哥林多前书第七章第1—7节，保罗说为了避免淫乱，男人当娶妻，女子当嫁人。丈夫该向妻子所献的情感要献上；同样，妻子该向丈夫所献的情感也要献上。妻子没有权力主张自己的身体，因为主张妻子身体的权力在丈夫；同样，丈夫也没有权力主张自己的身体，因为主张丈夫身体的权力在妻子。夫妻不可彼此剥夺亲热的权利，除非双方同意暂时分房为要专心祷告和禁食，但之后仍要同房，免得被诱惑而犯罪。可见，夫妻双方都没有权力主张自己的身体。乍听，这似乎挺可怕，因为在婚姻里作为基督徒好像连主张自己身体的权力都没有了。其实不用担心，因为基督徒行事为人都应以基督的爱为出发点，若你的配偶身体劳累或特殊情况，因着对配偶的爱，你还会只求自己的益处吗？保罗在后面第十和第十三章里劝勉弟兄姐妹们不求自己的益处。

保罗说他这样说是出于对弟兄姐妹们的让步，而不是命令。因为他愿意众人像他一样单身一生 ，只是各人从神那里领受的恩赐不同，有人领受的是单身的恩赐，有的人领受的则是结婚的恩赐。

林前7:1 论到你们信上所提的事、我说男不近女倒好。
Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
林前7:2 但要免淫乱的事、男子当各有自己的妻子、女子也当各有自己的丈夫。
But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
林前7:3 丈夫当用合宜之分待妻子、妻子待丈夫也要如此。
Let the husband render to his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
林前7:4 妻子没有权柄主张自己的身子、乃在丈夫．丈夫也没有权柄主张自己的身子、乃在妻子。
The wife doesn't have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband doesn't have authority over his own body, but the wife.
林前7:5 夫妻不可彼此亏负、除非两相情愿、暂时分房、为要专心祷告方可、以后仍要同房、免得撒但趁着你们情不自禁、引诱你们。
Don't deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn't tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
林前7:6 我说这话、原是准你们的、不是命你们的。
But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment.
林前7:7 我愿意众人像我一样．只是各人领受 神的恩赐、一个是这样、一个是那样。
Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind.