1 Corinthians 7:3-4
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.
Paul is reflecting on what it means to give oneself completely to one’s spouse. This is a reversal of the effects of sin in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve felt ashamed and naked. Sensual love in the context of self-giving love brings an intimacy otherwise not known in this world. When one is involved in sensual love without the commitment of self-giving love, the other person only becomes an object of pleasure and not a person of love. Paul is dealing with Christians who lived in a sensual culture, where prostitution was legal, accepted, and even part of some religious practices. He is trying to keep the Corinthians from temptation and to help them know what it means to be holy in all areas of life. The best protection against temptation in marriage is to give ourselves totally to God and totally to our spouse. Holiness involves commitment and self-giving love.
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