Daily Prayer Devotional for Women and Men | OnlinePrayerJournal

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For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.

Concerning Married Life 1 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. 10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

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Paul has spoken negatively about sexual immorality and the damage and misery it causes. Now he speaks positively about God’s gift of sexual intimacy, that is to be enjoyed between a man and a woman in the context of marriage (vv. 3–5). He is enthusiastic about singleness as well, and this will be set out in a future reflection, but today the focus is on marriage.

The reciprocal nature of verses 3 and 4 would probably have greatly surprised the Corinthians. It would have been assumed that the wife’s body belonged to her husband and that she had an obligation to fulfill her marital duty, but what Paul says about mutuality in respect of sexual intimacy was revolutionary and deeply subversive of the patriarchal power dynamics prevalent in the ancient world. The vision is for a loving, faithful union and self-giving that is patterned on the love Christ has for his church.2

Paul does not directly address the issue of domestic violence and abuse within marriage. However, given his extremely high view of mutual loving intimacy, it follows that Christians should be at the forefront of those standing against any abuse. Moreover, given that he allows separation and divorce in some circumstances (cf. vv. 15, 16), he would surely allow it where there is violence or coercion, since such behavior shatters the marriage covenant into pieces. Even so, Paul writes strongly in support of Christian marriage. If you’re married, the norm is to love and work to make the relationship as good as it can be. If you’re single, pray and work to uphold the marriage relationships of friends and family.

1Rev 19:7, 8 2Eph 5:22, 23.

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