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Sexual union expresses, reinforces, and reenacts the marital covenant itself. This helps to explain the beautiful Hebrew euphemism for marital sex—"to know." Adam, who had been given Eve as his life companion on the sixth day of Creation, could continue to express and reenact their union throughout their earthly days by "knowing" Eve sexually (Gen. 4:1). Even the apostle Paul, who championed singleness, said that sex is so essential to marriage that withholding it is "to defraud" or steal from one's spouse (1 Cor. 7:3-5).

Sex does not create marriage, but sex cannot be divorced from marriage. The gracious God who created marriage would have it no other way.

Steve Tracy is academic dean and associate professor of theology and ethics at Phoenix Seminary.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

A ready-to-download Bible Study on this article is available at ChristianBibleStudies.com. These unique Bible studies use articles from current issues of Christianity Today to prompt thought-provoking discussions in adult Sunday school classes or small groups.

For related articles, see Christianity Today'sSexuality & Gender section, and CT's sister publication Marriage Partnership.

Christianity Today interviewed Steve Tracy for a 2000 article on sexuality and singleness.

Phoenix Seminary has a brief biographical sketch of Tracy.

See a collection of quotes to stir the heart and mind on Love & Marriage.

Earlier Good Question columns include:

How Do You Know That You Have Truly Forgiven Someone?

Who Are We to Judge?

Should We File Lawsuits?

Can We Expect God to Forgive Unbelievers Who 'Don't Know What They're Doing'?

Is the Stock Market Good Stewardship?

Is Satan Omnipresent?

Is Suicide Unforgivable?

Was Slavery God's Will?

A Little Wine for the Soul?

Should We All Speak in Tongues?

Did Jesus Really Descend to Hell?

Take, Eat—But How Often?

Is Christmas Pagan?

Are Christians Required to Tithe?

Is Revelation Prophecy or History?

You're Divorced—Can You Remarry?

If Grace Is Irresistible, Why Evangelize?

Does the 'Bible Code' Really Exist?

What's the Unforgivable Sin?

What Bible Version Did Jesus Read?

Did God Die on the Cross?

You Must Be Born Again—But at What Age?

Was the Revolutionary War Justified?

Can the Dead Be Converted?

What Is the Significance of the Shroud of Turin?

Is Hell Forever?

Why Are There Denominations?

Did Paul Baptize for the Dead?

Do Demons Have Zip Codes?

What Is the Gospel of Thomas?

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January 7 2002, Vol. 46, No. 1