Although the writers of the New Testament letters didn’t talk a lot about “premarital sex,” they didn’t have to. The honor-and-shame culture that permeated the first century made premarital sex taboo, especially among the Jews who formed the basis of some of the earliest churches.
However, the Apostle Paul was clear that “sexual immorality” should not be part of the Christian life. He wrote about it often in his letters to Christians in churches during his lifetime. It’s good advice for us today too. (I don’t recommend going through all of these in your small group. But review them as a leader and have them ready when questions come up.)
- Acts 15:20 (repeated in 15:28 and 21:25)
- Romans 13:13
- 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9
- 1 Corinthians 6:12-13 & 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (see below)
- 1 Corinthians 7:1-7; 1 Corinthians 10:6
- 2 Corinthians 12:21
- Galatians 5:17-20
- Ephesians 5:1-5
- Colossians 3:3-7
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5
- John 13:34
Key Quotes that Speak Directly to the Middle School World
“You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’ – but not everything is good for you. And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything. You say, ‘Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.’ (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.”
-Paul, Apostle of Jesus,
1 Corinthians 6:12-13,
New Living Translation
“Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
-Paul, Apostle of Jesus,
1 Corinthians 6:18-20,
New Living Translation
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
-Jesus, as quoted by his Apostle John,
John 13:34,
New Living Translation
MPCC 5678 