Body & Faith | Revolutionary Sexuality
Series: EIFACH muetig – with Jesus as a role model | Bible text: Romans 12:1,2; 1Corinthians 7:4
Christians in the 1st century lived a revolutionary sexuality. The basis for this was the Judeo-Christian worldview, which included values such as the equality of men and women, marriage between a man and a woman as a framework for living out sexuality, consensuality and the high value of the body. Christian values could have a very positive influence on society, especially in today’s world, in which consensuality between adults is the highest sexual ethical value.
A study by Ohio State University has investigated whether men actually think about sex that much more than women. The result: men think about sex 34 times a day, women 19 times. However, men also think about eating and sleeping more often, which supports the suspicion that men generally deal with their personal needs more often than women do. J. John (author and evangelist) says: «The problem in our sex-saturated society is not that we think too much about sex, but that we think so little of sex.» But how should we think about sexuality?
«I beseech you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, offer your bodies (Greek: somata) as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – let this be your reasonable worship! Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect» (Romans 12:1f ZB). Paul challenges us to honour God with our bodies, especially through our sexuality. However, this is only possible if we don’t adopt the world’s mould, but live counter-culturally. Instead of adaptation, we should allow ourselves to be changed by the renewal of our thinking by the heavenly mentor. God’s will is good and pleasing and perfect. What the Bible says about the body, sexuality, identity and relationships leads to real, overflowing life.
The revolutionary sexuality of the first Christians
In the time of the first Christians Men and women not considered equal. The most famous and influential philosopher of antiquity, Aristotle, said: «The man is naturally superior to the woman. The one rules, the other is ruled. This principle necessarily applies to all of humanity.» His foster father Plato even said: «Of the men who came into the world, one can reasonably assume that the cowardly or unrighteous were transformed into the nature of women in the second generation.» Being a woman means being a morally inferior or inferior man. Galenus (Greek physician; 129 AD) believed that women have defects in their reproductive organs: «The woman is less perfect than the man in terms of reproductive organs. They were formed in her when she was still a foetus, but because of a defect in the heat that drives them outwards, they could not be formed.» The continuation is then somewhat more «pastoral»: «But there must be women. We should not think that the Creator deliberately left half of humanity imperfect, mutilated so to speak, except that this mutilation has an advantage.» Women were also considered inferior in religious Judaism. Rabbi Eliezer is of the opinion: «Better to burn the Torah than entrust it to the hands of a woman.»
This ambiguous thinking led to an ambiguous practice – especially in sexuality. A newly married woman is taught by Plutarch: «If your husband has a «peccadillo» (peccadillo) with a mistress or slave, do not be indignant or angry, it is his respect for you that leads him to share his debauchery, licentiousness and wantonness with other women.»
Women had to be faithful to their husbands. The Greek. word Monandros described a woman and can be having only one husband translate. There was no equivalent for men, they could have relations with many partners. The following expression is therefore revolutionary and is tantamount to a new word creation: «[…] husband of a single woman […].» (1 Timothy 3:2 LUT).
In contrast to the culture of the time, we find equivalent thinking in the Bible. In Corinth, former Gentiles had come to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul says to them: «The wife gives her husband the right over her body, and likewise the husband gives his wife the right over his body» (1 Corinthians 7:4 NLB). The first thing that stands out is that the rights granted over the other body are an internal matrimonial matter is. And then the Basic principle of consensus introduced. This principle extends to the whole of chapter 7. No one has a right to sexuality from their spouse. On the contrary, it should be a togetherness.
Bryan Chapell: «By breaking the link between sex and social order, Christianity protected the weak from exploitation. No man could demand sex from a woman without giving up his independence and tying his whole life to her. No man could demand sex from his servants. The weaker ones – women, slaves, children – were protected by the stipulation that sex could only take place within the safe framework of a marriage bond.»
Christianity was simultaneously confronting and attractive, counter-cultural and serving culture. It replaced the ambiguous thinking of paganism with equal thinking and thus triggered a sexual revolution. The gospel was also good news for the bedroom. Not least, that’s why it was attractive. Many people came to faith – probably more women at the beginning.
Sexual freedom in the western world
Two terms characterise the sexual revolution in today’s Western culture: sexual freedom and self-determination.
- I love whoever and however I want
- I am what I feel
These statements are based on the right to express oneself authentically. If I can’t live out my feelings, I’m denying myself. The body has to subordinate itself to the feeling. What I feel is me. I am what I feel. A clear sign of this is that from 2014, there will be around 60 ways to specify your gender on Facebook. Because authentic self-expression is so highly prioritised, other opinions are seen as a direct attack on a person and are seen as discrimination.
The limit and at the same time the highest value of this sexual freedom is the Consensuality between adults. Our culture only celebrates consensuality and practises sexual practices that are never endorsed in the Bible. This culture is also finding its way into churches. A Christian counsellor writes in a blog: «Dear Roland, thank you very much! I have no problem at all with polyamory, masturbation and all consensual sexual practices between adults.» Polyamory means a network of sexual partners where you know who the other person is sexually intimate with. Everyone must be in agreement.
The sexual revolution in Western society should be honoured first. Three positive points should be emphasised: equal rights for women, raising awareness of assaults and sexual boundary violations, and the integration of sexual minorities. The concern to integrate people into society and the church regardless of their religion, origin and sexual orientation and to treat them with dignity is something we should wholeheartedly support. In the church I visited in Canada in the summer of 2023, a trans woman said that nowhere else did she feel as safe and accepted as in this church.
On the other hand, there are also some problematic developments. The following keywords should be mentioned here:
- Self-centredness instead of love (self-expression instead of self-giving)
- Devaluation of the body (high weighting of the feeling)
- Fragile identity (the body is no longer a fixed orientation – homeless in one’s own body)
- Banalisation of sex (sex is no longer integrated into the concept of a relationship, it is a physical act that hardly has any meaning any more)
The collateral damage of this sexual freedom affects the whole of society, the partner and the children. Bryan Chapell again: «We should realise that the modern sexual liberation movement is in many ways a step backwards. It turns the clock back to the underlying logic of Rome. Modern culture has severed the link between sex and God and reconnected sex with the social order.»
Being countercultural and serving culture
Perhaps the most important factor in the revolutionary sexuality of the first Christians was consensuality. But it was a value from an overall package. In addition to consensuality, there are other aspects to the Christian worldview: equality, the high value of the body, the biblical view of marriage between a man and a woman, which provides the framework for living out sexuality.
In contrast, the current sexual revolution is a revolution without a Creator and Saviour – without Christ. The answer to today’s secular sexual freedom is a new revolution with Christ!
What could it mean for followers of Jesus today to be simultaneously confrontational and attractive, counter-cultural and serving the culture? It requires the conviction that biblical morality actually expresses a higher view of creation and the body than secular morality. God is not a brake on fun, but grants us life in abundance. It gives people more dignity and value and is ultimately more fulfilling. And then it takes the courage not to fit into the mould of this world, but to live positively and refreshingly differently.
It also seems important to me that Christians do not simply speak out against the sexual habits of society, but rather propagate constructively and positively in favour of a lifestyle with Christ. An excellent starting point is to emphasise the high value of the body.
Paul says: «Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves, because God has paid a high price for you. Therefore, honour God with your body!» (1 Corinthians 6:19f NLB). The fact that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit places a high value on it and makes us responsible for living our sexuality in harmony with the heavenly mentor given to us. The statement, «You do not belong to yourselves», is a direct response to the secular leitmotif of the authentic self-expression. We cannot and do not have to define ourselves, but can allow God to give and grant us our identity. The biblical concept is not self-determination, but self-giving. The most important thing, however, is that a temple of the Holy Spirit is not left to its own devices, but has a strong supporter, especially for dealing with the body and sexuality. This is the basis for: «Offer your body (Greek somata) as a living, holy sacrifice, pleasing to God – let this be your reasonable worship!» (Romans 12:1b ZB). With our sexuality, we can worship, honour and appreciate God or do the opposite. Living out our sexuality says a lot about our relationship with God, it is a spiritual discipline.
Followers of Jesus are not left to their own devices. The Holy Spirit dwells within them. He gives them a secure identity, leads them into the truth, changes us and thus becomes an enabler for a lifestyle according to God’s will: the good, the pleasing and the perfect.
Possible questions for the small groups
Read the Bible text: 1 Corinthians 7:1–16
- What was the status of women and men in Jesus» time? How was sexuality lived out?
- What values led to a downright revolutionary sexuality among the first Christians?
- What values apply in the area of sexuality today? What is the guiding principle?
- How can followers of Jesus today be counter-cultural and yet serve the culture? How can they confront and yet be attractive?
- Do you deeply believe that the sexual ethics of the Bible lead to true life?
