Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
1 Corinthians 7:1-4
I cannot tell you the times I have heard this passage of Scripture used as a tool of manipulation and control. It seems that many see this passage and all they see is “The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does”.
Some men read this and see, my wife is here to meet my sexual needs whenever I say so. She has no right to ever tell me no. I am the boss.
Some women read this and see, what? this is my body and no one owns it but me… ever!
Both completely miss the entire point of this passage and the absolute breathtaking proof of true Christian liberation it contains because they do not put it into context.
This passage of Scripture was written when women were considered no more valuable than the sheep in the barn. They had no voice. They had no power. They had no freedom. They were bought and sold and thrown out. The sad thing is, that in many, many, many places in this world still to this day… that has not changed.
However, where Christ reigns, freedom reigns.
What this passage of Scripture really shouts is equality.
…each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
Here in Christ, Paul states to the men of the church. Do you see this woman, this woman you call Wife. You belong to her and to her alone. This woman who from years past and for years to come is seen as nothing more than a tool of gratification in so many minds and nations of the world… this woman, this woman that you call Wife, has authority over your body, you belong to her just as much as she belongs to you.
Never, ever, was this even conceivable apart from the christian liberation found in Jesus Christ. That a husband was to be faithful to his wife, because his body belonged to her and her alone. Never before, was a woman lifted to such a level of respect and esteemed so highly as a wife and wife alone.
Christ takes the life of womanhood and lifts it up out from under the feet of man and places her back by his rightful side.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:26-28
In this day, the enemy of the cross and of our souls wants us to believe that Christianity is condemning and controlling and condescending to modern womanhood. That is the lie. The lie from the very depths of the pits of hell.
The truth is that in Christ and in Christ alone is true womanhood found and all the beautiful freedom that it contains.