"...The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the
Lord for the body...Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ
himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a
prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute
is one with her in body? For it is said 'the two will become one flesh'
..." [I Corinthians 6:13-16] [When you have sex with someone, you become
one.] "The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and
likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone
but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to
him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except 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." [I Corinthians 7:3-5] [God created sex for marriage, and it
is a good thing.] "But if they cannot control themselves, they should
marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." [I Corinthians
7:9] [No sex before marriage.] "May your fountain be blessed, and may you
rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her
breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. Why be
captivated, my son by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man's
wife?" [Proverbs 5:18-20] "Drink water from your own cistern, running
water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your
streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be
shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the
wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her breasts satisfy you
always, may you ever be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an
adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife? For a man's ways are in
full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths. The evil deeds of a wicked
man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. He will die for lack of
discipline, led astray by his own great folly." [Proverbs 5:15-23] [This
passage compares the wife to a cistern, well, and fountain which is a source of
pleasure to the man. Sexual pleasure is part of God's purpose for sex in
marriage as can be seen in this passage. Such experience is designed for the
commitment and trust of marriage. Outside of marriage sex ultimately leads to
guilt and loss of self-respect.] Following are excerpts from the book Song of
Songs. Although the language is rather foreign to our culture, the basic message
is clear that physical love between a man and wife is scriptural. The husband is
"Lover" and the wife is "Beloved". The brackets before each
quote show who is speaking. "[Beloved] Like an apple tree among the trees
of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade and
his fruit is sweet to my taste. He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his
banner over me is love. Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for
I am faint with love. His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces
me. Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the
field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." [Song of Songs
2:3-7] "[Lover] How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your
eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending
from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up
from the washing. Each has its twin; not one of them is alone. Your lips are
like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are
like the halves of a pomegranate. Your neck is like a tower of David. built with
elegance; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors. Your
two breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among
the lilies. Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain
of myrrh and to the hill of incense. All beautiful you are my darling; there is
no flaw in you." [Song of Songs 4:1-7] "[Beloved] My lover is radiant
and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. His head is purest gold; his hair is
wavy and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed
in milk, mounted like jewels. His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding
perfume. His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh. His arms are rods of gold
set with chrysolite. His body is like polished ivory decorated with sapphires.
His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like
Lebanon, choice as its cedars. His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether
lovely. This is my lover, this my friend..." [Song of Songs 5:10-16]
"[Lover] You are beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem,
majestic as troops with banners. Turn your eyes from me; they overwhelm me. Your
hair is like a flock of goats descending from Gilead. Your teeth are like a
flock of sheep coming up from the washing. Each has its twin, not one of them is
alone. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. Sixty
queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number; but my
dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite
of the one who bore her. The maidens saw her and called her blessed; the queens
and concubines praised her." [Song of Songs 6:4-9] "[Lover] Your
stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit. I
said, "I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit." May
your breasts be like the clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like
apples, and your mouth like the best wine. [Beloved] May the wine go straight to
my lover, flowing gently over lips and teeth. I belong to my lover, and his
desire is for me." [Song of Songs 7:7-10] "[Beloved] I am a wall and
my breasts are like towers. Thus I have become in his eyes like one bringing
contentment." [Song of Songs 8:10] [Dedicated love between marriage
partners should bring fulfillment and contentment. The end result of shared love
is contentment.]