Does the Bible say anything about BDSM?

from the old testament

• Scripture frequently and clearly speaks about sexual ethics. For instance, sexual relations are designed for marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; cf. Matthew 19:1-9).
• Sex within marriage should be an expression of love, as affirmed by Proverbs 5:18-19: “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.” It’s not befitting the purpose of sex to reduce it to violent titillation by practices like BDSM

from the new testament

• A husband is commanded to love his wife self-sacrificially, “as their own bodies” (Ephesians 5:25-28). Given the dark elements of BDSM and its focus on domination and violence rather than on passionate and self-sacrificial love, it has no place in a Christian’s life.
• Paul warned Corinthian believers, "Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). He stresses the reason: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The violent, degrading acts of BDSM certainly do not glorify God.
• The marriage bed (a term referring to sexual relations) is to be honored. Hebrews 13:4 notes, "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." Note that “sexually immoral” is listed along with adultery. This means that besides adultery, some acts in the marriage bed are considered sexually immoral.

implications for today

Whips, chains, collars—-it’s hard to believe that these tools of torture have been turned into features of sexual relations. But those are part and parcel of BDSM, a sexual practice that involves domination and degradation. In contemporary society, BDSM was popularized in a popular film made into a movie, which shows the importance of understanding the biblical view of sex.

But as with many practices that are popular with the world, BDSM is best avoided by Christians. That’s because sex for Christians is more than just a physical act; it’s a reflection of a married couple’s love for one another, a self-sacrificing love that doesn’t pair well with the degrading violence inherent in BDSM. The dark cultural elements of BDSM also don’t jibe well with the light that Christians are supposed to be in the world.

Sex in itself is not “dirty”---but not all sexual acts are acceptable to God’s image-bearers.