Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Corinthians 7:4

"The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife." — 1 Corinthians 7:4 (ASV)

Having said that it would be good under the present circumstances not to get married, Paul hastens to add that the general rules for marriage should apply. The reason, especially true at Corinth, is the prevalence of sexual immorality, into which they also might be tempted to fall. Since the temptation might affect either sex, Paul specifies that each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

So that no abnormal situations in the Christian marital status might develop, leading to sexual immorality (v.5), the apostle gives instruction regarding normal sexual behavior and attitudes that the Christian man and woman should have (vv.3–6); in doing so he argues against a forced asceticism. Christians should have normal sexual relations, and Paul strengthens his argument by stating that the bodies of the marriage partners belong to each other (cf. 6:16). Having stated the principle in v.4, Paul adds the command that husbands and wives may withhold these normal marital rights from each other by mutual consent, but only for a specified purpose (so that they may spend time in prayer) and for a specified period of time (v.5). In this way, as those who are united to Christ (6:17), they may exercise their rights and privileges in communing with God. But when this separate time of prayer is over, the married pair are to come together again, lest Satan, the enemy of Christians (1 Peter 5:8), tempt one or the other partner with sexual immorality through possible lack of sexual self-control.

Paul recognizes the strong but normal sexual drive in the human being (cf. Genesis 1:28), but also knows that it can be used wrongly to displease God.