Biblical Sexuality

The Bible reveals that sex is God's good gift to human beings. Like all of God's good gifts, sex has been used for both good and evil throughout history. God's command to Adam and Eve, delivered with His blessing, to "be fruitful and increase in number" (Genesis 1:28) implies the necessity of their having sex. Later, we read that "Adam made love to his wife Eve" (Genesis 4:1), with the result that a son was born. Besides expanding the human race, God designed sex for the physical, emotional, and spiritual union between one man and one woman for life (Genesis 2:18, 23-24; Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 7:32-34). God's design for sex between a married man and woman is good and honorable (Hebrews 13:4). There is nothing shameful, dirty, or dishonorable about sex; in fact, in their state of innocence, "the man and his wife were both naked, and they were not ashamed" (Genesis 2:25). God created us as sexual beings, so it stands to reason that Scripture has plenty to say about sex. The Bible contains more warnings and prohibitions against its misuse than it does prescriptions for its healthy and proper enjoyment.

The following is a brief review of both:

The Bible's prohibitions against the misuse of sex:
The most complete list of prohibited sexual relations is found in the Mosaic Law. Leviticus 18 contains prohibitions against sex with close relatives, with those of the same sex, and with animals (Leviticus 18:6-23). Scripture calls these sexual relations "detestable things" or "abominations" (verses 26 and 29), by which individuals and nations were "defiled" (verses 27-28, 30). Adultery (sex with a married person other than one's spouse) was punishable by death for both participants (Leviticus 20:1-12) while pre-marital sex was "punished" by forced marriage (Exodus 22:16). Rape also carried a death sentence. The New Testament reiterates most of these prohibitions. John the Baptist condemned King Herod for marrying his brother's wife (Mark 6:18); same-sex activity is called "shameful lusts" and condemned for both men women (Romans 1:26-27); and those who practice sexual perversion are warned they have no place in God's kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9) Jesus condemned not only physical adultery, but also adultery in one's mind or heart, which would include pornography (Matthew 5:27-32). Prostitution is condemned in both Old and New Testaments (Deuteronomy 23:18; 1 Corinthians 6:16-17); at the same time, the Bible provides examples of forgiveness extended to prostitutes, from Rahab (Joshua 6:25) to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11)- (Rahab was accepted into Israel and honored for her faith (Hebrews 11:31), and Jesus forgave the adulterous woman in John 8, telling her, "Go now and leave your life of sin" (John 8:11).

The Bible's prescriptions for the proper use and enjoyment of sex:
The Bible's most explicit depiction of sexual love within marriage is the wonderful poem "The Song of Solomon," especially chapters 4 and 5. In these chapters, the newlywed couple explore each other's bodies, uttering words of delight, wonder, and commitment. After establishing the metaphor of love-making as a garden filled with excellent fruits, the lovers are told, "Eat, friends, and drink; drink your fill of love" (Song of Solomon 5:1). God obviously approves of their sexual union. The act of sex within marriage is also approved in Proverbs 5:19, where the husband is told, "May your wife's breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love." The Law of Moses provided a one-year exemption from military duty for a newlywed man to let him "stay at home and bring happiness to the wife" (Deuteronomy 24:5).

Sex within marriage is good and right and is a preventative of sexual immorality:
"Each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband" (1 Corinthians 7:2). Sex between husband and wife is to be God-honoring. Our bodies are meant to glorify the Lord, not to be controlled by our passions and not to be used for sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:12-13). "Therefore, honor God with your bodies" (1 Corinthians 6:20). Marital sex is meant to be exclusive, between a husband and wife only (1 Corinthians 7:2). It is also to be loving and other-oriented. In the Christian view, wives and husbands have equal "authority" over each other's bodies, and sex is a "marital duty" of love that both husband and wife should strive to fulfill for the other. We are called to be "salt and light" in our dark and crude world (Matthew 5:13-16) The lost need to see what true love within a marriage looks like. Sexual purity is to be a hallmark of the Body of Christ (Acts 15:29; Colossians 3:5) "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people" (Ephesians 5:3) All aspects of marriage, including sex, glorify God and reveal His attributes-that He is love, that He is faithful, protective, sacrificial, committed, etc. (1 John 4:16; 1 Corinthians 13). Marriage is also the picture God uses to describe His eventual union with the redeemed as the future pure and glorious bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:32; Revelations 21:2,9).

Paul's View on Sexual Sin:
In this passage, Paul uses the Greek word for sexual immorality (Sin) often translated as fornication. But the focal Greek word "novela," transliterated as "porneias" as used in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 is the broadest word for sexual sin in the Bible. Any kind of sexual immorality, lust, rape, incest, etc. might be addressed by this word. This term can include sexual sins which are not limited to adultery, it is often used, and thought to mean, illicit relations between unmarried persons. It is used of prostitution, including that of the temple prostitutes (e.g. 2 Chronicles 21:11). Perhaps because of that latter possibility, it is also used in the Bible to refer to idolatry-- a spiritual form of adultery. There are many types of sexual sin. They are not all the same. In the case of adultery, it is a form of theft-stealing from someone else their partner. It matters not if the two participants are consenting, it is still stealing. The word "fornication" might even encompass sexual sin of a personal/private nature, i.e. "solo sex." Pornography, which comes from the same root word, but which is not physical adultery (it is adultery of the heart, according to Jesus), and is fornication. Lust of any form is under its umbrella. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, (Mark 7:21, ESV)

Paul condemns sexual immorality of any form, in saying:
Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor (1 Thessalonians 4:4, NLT) One's lack of self-control. is applied to sexual immorality. Any lack of self-control with regard to sexuality, not only harms the individual but also others around him or her, even though we may not fully see how. Paul includes sexual sin as uncontrolled sexual desire, i.e. lust. When one is unable to control sexual desire, the outworking of this may come in multiple categories of sexual sin, including adultery, rape, and even pornography. Any form of sexual sin will defile the person who might otherwise be "holy." As new creations we are to put off all types of sexual sins, and be self-controlled in the area of our sexuality.