1 Corinthians 7:1-5
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Paul rejects two opposite errors: “anything goes” (1 Cor 6:12-20) and “everything must be avoided” (1 Cor 7:1-5). Where do you see those two ways of thinking about sex today? How does Scripture give us a better way to think about sex, desire, and holiness?
Verse 2 places sexual intimacy within marriage, but does not promise that marriage will remove sexual temptation. Why is that distinction important? What does faithfulness look like for both married and unmarried Christians who continue to face temptation (cf. 1 Cor 6:18-20 and 1 Thess 4:3-5)?
Throughout these verses (1 Cor 6:12-7:5), Paul challenges the attitude, “My body is mine, so I can do whatever I want without considering anyone else.” Whether married or single, how does belonging to Christ change the way we think about our bodies, desires, and choices (1 Cor. 6:19–20)?
Paul tells husbands and wives to give to one another rather than demand from one another (v. 3). What changes when we ask, “How can I lovingly serve my spouse?” instead of, “What does my spouse owe me?”
Marriage means we can’t just do whatever we want without considering our spouse. But verse 4 does not give either spouse permission to control the other. Read Mark 10:42–45, John 13:1–17, and Philippians 2:5–8. How should the way Jesus served, humbled himself, and gave himself for others shape the way we interpret verse 4?
In verse 5, Paul says that abstaining within marriage should involve mutual agreement, be for a limited time, and have a spiritual purpose. What does that teach us about communication, consideration, and taking temptation seriously in marriage?
After reading 1 Corinthians 6:12–7:5, how would you describe Christian freedom? What does it look like to use our freedom not simply to please ourselves, but to honor Christ and love others?
