Is premarital sex ok?

There are some topics I’m incredibly excited to write about.

Then there’s this one.

Nonetheless, one of our goals here at Theophilus is to help followers of Jesus navigate their faith in today’s world.

And, well, the people who make up the world wouldn’t be here if not for sex.

So, kind of an unavoidable topic.

Sex: An Overview

I commonly come across two different Christian approaches to sex.

The first is the stereotypical puritanical approach many of us are already familiar with…

No talking about sex, no looking at anything remotely sexual, no dancing… you get the picture.

Then there’s the other end of the spectrum.

Christians who seem to be making up for centuries of lost time talking about sex.

These are the kind of people who are a little too open—taking every opportunity to reference the Song of Songs, touting the credibility of its message and comparing it to their own (quite publicized) experience.

They scour Scripture for sexual metaphors, creating understandably uncomfortable situations.

The reality is we’re sexual creatures. That’s how God made us and that’s fine, it’s something we should be able to discuss.

On the other hand, it can be very easy to overvalue sex and to build it into something it isn’t.

I believe the Bible gives us a balanced, nuanced view of sex as something to enjoy within the boundaries of consensual, heterosexual marriage.

(Note: I realize my above description touches upon sexual orientation. As important of a discussion as that is, we won’t have the time to talk about this week and will, instead, focus primarily on premarital sex.)

Cue the alarm bells.

Social and Cultural Landmines 

Please lower the pitchforks for just a moment.

I’m not here to force a viewpoint on you or to guilt you into adopting one.

And I’m not here to shame anyone; I have no interest in that.

I aim to speak about an important aspect of human experience with the approach I believe the Bible provides.

Much of identity is connected to sexuality and how one expresses it.

So, it can be easy to interpret this topic as a personal attack.

That’s not what this is.

This is an exploration of how the biblical view on sex and marriage interacts with our world today.

You don’t have to agree, and you’re always welcome to email us with your view, but I hope you’ll be willing to engage me for the next few days.

We'll start by going back in time with a trip to the groovy decade of the 1960s.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter