Eoghan
Puritan Board Senior
[BIBLE]1 Corinthians 7:1-3[/BIBLE]
The asceticism of this group leads them to raise the question of abstinence within marriage,hence: "It is good for a man not to touch his wife."
By looking ahead we see that Paul does not advocate marriage for all (v26) yet here he does seem to do so, on the face of it. The fact of the matter is that he is advocating sexual relations, not for those who are unmarried (he deals with them separately) but for husband and wife, i.e. those who are already married.
Touch is a euphemism for sexual relations in verse 1 as is "have" in verse 2. Within marriage the due benevolence (euphemism) one to the other is a guard against immorality. I think it is in this sense that the Westminster Confession refers to the due exercise of marital obligations (euphemism) as a hedge against immorality.
In this regard I think the second proof text is stronger in advocating the unmarried enter into marriage (1 Cor 7:9) to avoid immorality. Having thus discovered that their calling is not celibacy.
If you are going to tell me I am wrong, which I welcome, then please explain why.
The asceticism of this group leads them to raise the question of abstinence within marriage,hence: "It is good for a man not to touch his wife."
By looking ahead we see that Paul does not advocate marriage for all (v26) yet here he does seem to do so, on the face of it. The fact of the matter is that he is advocating sexual relations, not for those who are unmarried (he deals with them separately) but for husband and wife, i.e. those who are already married.
Touch is a euphemism for sexual relations in verse 1 as is "have" in verse 2. Within marriage the due benevolence (euphemism) one to the other is a guard against immorality. I think it is in this sense that the Westminster Confession refers to the due exercise of marital obligations (euphemism) as a hedge against immorality.
In this regard I think the second proof text is stronger in advocating the unmarried enter into marriage (1 Cor 7:9) to avoid immorality. Having thus discovered that their calling is not celibacy.
If you are going to tell me I am wrong, which I welcome, then please explain why.