The Bible teaches something that used to be called chastity. It is often confused with celibacy but they are not the same. Celibacy is the total absence of sexual activity. It is what the Roman Catholic church expects of its clergy and people in religious orders. In the Bible it is only presented as the condition before marriage. Chastity is bigger than Celibacy.
Chastity means that sex is reserved for the covenant of marriage and it to be abstained from in any other situation. Within marriage sex is presented as the ultimate knowing, the supreme intimacy. It is clearly a grand and glorious thing. Check out the Song of Solomon. Read I Corinthians 7. Go through Proverbs 5:15-19. Within marriage it is clear that a robust and satisfying sex life is to be expected. Outside of marriage the expectation is just as clear: It is always sin.
Actually, chastity is not a new term. It is an old term that has been abandoned. If you are a follower of Jesus that is not acceptable. There are certain standards that the Bible lays down. They are non-negotiable. While it is true that we are not under law, but under grace, there is no place in the scripture that it even implies that you are free to violate the Ten Commandments. Righteousness is still the standard. Chastity is part of that standard.
To be continued...
homo unius libri
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