Abstinence is God’s only policy when it comes to sex before marriage. Extensive study notes, charts, maps, and articles make this study Bible a valuable resource for serious readers, students. The ESV Study Bible, Large Print edition features the content of the award-winning ESV Study Bible with a highly readable, large-print type. While practicality does not determine right from wrong, if the Bible’s message on sex before marriage were obeyed, there would be far fewer sexually transmitted diseases, far fewer abortions, far fewer unwed mothers and unwanted pregnancies, and far fewer children growing up without both parents in their lives. The ESV Study Bible was designed to help you understand the Bible in a deeper way. Thus, for a couple to engage in sex before marriage is doubly wrong-they are enjoying pleasures not intended for them, and they are taking a chance of creating a human life outside of the family structure God intended for every child.
However, the couple must understand that God’s intent for sex includes producing children. Song of Solomon and several other Bible passages (such as Proverbs 5:19) clearly describe the pleasure of sex. God wants men and women to enjoy sexual activity within the confines of marriage. Sex within marriage is pleasurable, and God designed it that way. Sex between a husband and his wife is the only form of sexual relations of which God approves (Hebrews 13:4).įar too often we focus on the “recreation” aspect of sex without recognizing that there is another aspect-procreation. The Bible promotes complete abstinence before marriage. There are numerous Scriptures that declare sex before marriage to be a sin (Acts 15:20 1 Corinthians 5:1 6:13, 18 10:8 2 Corinthians 12:21 Galatians 5:19 Ephesians 5:3 Colossians 3:5 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Jude 7). Sex before marriage is included in the biblical definition of sexual immorality. Since 1 Corinthians 7:2 clearly includes sex before marriage in the definition of sexual immorality, all of the Bible verses that condemn sexual immorality as being sinful also condemn sex before marriage as sinful.