Continence: General Scriptures Concerning

“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?

You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good to abstain from sexual relations. …

Now about virgins, I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. …

However, if someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his betrothed, and if she is beyond her youth and they ought to marry, let him do as he wishes; he is not sinning; they should get married. …

No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. Treat younger men as brothers,

…older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.