Wife and I have been in a bit of a debate about Genesis 2:24.

“Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭24‬ ‭WEBUS‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/206/gen.2.24.WEBUS

She believes that the act of sex in God’s eyes is the physical act of establishing the covenant of marriage.. every time the act is performed.

And that as Christians, Paul tells us in New Testament scripture to only have sex within marriage. That the act is sacred and only to be shared between husband and wife because of the bond it creates.

Examples are:

Eph 5, 1 Thes 4, etc.

“because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife. Then the two will become one flesh.”” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭WEBUS‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/206/eph.5.31.WEBUS

“For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God, that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭WEBUS‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/206/1th.4.3-6.WEBUS

Her argument centers around purity and reserving sex for our marriage as designed by God as the ultimate expression of our covenant.

Having sex with other people would be breaking our covenant and forming a marriage covenant bond with someone else (in her mind)

My take is that one flesh refers to forming a family and we become one person or unit. Sex is an obvious vital part of that, but I don’t believe it’s the sex that makes the bond.

I’d love to hear other thoughts and perspectives on how others have either justified or reconciled swinging with their Christian faith based on the above scriptures.