1 Corinthians 7

I was reading 1 Corinthians 7 for a my daily Bible reading. I noticed Paul was not advocating the statement about not have sexual relations with a women.

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 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. 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. (1 Corinthians 7:1-5, ESV)

Verse 1 says, "Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: 'It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.' " Paul received a letter where the people of Corinth must have said something about not having sex, married or unmarried. Paul will refute that statement over the next 4 verses.

I noticed that this because Paul says "but" to start verse 2. But is a contrasting word. What is really saying that it is better for husband and wife to have sex because it will help them to not have sexual sins. Paul starts this off with, "because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband." Corinth would be like Las Vegas today. Sexual sin was a normal everyday event. The main temple was to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. There was lots of temple prostitution in Corinth. It seems that the Church in Corinth said for no one can have sex. So Paul said no, men needs one wife and women need only their husband.

Paul in verse 3 and 4 tells men and women to give to their spouse their conjugal rights. Basically they should fulfill their duties to have sex.  The reason is that they do not control their bodies but the other member does.

Verse 5 then tells us that there can be a small amount of time to have sexual relations with your spouse. That time should be a time of prayer lest the devil temps the members with sexual immorality. It also is based on an agreeable amount of time by both parties, not because one is mad at the other.

It seems to say that married people should have sex when there is a desire to be intimate with each other. The neglecting of this desire can cause one or both members to sin in sexual immorality.  When it is neglected, it should be done for a short period of time and there needs to be an agreement. 

Now, this does not include single people. They are not to engage in sex because it was designed by God for the use in marriage. If they have having problems with lust, they need to get married (1 Cor.7:9).