Is it okay for a man and woman to live together if they are not married?

by Matt Slick

If the man and woman are brother and sister and are living under the same roof, it would be permissible, provided there is nothing illicit in their relationship.  If the situation is that a man and woman who are not married to each other and are living together and having sexual relations, that would be sinful.  If the unmarried man and woman are living together, are not related, and are not having sexual relations, then other factors come into play.  First of all, the Bible says that we are to avoid even the appearance of evil.  If living together causes others to stumble then there is sufficient cause to warrant a different living arrangement.

But, basically, an unmarried man and woman living together, sleeping in the same bed, etc., is wrong and sinful.

• 1 Cor. 6:18, "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body."
• Eph. 5:3, "But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints."
• Col. 3:5, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry."
• 1 Thess. 4:2-5, "For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ⁵ not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God."