The New Testament makes more than 70 references to sexuality, which is twice as many references as murder and theft combined. This emphasis on sex has not been forgotten in 21st century Christian culture. On the contrary. Family Christian, LLC, the largest Christian retailer in the world, sells over 500 books on the topic of Christian sexuality. Within the category of biblical sexuality, three main subcategories can be identified: (1) extramarital sex and sex within marriage, (2) homosexuality, and (3) one’s internal sexual struggles. Within the New Testament, words attributed to Jesus and Paul comprise the vast majority of evidence for Christians remarking on these issues of sexuality. Paul, in particular, is frequently synthesized and applied
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Jewish culture expected complete fidelity of married men; Greek culture happily accepted a man’s infidelity. Both Jewish and Greek culture expected complete fidelity and sexual purity of women. Paul, as a member of both thought worlds, was forced to reject both Greek and Jewish ideas at times. Paul vehemently advocates for fidelity within marriage for both husbands and wives. Paul states that in order to fend off sexual temptation, “each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” Furthermore, Paul states that “the wife should not separate from her husband, and the husband should not divorce his wife.” In these statements, Paul is not only advocating for mutual fidelity, but he clearly advocates for monogamy as well. Paul’s thoughts on marriage draw from Greeks in terms of monogamy, from Jews on matters of fidelity, and then from his own divine revelation (or creativity) on sex within marriage. Rather than viewing the topic as taboo, Paul confronts sex within marriage by strongly encouraging it. Paul implores that a husband “should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.” In true Pauline fashion, sex is encouraged with a holy agenda. Sex is made out to be an instrument of Satan–capable of exploiting one’s natural desires and ultimately corrupting them. Shortly after encouraging sex, Paul reluctantly concedes periods of abstinence within marriage so long as the couple comes together immediately afterwards “so that Satan may not tempt
Jewish culture expected complete fidelity of married men; Greek culture happily accepted a man’s infidelity. Both Jewish and Greek culture expected complete fidelity and sexual purity of women. Paul, as a member of both thought worlds, was forced to reject both Greek and Jewish ideas at times. Paul vehemently advocates for fidelity within marriage for both husbands and wives. Paul states that in order to fend off sexual temptation, “each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” Furthermore, Paul states that “the wife should not separate from her husband, and the husband should not divorce his wife.” In these statements, Paul is not only advocating for mutual fidelity, but he clearly advocates for monogamy as well. Paul’s thoughts on marriage draw from Greeks in terms of monogamy, from Jews on matters of fidelity, and then from his own divine revelation (or creativity) on sex within marriage. Rather than viewing the topic as taboo, Paul confronts sex within marriage by strongly encouraging it. Paul implores that a husband “should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.” In true Pauline fashion, sex is encouraged with a holy agenda. Sex is made out to be an instrument of Satan–capable of exploiting one’s natural desires and ultimately corrupting them. Shortly after encouraging sex, Paul reluctantly concedes periods of abstinence within marriage so long as the couple comes together immediately afterwards “so that Satan may not tempt