Sex In the Bible
For my book report I chose the topic of sex in the Bible. I thought that it would be a very interesting topic because in many churches discussion of sex and sexuality is taboo. I thought that by reading this book I could become more informed of what the Bible truly says on the subject. I also chose this topic because I felt that it would be easier reading a book about the bible on a topic I was interested in. Most subjects pertaining to the Bible are not interesting to the average teenager, and I felt this book would be fun to read. The name of the book was Sex in the Bible by Michael R. Cosby. Cosby discusses five parts of the bible in which sexual relations are discussed. First he discuses the laws that apply to sex in the Hebrew culture according to the book of Dueteronomy. Secondly he discuses the wisdom advice of the book of proverbs. Cosby then discuses the actual act of sex in the book of songs. Next he writes about the topic of sex and sexuality in the synoptic gospels. Finally he discusses sex in the books of Corinthians and Paul's letters to the Romans. Cosby's goal is to interpret the true beliefs of the early Jews and Christians. The book of Deuteronomy is a book of l
Cosby now moves on to the Synoptic Gospels and the teachings of Jesus. Jesus' preachings about sex and sexuality was similar to the advice given in Proverbs and the laws stated in Dueteronomy. Jesus required one to adhere strictly to God's moral code. Jesus taught that both the act of adultery and the desire of another person's spouse was wrong. He also believed that divorce was not valid among men and women because it was God who had to do with them coming together. Although his teachings were similar to that of Dueteronomy, Jesus also preached love and forgiveness to people who broke the laws. He did not denounce them or curse them to hell, but rather forgave them and tried to teach them the error of their way. Jesus believed that men and women should not just seek to obey the laws of God, but rather to seek the will of God. Moving on, Cosby goes to the book of Proverbs. Proverbs, unlike Dueteronomy, does not dive laws about sex, but rather advice about it. Proverbs is not based on a covenant motif but rather on accumulated wisdom that has resulted from many years of observation. It is similar to Deuteronomy in that it addresses a great number of different aspects of life, but the way it is presented is much different. There is no emphasis on the Hebrew people's covenant with God. In fact proverbs is not specifically written for the Hebrew people, but rather as advice for the people of all nations. Pertaining to the act of premarital sex, either by free will or by force, the punishment is death by stoning. If it turns out that the women was raped, then that man which committed the crime will be forced to marry the women, and is forbidden to divorce her ever. As far as a women not being pure when she is married, Dueteronomy says that the husband has the right to bring this claim to his new wife's father. If the accusation is true than the women will be stoned to death in front of her father's house. Having an impure daughter was an ultimate disgrace to a father, in that it was his resposibility to prevent that. If the claims turned out to be false then the husband was beat in public and charged one hundred coins to be given to the bride's father. Paul also preached to the ascetics that sex was a healthy part of marriage. He went along a long with Jesus' preachings about marriage, divorce, and adultery. However, Paul did not condemn celibacy. He believed that having children were not necessary, and therefore one could remain celibate. Paul believed it was his duty to try to reform the world's moral codes. He hoped to lead people into a relationship with God that would reveal love and moral purity to others.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1807
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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