Marriage, sex and singleness: Paul, the Song of Songs and a pastor
October 6, 2026 · 12 min read
1 Corinthians treats marriage, singleness and sexual conduct, Ephesians describes love and submission between spouses, the Song of Solomon celebrates desire inside commitment, and Pastor Michael Todd turns the same teaching into habits of transparency and shared faith. They agree that intimacy is good and belongs within covenant, a fuller picture than the single rule many people grew up hearing.
The rules, numbers and steps worth keeping in front of you.
- 1 Corinthians: marriage is good and so is singleness. Each person should live as God calls them, with undivided devotion.
- 1 Corinthians: sex in marriage is honorable, and spouses should serve one another.
- Paul: the body is a temple bought with a price, which is why purity matters.
- 1 Corinthians 13: love is patient, kind, humble and enduring, and outlasts every gift.
- Ephesians: submit to one another. Wives submit as to the Lord, and husbands love sacrificially as Christ loved the church.
- Ephesians: holy living flows from grace already received, not from earning salvation.
- Song of Solomon: desire is celebrated, the consummation follows the wedding, and love is exclusive and cannot be bought.
- Song of Solomon: even the best relationships include missteps, longing and reconciliation.
- Todd: the feeling is real, and discipline is in the reaction to it.
- Todd: isolation leads from coping to habit to addiction, so talk openly with your spouse.
- Todd: honesty answers when asked. Transparency offers the truth before being asked.
- Todd: trust is lost in buckets and regained in drops.
- Todd's three qualities for marriage: transparency, a shared foundation of faith, and fun.
- Warning from Todd: some situations are unhealthy and cannot progress. Seek a counselor or pastor you trust.
This is the short form. The full insight has every expert's reasoning, their own words and the sources.