towards the end of the Book of Proverbs, a wise father encourages his son to: revel in the bride of your youth, a handsome deer, an elegant doe, and a beautiful buck.

(Proverbs 5:18–19, English Standard Version) Similar language may be found in the New Testament, which states: “Let marriage be maintained in reverence among everyone, and let the marriage bed be undefiled.” (Hebrews 13:4 English Standard Version) Sexual relations between a husband and his wife are never a source of embarrassment.

2. Husbands owe it to wives

In 1 Corinthians 7:3-4, according to many historians, the most startling thing the Bible has to say about sex is this: “A husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise, a wife should give to her husband.” Due to the fact that the wife does not have jurisdiction over her own body, but rather that the husband does, In the same way, the husband does not have power over his own body, although the woman has such authority.

(1 Corinthians 7:3–4 ESV) admonishment One researcher, for example, describes it as follows: Although Paul’s remarks were revolutionary in the ancient world, when patriarchy was the norm, the clear mutuality of his remarks (the husband has control over his wife’s body, and she has authority over his) made them much more so.

Paul’s subsequent affirmation of the inverse, that “the husband does not have power over his own body, but the woman does,” obviously indicated a dramatic and unprecedented limitation on the sexual freedom of the husbands.
That sex should be reciprocal and that the husband owed it to his wife – and that the wife had the right to claim it from the husband – was revolutionary!
No one else in the ancient world had ever stated anything like this before.
Instead of just repeating cultural sexual conventions, Christianity taught that sex inside a marriage should be uninhibited, giving, and mutual in its nature.
Today’s young couples are frequently advised that they should only have sex when both partners desire it; nevertheless, the Bible states that sex should be provided in a marriage anytime either partner wishes it.

This may be the most shocking of all the things the Bible says about sex, considering how many other things it says.

3. Married couples should have it often

“Lie back and think about the Empire,” as Queen Victoria famously told the Christian ladies of her realm; a perspective of sex that appears dismal and pragmatic to the extreme. Fortunately, the Bible gives a totally different point of view. The Scriptures, in addition to the virtues of goodness, generosity, and reciprocity described above, also urge a degree of frequency that many modern Bible readers find rather startling. ‘Do not deprive one another, save possibly by agreement for a certain period, so that you may dedicate yourselves to prayer; but then join together again, so that Satan may not entice you because of your lack of self-control,’ the Apostle Paul instructed his followers.

Similarly to the Old Testament, regular marital encounters are recommended in the New Testament as a preventative measure against a wandering eye and lusty heart.

Proverbs 5:15 explains that Following this enlightened lesson will bring you immense insight – as well as enormous pleasure.

4. It’s not just about the kids

In the Bible, you don’t have to look very far to find evidence of the relationship between sexuality and reproduction. It reads in the very first chapter of the very first book: “So God made man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God created both male and female in his own image, in the image of God, he created them. And God was pleased with them. And God commanded them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, and dominate it.” (Genesis 1:27–28, English Standard Version) God created them as male and female, and he instructed them to reproduce and multiply as he saw fit.

That is correct, but it does not mark the conclusion of the tale — it does not even mark the beginning of the story!
Human beings are designed to imitate and symbolize God; as a result, the man should have a spouse who is both complimentary and co-equal in their roles.
Consequently, a man must leave his father and mother and remain with his wife, so that they may become one flesh, according to the Scriptures.
It is about clinging to the person who has been entrusted to you by God.
It is almost as though you are merging into one person.
It’s all about submitting, exploration, discovery, and sheer joy in the process.

When done correctly and with blessing, it frequently results in offspring, although it is not done for that purpose in the end. All of this is done for the glory of God and the benefit of all people. That’s a small, but really important, distinction to make.

5. It’s not what makes you truly human

However, despite all of what the Scriptures have to say about human sexuality and how it should be celebrated, the Bible makes it quite plain that you may be totally and entirely human without ever experiencing it. It was never possessed by Jesus. Jeremiah didn’t know either. Alternatively, John the Baptist. Alternatively, Elijah. Alternatively, the Apostle Paul – at least during the better part of his adult life — According to some early Christians, there are so many examples of lifelong celibates in the Bible that they began to question if abstinence may be a kind of insider’s guide to spiritual fulfillment.

Jesus’ Attitudes Towards Sex

Many religious organizations hold discussions on what the Bible says about sexual activity. However, there are just a few texts in the Bible that reflect Jesus’ thoughts on these topics. In fact, it is possible to argue that he did not openly address sexual activity at all during the interview. According to one source, Jesus’ ideas, recommendations, and directions on how we should conduct and believe are recorded in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament). In our investigation, we were unable to confirm the accuracy of this statistic.

His views on the major sexually-related theological disputes of the day, such as abortion, equal rights for homosexuals, same-sex marriage, masturbation, pre-marital sex, and so on, are completely absent from the record.

Jesus’ statements on sexuality

Jesus is only documented as having made four direct statements that may be understood as having something to do with sexual activity.

1. Divorce:

The Bible states in Matthew 5:31-32 that: “It has been said that whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, save for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her who is divorced committeth adultery.” (KJV) A similar statement may be found in Matthew 19:9, which states: “And I say unto you, Whoever will throw away his wife, except in the case of fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whosoever will remarry her who is put away committeth adultery.” (KJV) In this passage, Jesus forbids divorce except in cases of sexual misbehavior, which is referred to as ” porneia ” in the original Greek.

Porneia has been rendered differently in different copies of the Bible as adultery, fornication, unchastity, unfaithfulness, or marital unfaithfulness, among other things.
“Whosoever puts away his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her,” according to Mark 10:11-12.
“Whoever puts away his wife and marries another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marries her after she has been sent away from her husband, committeth adultery,” according to Luke 16:18.
The situation, he stated, is intolerable for any reason whatsoever.

2. Handling feelings of lust:

Matthew 5:27-28 expresses the condemnation of a man’s sentiments of desire for another woman. “Ye have heard that it was stated by them of long time, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery.’ But I say unto you, that whoever looketh on a woman to desire for her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart,” Jesus is quoted as saying in the King James Version.

This verse has caused a great deal of concern among Christians, particularly among young people with raging hormones, who fear that they are committing a sin every time they find another person beautiful, regardless of their age. There are several possible interpretations:

Perhaps the most common interpretation of this passage is that it condemnsanyfeelings ofsexual attraction by a one person to another with the possible exception ofone’s spouse.Anyfeelings of lust towards a non-spouse isa major sin, equivalent in seriousness to actually committing adultery.Pastor Edgar Mayer ofLivingGraceCommunityLutheranChurchwrites:

A person who has impure thoughts about another man or woman, or who has feelings for that person, is as guilty as someone who has performed the crime. Moreover, who among us is not a perpetrator of this crime? 2 This insight is frequently heard on Sirius Radio’s “The Way of the Master” program, which broadcasts daily. Their interviewer will inquire of an unsaved individual whether or whether they have ever had a sexual attraction to someone of the opposing sex. (They always seem to make the assumption that the person they are interviewing is heterosexual.) If the individual acknowledges to having had feelings of desire, they are considered to have violated the Seventh Commandment, which states, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” They are informed that unless they repent and believe in Jesus Christ, they will spend eternity in the torment dungeons of Hell.

The other extreme is to interpret the phrase ” looketh on a woman tolust after her ” to mean exactly what it implies: a man is making apremeditated effort to stare at a woman with the intention of generatingfeelings of lust. For example:

	Trolling the Internet looking for pictures of naked people in orderto generate sexual excitement would be considered a sin.
	A man going to the mall for the specific purpose of intense girlwatching in order to generate lustful feelings would also be committinga serious sin.

However, if a man merely notices a woman whom he finds attractive withoutany prior intent of generating lust, then he would not be sinning because heno premeditation was involved.

	Another take on this passage is that it is irrational and unreasonableif interpreted literally. Engaged couples with a normal sex drive are boundto have feelings of love and lust towards each other. This is one of thefactors that motivates couples to marry and to eventually have or adoptchildren and raise the next generation. Such feelings of attraction arenormal, natural, and victimize no one. In fact, they are quite pleasant toall concerned and contribute to the development of the relationship. If thepassage makes no sense when interpreted literally, then it must have anon-obvious hidden meaning.
	Still another interpretation is that the injunction as unreasonable. Thesudden surfacing of feelings of sexual attraction are beyond a person’sconscious control, as are all feelings like fear or anger. After they arise,they can be supressed by distracting oneself. But they cannot be entirelyprevented from starting up. Perhaps the passage is intended to refer only toobvious and sustained leering. It might be considered a sin because it wouldprobably make the other person feel uncomfortable.
	Still another interpretation is found on theChristian Marriageweb site.3Pastor DonMilton notes that the word “adultery” means sexual intercourse by a man witha woman who is either engaged or married to another man. Milton notes that:

“Every reference to adultery in the whole Bible refers to sexual relations between a married or betrothed woman and a man other than the man to whom she is married or betrothed,” says the author. In a world where adultery is defined as sexual action between a man and another man’s wife or near wife, it is reasonable to believe that “adultery in one’s heart” refers primarily to lust directed towards another man’s wife or betrothed woman. This paragraph truly describes a man who has developed a strong desire for one of his neighbor’s belongings – a wife.

The passage Matthew 5:27-28 does not apply to sentiments of lust for a single woman, hence such feelings would be prohibited.

A total of 92 additional verses in the Christian Scriptures have it translated as “wife” or “wives.” “Ye have heard that it was declared by them of long time, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery.’ But I say unto you, that whoever looketh on a wife to desire for her hath already done adultery with her in his heart,” says the apostle Paul.

Finally, the webmaster of StudyToAnswer.net notes that

“In this context, the Greek term translated as “want” (epithumeo) means more than just “to have a desire.” It is a word that genuinely denoted an intense, even devouring desire, most of the time for something that is not legal for one to own for whatever reason. As you can see, the term is employed in this manner at several occasions throughout the New Testament. It appears to be self-evident that the Lord Jesus is portraying, in accordance with the meaning of the term being used, gazing upon a lady with strong longing in his eyes.

Clearly, Jesus is attributing a specific “sin” meaning to epithumeo and applying it to the type of ogling that a man may engage in that would cause him to think about and acquire a strong desire for a lady whom he would be prohibited from pursuing under the law.

It is not meant to imply that you will never be attracted to a lady whom you may choose to marry in the future.

When it comes to adultery, it is about abstaining from a strong and persistent desire to own or take, even for the brief period of time that adultery lasts, a woman who is not your spouse, and who is most likely the wife of another man.” 4

4. The woman caught in adultery:

It is recorded in John 8:1-11 that Jesus meets with certain intellectuals and Pharisees, as well as a woman who has been caught in adultery. The Mosaic law (Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22) stipulated that she must be stoned to death in order to be executed. The verse in Deuteronomy is unequivocal in its message: “Both the male and the woman are doomed to death. You must rid Israel of the evil that has infected it.” They came to Jesus and asked him what should be done with the lady. He advocated that the person who throws the first stone be expected to be sinless in his or her actions.

As a result, he suggested that the lady be permitted to live.
This paragraph appears to be a fake, as it was not penned by the author(s) of the gospel of John, according to the evidence.
Immediately below this verse, the New International Version of the Bible has a footnote indicating that “the oldest and most trustworthy manuscripts and other early witnesses do not include John 7:53 – 8:11.” Several copies place it near the end of the Gospel of John, while others do not.
According to TheJesus Seminar, it is a “floating” or “orphan” narrative.

Conclusions:

In terms of human sexuality, below is a summary of Jesus’ statements:

	Divorce:He may or many not have believed that sexual misconduct was a sufficiently serious ground to justifya divorce.
	Lust:If Matthew 5:27-28 does refer to lust directed at another man’swife, then a clearer translation into English of Matthew 5:27-28 might be:”Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh onwife with an obsessive consuming lust hath committed adultery with heralready in his heart.”That is, normal feelings of attraction are not sinful.
	The Samaritan woman:The quotation fromJohn 4may or may not criticize the woman’s sexual behavior and marital history.
	The adulteress:The quotation from John 8 appears to be a forgery by an unknown author, which is not part of the original gospel of John. Its authority is questionable.

It is possible to argue that Jesus was completely mute on topics pertaining to sexual activity, with the exception of a single instance in which an individual has obsessional emotions of lust for someone other than his or her spouse. It is possible that a person who wishes to live up to Jesus’ standards in interpersonal interactions would turn to his or her broad ethical teachings, which are as follows:

	To treat and value one’s neighbor as one would wish to be treated.
	To not be exploitive, dominating, manipulative, controlling, violent, or abusive towards others.
	To, above all, not abuse children.

References used:

The following sources of information were used in the preparation and updating of the aforementioned essay. The hyperlinks may or may not be active at the time of writing.

Hoover, R.W. Funk, and R.W. Funk The Jesus Seminar’s “The Five Gospels,” published by Macmillan Publishing in New York, NY in 1993, pages 425 and 426, is a good example of this. Read reviews of this book or get it from the Amazon.com online book shop with confidence.
Edgar Mayer, “Adultery in Your Heart,” Living Grace Community Lutheran Church, 2004-AUG-22, at:
Don Milton, “Theology Questions: Adultery in Your Heart – It’s Not What You Think,” Living Grace Community Lutheran Church, 2004-AUG-22, at: Christians Getting Married, on March 8, 2005
“Lust and Its Significance Reaching the lowest point in the history of Muslim Biblical Exegesis, “in addition to this, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]

OntarioConsultants on Religious Tolerance owned the copyright from 1998 until 2013. The most recent update was on 2013-07-09. B.A. Robinson is the author of this piece.

The Bible on Premarital Sex and Sexual Morality

John Ortberg contributed to this article. Even when it comes to “righteous sexuality,” the God who created sex does not disapprove. Christ made some pointed statements about what it means to be sexually righteous during his Sermon on the Mount. Here are five commitments that flow from His teachings and which, as sexual men and women, have the potential to lead us to righteousness. He says the following in Matthew 5:44-46: “‘Do not commit adultery,’ you’ve probably heard someone say. But I will tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart, according to my belief system.

The loss of a single component of your body is preferable than having your entire body cast into the fires of Hades.
Instead of having your entire body burn in hell, it is preferable if you just lose a part of your body “In the New International Version, verses 27–30 say: Commitment1:Confession As it comes to my sexuality, I must realize my own fallenness.
A group of people who are extremely religious are listening to Jesus’ words.
“You’ve heard it stated, ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ but I’m here to warn you that anybody who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart,” Jesus said.
The fact of the matter is that we are all flawed in some ways.
Think about how angry the religious authorities were when Jesus informed them that they were having issues with sexual righteousness.
Physical adultery, on the other hand, involves all that is wrong with desiring in the heart plus more: deception, betrayal, the breaking of a commitment, harm to one’s family, and great hurt to one’s partner.

It’s a more serious issue than that.

Everyone’s.

Alternatively, you can be enticed to try to get away from your spouse by daydreaming about someone else.

Alternatively, you may be envious of someone who is more attractive than you, or you may find yourself flirting improperly in order to establish your own beauty to someone.

Consider yourself a businessperson who, when traveling and staying in hotels alone, enjoys watching pornographic films.

Perhaps you are battling a sexual addiction of some kind or other.

Is it possible that you are on the verge of a catastrophe in one form or another right now?

All of us must come to terms with the reality and confess it to God.

This is what Jesus says in verses 29 and 30: “I am the Messiah.” “To avoid committing sin, gouge out your right eye and toss it in the trash.

He is demonstrating the ridiculousness of the way the scribes and Pharisees interpreted righteousness in the first century BCE The religious authorities would say something along the lines of: “The law is satisfied as long as you refrain from committing a crime.” In one of their definitions of righteousness, they said: Moreover, as you may recall, during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will most surely not enter the kingdom of heaven” (5:20).

Righteousness existed among the Pharisees.
Essentially, they believed that so long as you haven’t sinned, you are completely righteous.
Their response was swift and firm.
A lady walking outdoors with her face exposed and her hair down, they reasoned, would elicit a flurry of sexual advances from the male population.
Christ, in a light-hearted manner, is suggesting “Why not go the distance if the path to righteousness is to avoid looking at a woman?
Your heart, your deepest being, your ideas, goals, and intentions are at the root of the problem.
“Haven’t you read that the Creator’made them male and female’ at the beginning of time?” Jesus asks in Matthew 19:4.

Men and women were created by God, and God created sex as a result of their creation.” God presented Eve to Adam, and Adam’s answer was not, “I’ll bet she’s got a lovely personality,” but rather, “I’ll bet she doesn’t.” Recall what Adam had to say?

And God is right there with you!

Be thankful for the gift that God has bestowed upon you.

Incest, abuse, or trauma have been experienced by some of you; you may benefit from speaking with a qualified Christian counselor about your experiences.

Thank you for providing me with the ability to be one with my spouse inside the covenant of marriage “As a result, God has selected the sexual interaction that has been reserved for the covenant of marriage.

As a Christian, the ultimate objective is to develop into the type of person who, while looking at someone of the opposite gender, can recognize what Jesus sees.

That is what it means to be correct.

“It is God’s wish that you should be sanctified: that you should abstain from sexual immorality,” the Bible states in First Thessalonians 4:3.

God designed for sex to be reserved for husband and wife who have made a lasting commitment to one another, since only in the framework of a permanent commitment can permanent closeness be expressed securely.

Sexual connections should be limited to married couples only; and beyond that, relate to individuals of the opposite gender in the manner in which Jesus would relate to them.

You’re not going to make it, believe me!

Commitment4: Make the most of your marriage.

Paul expresses himself emphatically as follows: “The husband should fulfill his marriage obligation to his wife, and the wife should fulfill her marital obligation to her husband.

Similar to this, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone, but also to his wife, who is entitled to it “1 Corinthians 7:3–4 is an example of this.

God considers sexual pleasure inside marriage, which He created, to be so vital that He expressly labels it your responsibility.

According to Paul, your body belongs to your husband.

Make a commitment to maximizing the potential of your marriage.

She requires a strong link between the two of you, not only physically but also emotionally.

It’s possible that the husband merely needs to be in close proximity to his wife.

For as long as you’re in the same space-time continuum as him, he’ll be OK with you.

This is a part of your responsibility to make the most of your marriage.

Then, when you agree to marry, you’re promising yourself that you’ll do all you can to progress toward that objective as quickly as possible.

According to Deuteronomy 6:6–7, “These instructions, which I give you today, are to be engraved on your hearts for all time.

God’s intention is for sex education to take place within the family.

This entails a continual discussion about children’s bodies, physical changes they are experiencing, dating, marriage, how they feel about persons of the opposite sex, and responding to queries.

For those of you who have a negative experience with sexual orientation because you lacked knowledge, were misled, or had damaging dialogues, make a commitment to passing on something better than what you received to the next generation.

Sex is for marriage, and marriage is for sex

Because sex is unique, exclusive, and magnificent, God wants us to save it for marriage—not because it’s “evil” or “filthy,” but because it is special, exclusive, and delightful. Sex is more than simply a recreational activity. And it isn’t simply a feel-good manner of showing mutual affection; it is also beneficial. It is about the union of two persons into one flesh.

As Jesus explains, “Have you not read that he who created the world produced men and women, and stated, ‘Therefore a man must leave his father and his mother, and he shall hold tight to his wife, and they shall become one flesh’?” In Matthew 19:4-5, the ESV, Jesus quotes from Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24, among other places.

This is consistent with the apostle Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 6:16: “Do you not realize that a man who marries a prostitute becomes one body with her?” Because, as it is stated, “the two will become one flesh,” as the saying goes. (ESV)

The commandment against adultery is based on the same principle as the preceding one (Exodus 20:14). Adultery, according to the biblical definition, is any sexual conduct that takes place outside of marriage. This is why the Bible says, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4, ESV)
And, “Let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV).

Sex is regarded as a sacred secret. It is a powerful bonding factor that moulds and influences the connection between a man and a woman in a way that nothing else has the ability to do. Therefore, the Bible frequently links idolatry with fornication (sexual relations between two people who are not married to each other) and adultery (sexual relations between two people who are married to each other) (sex between two people when one or both are married to someone else). And it is for this reason that the Bible utilizes sexual purity and loyalty between spouses as an illustration of our relationship with God (seeSong of Solomon,Hosea, and the16th chapter of Ezekiel).

The communal aspect of marriage

Diverse cultures have different traditions for arranging marriages and commemorating the establishment of a marriage. As a result, it should come as no surprise that the Bible does not require all marriages to be sealed in a church ceremony or with a state-issued license. Regardless of the time and location, biblical marriage always contains a strong sense of belonging to a larger community. It is initially recognized in a couple’s decision to separate from their parents and commit themselves to one another.

To put it another way, marriage is a public declaration of a couple’s intention to develop a solid and lasting partnership.
During biblical times, the community aspect of marriage was nearly entirely under the supervision of the family.
What about Mary and Joseph, do you think?
A betrothal did not impose any restrictions on the couple’s sexual behavior until after the wedding ceremony.

Also explained is why Joseph would have need something like a formal divorce to terminate his arrangement with Mary and her family when he discovered that she was pregnant “before they joined together” in marriage (Matthew 1:18-25).

Want to talk more?

Please contact us for a free over-the-phone consultation if you would want to learn more about love, sex, and marriage. Our certified or pastoral counselors will be more than happy to assist you in any manner they are able. Resources If a title is presently unavailable via Focus on the Family, we recommend you to purchase it from a different source instead. Reclaiming Intimacy: Overcoming the Consequences of Premarital Relationships is a book on reclaiming intimacy. When it comes to dating referrals, there are certain boundaries.

If You’ve Wondered What the Bible Really Says About Sex, We’ve Got Your Answers

When it comes to the Bible and sex, you might be shocked to read some of the things that are written in the Holy Book about the subject. From conception to pleasure, here’s what the Bible has to say about sex in its most literal sense.

God wants us to procreate.

In fact, one of the very first things God says to Adam and Eve is that they should have children. According to Genesis 1:28, “And God was pleased with them. Then God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the land with your descendants, and dominate it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the skies, and over every living creature that moves on the face of the ground.”” “Be fruitful and multiply,” the Bible says. Other passages in the Bible, such as Psalm 127:3 and Genesis 9:1, emphasize how happy it is to have children and to nurture them.

But sex isn’tjustabout procreation.

Despite the fact that God’s followers are commanded to “be fruitful and multiply,” sex is not intended primarily for the sake of reproduction. Intentionally, it is intended to be a joyous and personal encounter between two people. “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold tight to his wife, and they shall become one flesh,” says Genesis 2:24, “and they shall become one flesh.” What does it mean to “become one flesh” with another person? In addition to physical closeness, this argues that two people’s hearts and souls may become so interwoven that they are virtually one person when they are in a committed relationship.

What affects one has an effect on the other as well.
Consider the passage from Song of Songs 7:7-10.
‘I’m going to climb the palm tree and eat the fruit from its branches,’ I said.
May the wine find its way directly to my beloved’s lips and teeth, pouring gently over them.
Photographs courtesy of Getty Images Proverbs 5:18-19, in a similar vein, advises individuals to physically recognize their partner’s efforts.

“Give thanks to God for blessing your fountain, and be glad in the lady of your youth, a beautiful deer, or a charming doe. Allow her breasts to fill you with ecstasy at all times; allow yourself to get drunk by her love at all times.”

Sex outside of marriage is considered a sin.

It is probable that you are already aware that one of the Ten Commandments is “You must not commit adultery.” However, there are a plethora of other texts in the Bible that speak of adultery. “Let marriage be kept in reverence among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, because God will condemn those who are sexually immoral and unfaithful,” the Bible says in Hebrews 13:4 (NIV). It is expected of spouses in a marriage that they will be devoted to God and to one another. “The sexually immoral individual commits sin against his or her own flesh and blood.” Furthermore, the Bible states in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 that committing adultery is a sin against God as well as against oneself.

Every other sin a person does takes place outside of the body, but a sexually immoral person commits a sin against his or her own body, which is called sexual immorality “This passage is read aloud.

If a person physically cheats on their spouse, they are not only dishonoring their marriage, but they are also dishonoring the Almighty as well.

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Jamie Ballard is a freelance writer that focuses on news, lifestyle, and entertainment issues such as television, movies, health, pets, relationships, and personal finance.

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