God's Design for Sex and Human Pleasure in Marriage
God's design for sex and human pleasure within marriage is rooted in the creation account, where marriage is presented as a divine institution established in paradise before the fall [4]. This institution is foundational to human society and is intended for the happiness of humanity, the propagation of the species, and the raising of godly offspring [2].
The creation narrative in Genesis describes God creating humanity in his own image, "male and female He prepared them" [1]. This initial act of creation establishes the binary nature of human sexuality. God's declaration that "it was not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18) led to the creation of Eve as a "suitable companion" for Adam [5]. This act is seen as giving divine sanction to monogamy, a principle later affirmed by Jesus [4, 5]. The creation of Eve from Adam's side signifies a unique relationship of equality and intimacy, rather than dominance or subservience [5].
The command to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Genesis 1:28) is understood by some as more than a mere permission, but rather a divine direction or even a command for marriage and procreation [7]. John Calvin interprets this as God's will for humanity to produce offspring to fill the earth, emphasizing that this design fosters mutual concord and recognition of each other as "his own flesh" [9]. This divine blessing on procreation highlights the integral role of sexual union within marriage for the continuation of humanity [7].
Marriage is consistently presented in scripture as a covenant relationship [2]. Jesus himself confirmed the original charter of marriage from Genesis as the basis for all regulations concerning it, emphasizing that "a man leaves father and mother... and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh" [11, 13]. This concept of "one flesh" underscores the profound unity and indissolubility of the marital bond [11, 14]. The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this unity, drawing a parallel between the husband-wife relationship and the spiritual union of Christ and the Church [8, 12].
The purpose of marriage, beyond procreation, also includes the prevention of fornication [2]. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 7:2, states, "But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband." Adam Clarke, in his commentary on 1 Thessalonians 4:7, notes that God, as the creator of male and female and the institutor of marriage, calls people to this state for holiness, not uncleanness. He suggests that those who use the marriage state as God directs will find it conducive to their holiness and perfection [6]. This perspective highlights that sexual intimacy within marriage is not merely for procreation but also for the sanctification and mutual benefit of the spouses.
The Bible consistently upholds marriage as honorable and the marital bed as undefiled [3]. Hebrews 13:4 states, "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers." This verse affirms the sanctity and purity of sexual relations within the confines of marriage, while condemning sexual immorality outside of it. The concept of "undefiled" implies that sexual pleasure within marriage is not only permissible but also good and blessed by God.
The historical understanding of marriage has seen variations, such as the prevalence of polygamy and concubinage in the patriarchal age, which deviated from the original monogamous design [4]. However, the New Testament consistently reaffirms monogamy as the ideal, reflecting the original creation account [4]. The early church fathers, such as John Chrysostom, also emphasized the importance of a wife agreeing with her husband, viewing it as a blessing [10].
Sources
- Genesis “Genesis 1:27 (YLT) — And God prepareth the man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Marriage — Divinely instituted -- Ge 2:24. A covenant relationship -- Mal 2:4. Designed for The happiness of man. -- Ge 2:18. Increasing the human population. -- Ge 1:28; 9:1. Raising up godly seed. -- Mal 2:15. Preventing fornication. -- 1Co 7:2. The expectation of the promised seed of the woman an incentive to, in the early age -- Ge 3:15; 4:1. Lawful in all -- 1Co 7:2,28; 1Ti 5:14. Honourable for all -- Heb 13:4. Should be only in the Lord -- 1Co 7:39. Expressed by Joining together. -- Mt 19:6. Making affinity. -- 1Ki 3:1. Taking to wife. -- Ex 2:1. Giving daughte”
- Hebrews “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. -- Hebrews 13:4”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Marriage — Was instituted in Paradise when man was in innocence (Gen. 2:18-24). Here we have its original charter, which was confirmed by our Lord, as the basis on which all regulations are to be framed (Matt. 19:4, 5). It is evident that monogamy was the original law of marriage (Matt. 19:5; 1 Cor. 6:16). This law was violated in after times, when corrupt usages began to be introduced (Gen. 4:19; 6:2). We meet with the prevalence of polygamy and concubinage in the patriarchal age (Gen. 16:1-4; 22:21-24; 28:8, 9; 29:23-30, etc.). Polygamy was acknowledged in the Mosa”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Eve — Life; living, the name given by Adam to his wife (Gen. 3:20; 4:1). The account of her creation is given in Gen. 2:21, 22. The Creator, by declaring that it was not good for man to be alone, and by creating for him a suitable companion, gave sanction to monogamy. The commentator Matthew Henry says: "This companion was taken from his side to signify that she was to be dear unto him as his own flesh. Not from his head, lest she should rule over him; nor from his feet, lest he should tyrannize over her; but from his side, to denote that species of equality which is”
- 1 Thessalonians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 4:7: God hath not called us unto uncleanness - He is the creator of male and female, and the institutor of marriage, and he has called men and women to this state; but the end of this and all the other callings of God to man is holiness, not uncleanness. And they who use the marriage state as he directs, will find it conducive to their holiness and perfection.”
- Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 1:28: And God blessed them,.... The man and the woman he had made, with all the blessings of nature and Providence; with all the good things of life; with his presence, and with communion with himself in a natural way, through the creatures; and particularly with a power of procreating their species, as follows, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth: if this is not an express command, as the Jews understand it, for marriage and procreation of children, it seems to be more than a bare permission; at least it is a direction and an advic”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 5:31: For--The propagation of the Church from Christ, as that of Eve from Adam, is the foundation of the spiritual marriage. The natural marriage, wherein "a man leaves father and mother (the oldest manuscripts omit 'his') and is joined unto his wife," is not the principal thing meant here, but the spiritual marriage represented by it, and on which it rests, whereby Christ left the Father's bosom to woo to Himself the Church out of a lost world: Eph 5:32 proves this: His earthly mother as such, also, He holds in secondary account as compared with His spir”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 5.35: of offspring, as God imparts his power to some and withholds it from others. But here Moses would simply declare that Adam with his wife was formed for the production of offspring, in order that men might replenish the earth. God could himself indeed have covered the earth with a multitude of men; but it was his will that we should proceed from one fountain, in order that our desire of mutual concord might be the greater, and that each might the more freely embrace the other as his own flesh. Besides, as men were created to occupy”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: 143 Homily XX. Ephesians v. 22–24 “Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the Church: being Himself the Saviour of the body. But as the Church is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their husbands in everything. A certain wise man, setting down a number of things in the rank of blessings, set down this also in the rank of a blessing, “A wife agreeing with her husband.” ( Ecclus. xxv. 1 .) And elsewhere again he sets it dow”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 19:5: And said, For this cause--to follow out this divine appointment. shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?--Jesus here sends them back to the original constitution of man as one pair, a male and a female; to their marriage, as such, by divine appointment; and to the purpose of God, expressed by the sacred historian, that in all time one man and one woman should by marriage become one flesh--so to continue as long as both are in the flesh. This being God's constitution, let not man break it ”
- Ezek (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ezek 23:4: 23:4 Marriage is commonly used in the Bible as a symbol for the covenant relationship between God and his people (e.g., Isa 54:1-8; Eph 5:22-33). Adultery symbolizes Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness (e.g., Hos 1–3). God makes his covenants in spite of, not because of, his people’s character (Rom 5:6-11).”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 2:24: one flesh--The human pair differed from all other pairs, that by peculiar formation of Eve, they were one. And this passage is appealed to by our Lord as the divine institution of marriage (Mat 19:4-5; Eph 5:28). Thus Adam appears as a creature formed after the image of God--showing his knowledge by giving names to the animals, his righteousness by his approval of the marriage relation, and his holiness by his principles and feelings, and finding gratification in the service and enjoyment of God. Next: Genesis Chapter 3”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 19:6: 19:6 Since God made marriage a union, humans do not have the right to break that union. Jesus affirmed the indissolubility of marriage.”