1 Corinthians 7:1-5 English Standard Version
Principles for Marriage
7 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
The title of this is “P v P” and the meaning might be lost on us at first.
Psychology Vs Physiology
Hidden in the principles of marriage is the presence of both. If we think back to our youth we might see that we are influenced first by physiology before we understand the psychology behind relationships. Having grown up in the sixties, love was poorly defined in the world.
The expression “free love” had nothing to do with the psychology of relationships and everything to do with the physiology. Control over the body was difficult for those who were experiencing the intense influence of hormones with insufficient information about those influences and the consequences.
Please note that the dynamic of P v P here applies to marriage and marriage alone. It does not apply to anyone outside the covenant of marriage. The issue here in giving over control of our own physiology to the psychology of our covenant partner eludes some of us.
What happens to those who are not given to marriage falls into the dangerous ground of judgment that takes in a third and extremely dangerous arena, politics.
Years ago when I began writing I was advised to avoid two issues. The first was not to take sides. The second was not to make it political.
Our influences need to remain in the realm of spiritual endeavors. What is written and confirmed in the bible are free to be explored as long as we do not violate those two issues.
One alienates individuals while the other alienates nearly everyone.