No sex outside marriage
Some people claim that the Bible allows sexual intercourse
only within a male-female marriage.
Reasons why the view of “no sex outside male-female
marriage” can be ignored
- The Bible presents male-female marriage as the usual
pattern and implies that this is the best place for sex.
But the Bible nowhere says that all sex outside male-
female marriage is wrong. It simply says that certain
kinds of sexual intercourse (incest, adultery, bestiality,
prostitution and male-male sex) are wrong *.
- The Creation story explains why men and women get
married and have sex (Genesis 1:28 and 2:24). The
story does not state or imply that marriage is
compulsory, or that all sex must be between males and
females, or that all sex outside male-female marriage is
wrong.
- In Jesus’ comments on divorce in Matthew 19:4-6, he
quoted the Creation story simply to show that male-
female marriage should be permanent. He did not
state or imply that sexual intercourse should be
restricted to male-female marriage only.
- It seems likely that the early church (including Peter
and Paul) thought that sexual immorality (porneia)
comprised those sexual activities prohibited in the Old
Testament. But the many references to sexual
immorality in the Bible still make perfect sense if they
are restricted to incest, adultery, bestiality, and/or
prostitution. Note that the Bible does not prohibit a
sexual relationship between an unmarried man and an
unmarried woman except where incest is involved.
- * Bible references are:
Incest Leviticus 18:6-18; 20:11-12, 14, 17, 19-21
Adultery Exodus 20:14 Leviticus 18:20; 20:10
Bestiality Leviticus 18:23; 20:15-16
Prostitution 1 Corinthians 6:15-16
Male-male sex Leviticus 18: 22; 20:13 Romans 1:26-27 1
Corinthians 6:9 1 Timothy 1:10
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |