Together in Christ: 'Living Holy Lives in a Sex-Saturated World' — 1 Corinthians 7:1-2 & Ephesians 5:21

The apostle Paul was single. His singleness prompted questions from the Corinthians about sex. They lived in a sex-saturated culture where few sexual practices were "off the table." ^[1] So, the believers in Corinth wondered if Paul's singleness with celibacy was a better way to live because of the raging evil of their culture. Paul told them, "Yes, but..." On a theoretical level, the answer was "Yes." On a practical level, in a city known for sexual experiences and perversion, most should marry and be committed to their spouse.

Because we are accustomed to modern understandings in most Western cultures regarding the value of both men and women, wives and husbands, we miss the radical edge in what Paul said: "Each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband." The people in that first-century culture were familiar with a man "having his own wife" — the language of ownership. That was the accepted way of discussing marriage, especially in a culture where women had fewer rights. However, Paul makes sure to use the same language for both the husband and the wife. The wife has her own husband just as much as the husband has his own wife. Paul will go on and emphasize this reciprocity and respect more specifically in the next few verses. ^[2]

The foundation for Paul's understanding is that in all Christian relationships, especially between husbands and wives "in Christ," each must practice submission to the other based on Jesus' example. ^[3] In other words, while marriage gives us a holy outlet for sexual expression, the foundation of that sexual expression toward our spouse is rooted in what best serves our spouse as we submit ourselves to their needs. ^[4] This sexual ethic is revolutionary in a world that has forgotten what the Creator intended from the beginning when he made both the wife and the husband "in the image of God." ^[5] God gave them each other so each could be a blessing to the other, especially physically and sexually, seeking to satisfy their spouse's needs before their own. ^[6]