sex and marriage

1 Corinthians 7:1–9 (NIV) — 1 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

 Paul is going to address several matters the Corinthians wrote to him about. In chapter 7 he answers some concerns about marriage, and in these first verses he particularly talks about sexual relations in marriage. The NIV’s use of quotation marks in verse 1 is questionable since it doesn’t appear that Paul is quoting the Corinthians or anyone else.

Now for the matters you wrote about marks a change of topic from the previous chapter. But the previous talk about sexual immorality informs us in this initial matter. What does Paul say is good in verse 1? How does he qualify that in verses 2-3?

In verse 4 Paul talks about having authority and yielding that authority. What does that tell us about the marital relationship? How do 6:14-20 and 7:1-7 inform each other? How does the discussion about our body being a temple (6:19), we were bought with a price (6:20) and yielding to our spouses (7:4) inform each other?

In verse 5 Paul talks about abstaining from sexual relationships. When is that appropriate? When is it not appropriate?

What gift is Paul talking about in verse 7?