Sex 

Sex is hardly a minor issue in the Christian Bible. To read about the many references to sexual issues in the Christian scriptures, you may wish to visit the excellent web site And Adam Knew Eve: A Dictionary of Sex in the Bible. It does not take a Christian position, but nonetheless presents a wealth of information on the scriptures read by Christians.

How might contemporary Christians be guided by scripture in addressing issues of sexuality? I suggest an approach within the Reformed tradition in The Bible and Sexuality.

There is enormous controversy in the church today concerning homosexuality. My reading of scripture on this ethical issue is presented in The Bible and Homosexuality. 

Clearly the attitude toward sex in the Christian Bible reflects historical and cultural mores as well as divine inspiration. In the creation story after God creates male and female he tells them, "Be fruitful and multiple." (Gen. 1:28) We all know this requires sexual intercourse, but we may not have considered that this statement also makes child-bearing and raising a divine commandment. In the story of Abraham and Sarah fertility is a gift from God requiring obedience. Later God rescues his people from Egypt and gives then the land of the Canaanites, so that the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob might be fruitful and multiply there.

The Old Testament is filled with stories and rules about sex. These sanction polygamy, the keeping of concubines, rape and the abuse of women, because in ancient Israel women were property and protected as such. Adultery was a capital offense, (Lev. 20:10, Dt. 22:21) and an Israelite who raped a betrothed woman was to be put to death for violating the property rights of another man. (Dt. 22:23) However, if he raped a woman who was not married or betrothed, his punishment was marriage to the woman without any option of divorce. (Dt. 22:28-29) A bride that was found not to be a virgin was to be stoned to death. (Dt. 22:12-21) Yet, a woman who was single and whose father was not a priest, was allowed to be a harlot. (Lev. 21:9)

In addition, emissions from the body (semen and menstrual blood) were considered unclean. A menstrating woman was unclean (and thus was not to be touched) for seven days, and she made unclean anything she sat on. (Lev. 15:19-24) After sexual intercourse, if there had been an emission of semen, both the man and woman were ritually unclean for the day and also had to bathe in water to be purified. (Lev. 15:16-18) A man who ejaculated during his sleep was similarly unclean for a day and had to bathe to be purified. (Dt. 23:10-11) 

Anyone believing that the entire Bible is the word of God ought to observe these rules concerning sex and ritual purification. In fact, the church interprets the laws of the Old Testament in light of the gospels and Paul's teaching that faith, not Jewish law, is saving. To do this, Christians ignore the literal meaning of the words attributed to Jesus in the gospel of Matthew: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the [Jewish] law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the [Jewish] law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven." (Mt. 5:17-19)

Other readings in the New Testament, however, are inconsistent with this teaching in the gospel of Matthew.  Three gospels report that Jesus is touched by a woman, who is unclean because of a flow of blood, and that Jesus heals her without condemnation. (Mt. 9:20-22, Mk. 5:24-34, Lk. 8:43-48) Moreover, the churches led by Greek-speaking Gentile Christians do not adopt the Jewish ritual purification laws. Clearly, these Christian communities do not see the Law of Moses as the will of God. Despite being commanded in the Hebrew scriptures, which are the only "scripture" being read in the first century church, Paul and the congregations he has organized do not accept these particular commandments of the Law of Moses as the word of God.

In some ways, however, the New Testament presents more stringent commandments concerning sex. In the gospel of Mark Jesus offers no grounds for divorce (Mk. 10:1-12), but in the gospel of Matthew Jesus allows a man to divorce his wife for unchastity (Mt. 19:3-9). Paul presents a slightly different teaching to permit a Christian to divorce a pagan spouse who runs away. (1 Cor. 7:12-16) Moreover, Jesus teaches that a lustful thought is as bad as adultery. (Mt. 5:28) And Paul, rather than teaching the Old Testament commandment to multiply by procreating, urges Christians who are not consumed with passion to remain unmarried. (1 Cor. 7:8-9)

Why should Christians today regard Paul's advice to the Christians in Corinth as the inerrant word of God? Instead, why not follow Paul's example? Paul interpreted the Hebrew scriptures in light of his own experience and circumstances. He was concerned with marriage between Christians and pagans, because this was a problem in the early Gentile churches. The teachings of Jesus on marriage had only concerned Jews, so Paul counseled the Corinthians by drawing on his understanding of the principles of faith and his expectation that the end of the world was near.

Neither Jesus nor Paul argued that the words of God in Jewish scripture were inerrant or unchanging.  Jesus and Paul interpret scripture to address new issues confronting men and women in their own circumstances. That is precisely what Christians are called to do today. We should consider the plain meaning of scripture in light of Christian principles and the rule of love. This is what is means to live faithfully.

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1 in Faith: A Christian Bible Study † Copyright © 2000 by Robert Traer