Responsibility in Marriage
Now in response to the matters you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have relations with a woman." But because sexual immorality is so common, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. A husband should fulfill his marital responsibility to his wife and likewise a wife to her husband.
A wife does not have rights over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. Do not deprive one another sexually-except when you agree for a time, to devout yourself to prayer. The come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1Cor 7:1-5
It is interesting that even in Paul's day, sexual immorality was rife. They did not have TV, movies, magazines, yet it was still a problem. It goes to show that the eye does not need to see much for the enemy to use against us.
In some cultures this admonition about ownership of one's body is taken to extreme and even in our western cultures men can use it against their wives to have their own way. We can take the letter of what is written or the heart. Yes Paul is saying that neither men or women who are married own their own bodies, and not to deprive one another sexually, but at the heart of the matter is love and concern for one another, not greedy fulfillment.
The other interesting thing is agreement to abstain for prayer. In this instance we are placing a higher priority on the Lord and treating Him as the lover of our lives. For a time the couple understand what it is like for the single person.
Paul goes on to say that if people could remain single as he was, that would be good, but concedes that the ability to remain single is a gift, a gift that not many have. Therefore I think it is unwise for priests to have it forced upon them, if they were free to marry then they would not be frustrated and fall prey to sexually immorality and abuse of children.
Whether married or single, the Lord is our priority, what is His plan for our lives?
A wife does not have rights over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband does not have the right over his own body, but his wife does. Do not deprive one another sexually-except when you agree for a time, to devout yourself to prayer. The come together again; otherwise, Satan may tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1Cor 7:1-5
It is interesting that even in Paul's day, sexual immorality was rife. They did not have TV, movies, magazines, yet it was still a problem. It goes to show that the eye does not need to see much for the enemy to use against us.
In some cultures this admonition about ownership of one's body is taken to extreme and even in our western cultures men can use it against their wives to have their own way. We can take the letter of what is written or the heart. Yes Paul is saying that neither men or women who are married own their own bodies, and not to deprive one another sexually, but at the heart of the matter is love and concern for one another, not greedy fulfillment.
The other interesting thing is agreement to abstain for prayer. In this instance we are placing a higher priority on the Lord and treating Him as the lover of our lives. For a time the couple understand what it is like for the single person.
Paul goes on to say that if people could remain single as he was, that would be good, but concedes that the ability to remain single is a gift, a gift that not many have. Therefore I think it is unwise for priests to have it forced upon them, if they were free to marry then they would not be frustrated and fall prey to sexually immorality and abuse of children.
Whether married or single, the Lord is our priority, what is His plan for our lives?
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