Introduction to Sexual Ethics in Christian Ministry
I spent seven years as a singles pastor. Can you imagine the issues I had to deal with regarding sex? How far can we go before marriage? What if we are engaged? What happens when we have already crossed that line? Is it okay to try living together if we don’t have sex?
The Struggle with Sexual Sin and Temptation
As well, I knew the issues of lust and temptation that come from magazines, internet sites, and promiscuous thoughts in general. While I was at seminary, I remember the head of the counseling department saying that by his estimation, half the male students were struggling with internet pornography. Half! If half this body of guys sold out to Jesus, selling everything they own to go to seminary, were this deeply involved in sexual struggles, how much more so the singles at my church?
Related Podcast Episode: Human Sexuality
Many of these are difficult questions. More difficult than one realizes, until pushed for an answer. We are dealing with sexual sin among sexual people. We are bound to attempt to find as many loopholes as possible.
Challenging Traditional Views on Fornication
One day I was blindsided by a question that, before then, I had considered a softball. A man walked up to me after my lesson and said that he had some good Christian friends (and by “good Christian friends” I mean he considered these friends to be good Christians), who questioned him about the issue of sex before marriage. They had suggested to him that, contrary to popular thought, the Bible does not anywhere condemn what is known in our language as “fornication.” They said that the word “fornication,” when it is used in the Bible, does not mean sex before marriage, but sexual immorality in general. According to their studies, the sexual immorality condemned in the Scripture does not include fornication.
After some quick research, I discovered that what they said was true . . . at least part of it.
Personal Reflections on Premarital Sex
Now, let me be up front here. Before I married Kristie, I did not do too well in the sex before marriage department. I regret it quite a bit. I don’t think I ever actually committed adultery, but for the most part I worked on a “don’t-ask-don’t-tell” basis. I was a Christian at the time and the guilt was bad. However, I took some comfort in thinking that I had not crossed the actual adultery line (at least as far as I knew). Why? Because I knew that the Bible had a lot to say about adultery. You know, it was all that “take them out and stone them” stuff. But, while the guilt was bad, it was not as bad as it could have (or should have) been. After all, who was I hurting? God made me a sexual being. I was not coloring outside of the lines that much. After all, what does he expect? It is quite a killjoy to create sexual desire and then say, “You cannot touch.”
So, back to my question: Is fornication really a sin?
Biblical Interpretation of Fornication
It is true that in the Bible, the word for fornication does not necessarily refer to sex before marriage. The Greek word translated “fornication” by the King James Bible is pornia (from which we get our word “pornography”). It refers to any unlawful sexual activity. BDAG (the standard and best Greek Lexicon) defines it as “unsanctioned sexual intercourse.”
Sexual Laws in the Old Testament
The sanctioning of a sexual activity is defined in the Old Testament by what it is not more often than what it is. In other words, we learn what is lawful with regard to fulfilling our sexual desires by creating boundaries of foreign territory considered sinful. Much of this law is covered in Leviticus 18. Take notice of the boundaries here:
Leviticus 18:6-21, 23
6 “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the LORD.
7 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.
9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home.
10 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness.
11 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, brought up in your father’s family, since she is your sister.
12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s relative.
13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s relative.
14 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.
15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.
17 You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity.
18 And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.
19 You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness.
20 And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her.
22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
23 And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion.
That pretty much covers the law with regard to sexual sin, right? After all, to “uncover the nakedness” of someone is a euphemism about sexual relations. However, one thing that is left out here is sex before marriage. It does not say, “You shall not uncover the nakedness of someone who is not your wife.” Yes, there are a lot of parameters, but it looks like we might have found ourselves a loophole toward a sexual revolution in Christianity! Not so fast, singles. While it is true that this particular passage does not speak specifically to the sex before marriage issue, sex before marriage is nonetheless condemned in Scripture as sin.
Addressing the Gender Disparity in Biblical Teachings
Let me be honest. From what I can see, the Old Testament does not seem to come down too hard on men having sex outside of the bonds of marriage. It is another story for women. Notice here:
Deut. 22:13-14 “If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and then hates her 14 and accuses her of misconduct and brings a bad name upon her, saying, ‘I took this woman, and when I came near her, I did not find in her evidence of virginity,'”
This introduces a situation where a man finds out that his wife was not a virgin before they got married. If the charge was found to be true, then the women was to be stoned (Lev. 22:20-21). At the very least, this demonstrates that, for women, the laws against sexual immorality included sex before marriage.
Passages such as Lev. 19:20 further confuse the matter, giving males more liberty.
However, the liberty is not carte blanche for men. Notice here:
Deut. 22:28-29 “If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.”
Here, either through rape or consent (this is debated), we have an unwed woman and a man who sleep together. The woman has lost her virginity to the man. Due to this, the man is forced to pay a “fine” or properly marry the woman to cover herNew Testament Perspectives on Sexual Morality that sex before marriage for men was not without its consequences in the Old Testament.
New Testament Perspectives on Sexual Morality
The issue of sex before marriage becomes much more clear in the New Testament, as it is more explicitly forbidden to both men and women.
(This is not the time to discuss why the Old Testament is not more clear on this issue. It is my assumption that, like with so many other things, God, in the progress of revelation, did not express his full ideal in the Law of Moses, but conceded to some cultural norms like he did with slavery and polygamy.)
The word “fornication,” as I said above, does not necessarily mean sex before marriage. However, I do believe it is implied many times for two primary reasons.
1. Christ’s Condemnation of Lust
Mat 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
If sex before marriage was not forbidden, why does Christ say that lust is? Implied here is that everything from lust to adultery is forbidden by the sixth commandment. Sex before marriage definitely fits right in between.
2. Paul’s Admonishment to Marry Rather than Burn
1 Cor. 7:8-9 “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to stay single as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
The idea of “burning” here has to do with sexual desire. Here Paul tells all unmarried people that if they cannot control their sexual desires, they need to get married. Why? Because Paul assumes that one cannot fulfill this sexual desire outside of the marital bed. While Paul would love for them to remain single (1 Cor. 7:7), he believes that sex outside of marriage is a destructive sin and cannot be used as a gratifying release of our sexual passions.
While there are other passages that can be used to build the case that sex outside of marriage is indeed sinful, I believe that these are strong enough to bind Christian consciences.
Conclusion: Embracing God’s Design for Sexuality
God created sex. God created our sexual desires. Sex is good within the borders of marriage. For those of you who think that God is a killjoy for limiting sex to such a situation, please remember a couple of things:
- God created sex! How could he be a killjoy? Think about it. The very act about which you are complaining is an act he created.
- God knows better than you do what will satisfy you. It takes an act of faith to believe this, but it is not too big a step to take.
- Most married Christian men and women who, like myself, did not have a very successful single life would love to turn back the clocks and do it all over again. And this is not because we are not forgiven . . . we are. It is because we know the intimacy which is lost when you have already given yourself to another.
Our advice to you would be to wait. If it is too late, stop and wait. It is never too late to trust God in this matter. As cliché as it may sound, he really does know best. Fornication is really a sin.
124 replies to "Is Fornication Really a Sin? Sex and the Single"
Shelby,
Before you reply to my comment make sure you are living a Christian life and know the Bible.
Fornication is a sin. Are you a Pastor or just a sinner trying to justify your actions.
If you want to live in sin do that but don’t implicate others.
People like you will burn in hell when Jesus returns
You clearly didn’t read the full article did you? I am going to copy and past the very last part of this article for you:
“God created sex. God created our sexual desires. Sex is good within the borders of marriage. For those of you who think that God is a killjoy for limiting sex to such a situation, please remember a couple of things:
God created sex! How could he be a killjoy? Think about it. The very act about which you are complaining is an act he created.
God knows better than you do what will satisfy you. It takes an act of faith to believe this, but it is not too big a step to take.
Most married Christian men and women who, like myself, did not have a very successful single life would love to turn back the clocks and do it all over again. And this is not because we are not forgiven . . . we are. It is because we know the intimacy which is lost when you have already given yourself to another.
Our advice to you would be to wait. If it is too late, stop and wait. It is never too late to trust God in this matter. As cliché as it may sound, he really does know best. Fornication is really a sin.”
Phil, you are not God, only God can judge people’s hearts.
Feel God gave us the Bible it is our instruction book we must refrain from all sexual morality we must be pure and clean in the sight of God otherwise we are sinning
oH no We cant put any limits on Peter !
God gave us the power to judge. Read in your word. If we shouldn’t be judging, then you should repent because the act of you saying, “you shouldn’t judge” is you judging.
God gave us the power to judge. Read in your word. If we shouldn’t be judging, then you should repent because the act of you saying, “you shouldn’t judge” is you judging. How in the world would anyone be saved if no one told you “turn from your wicked ways”. Then that means every pastor or child of God is sinning for telling others not to sin.
I see a great deal of opinion all over this topic. Let me just point out a few obvious misdirections here. The OT references relating to a man finding out his new bride isn’t a virgin is more so about deception than the woman’s virginity. If a woman and/or her family misrepresented the facts about the chastity of the woman, that is a fraud. That is the issue at hand. Not a requirement that all women must be a virgin prior to marriage. If that was the case one wouldn’t have to put such an effort into swaying any meaning one way or another. Also, that kind of standard would be clearly stated in other places in scripture and clearly it’s not.
When Paul says, “I say…” some translations make it a bit clearer by translating that phrase as, I say, Not the Lord, that…..” Paul is giving his. OPINION to a community engaged in an entanglement with temple prostitutes and other pagan activities.
Cultures around the world that attempt to shame the natural development of human growth and development have never been very successful in stopping sex outside of marriage. Gods word makes no direct reference to sex outside of marriage between two consenting adults. The reference to a man ravaging a virgin strongly suggests that the man has taken advantage in some way which is why the entire matter remains questionable as to if the passage is speaking of rape or other types of manipulation of a young or inexperienced woman.
The assumption that God has imposed vague demands related to this excessively common issue is beyond human authority. Translators and commentaries like the ones seen here must reach beyond the actual Words given to us in order to create a standard that doesn’t otherwise exist.
It’s quite interesting that so many have gone to great lengths to propagate this misdirection and Mia application of the scriptures. Paul’s opinion isn’t anything more than that, an opinion. One which he himself sets apart from Gods instructions.
Sex outside of marriage can cause many complications. All people throughout history know exactly what the consequences are. As societies have become more and more complex, those consequences have also grown. Some of the results of sex outside of marriage Can be very damaging, again, everyone knows this. It is so universally known that God clearly saw nominees to state the obvious or more so…. He did not condemn such actions.
The oldest societies viewed sex outside of marriage AS MARRIAGE. THERE WERE NO MARRIAGE RITES OR RITUALS at the dawn of human history. These marriage rituals evolved out of contracts between families and tribes of different groups for the mutual benefits to each. That is to say, it’s completely man made and a human construct, not a moral or legal obligation imparted to us from above!
Sexual activity and religion went hand in hand in nearly all pagan cultures throughout the world. Believe it or not, quite often having sex with a temple prostitute was often believed to convey forgiveness of sins.
It’s this kind of religious system that is condemned over and over again in the scriptures not sexy between two consenting adults.
Those here that express regrets and feeling of shame and even anger related to the idea that a loving God never imposed such restrictions speaks volumes of the kind of damage such false doctrines have caused to those who have embraced it so frantically. To those I say this, wanting sex is not a foul or vulgar desire to have. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers us with self control.
That self control does not eliminate sexual desire in any way. Regardless of what modern society may sanction or prohibit true peace with God is not a performance based relationship. To add additional rules and to put Gods name on them is the definition of taking the Lords name in vain ! It also fails to acknowledge why Christ had to come. Jesus came to deliver us from the eternal damnation which the law reveals to us and in us.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to acquire a new perspective about who we truly are and our great value to God. Jesus didn’t come into the world to condemn us all. How is it that so many wish to find even more rules to condemn others with???
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit also cokes with a sense of self respect and personal worth. It is a natural and simple process that begin in us when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell with in. Often it is slow and takes time as we learn and grow. As we mature in Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit we find sin less and less attractive.
This is not the result of external rules and demands of morality at all. In fact it is the exact opposite. It’s Gods love that leads us to repentance. Not condemnations via man made rules super imposed over Gods Word !
To promote the idea that God forbids any and all sex outside of marriage is to promote a lie. That’s the devils work, is it not? Why do those who claim to believe the scripture and the God found therein think so little of Gods correctness ? So much so that many have forced this single issue and deliberately changed translations and misrepresented the contexts found in scripture in order to make it appear to be Gods own words? Do we not trust God? Do we think he must have forgotten to make this singular issue clear?
It’s our own self righteousness and arrogance that causes us to attempt to correct God or to fill in a space we believe should be there. It’s rather incredible.
The scriptures are silent on this matter deliberately. Quite frankly, everyone knows the potential consequences of sec outside of marriage. It seems to me some want condemnation more than the truth. If the scripture are silent on the issue. Perhaps it might be wise to trust God knew what he was and was NOT saying. We can’t invent sins to satisfy our own self righteousness.
Do we trust The Lord or don’t we?
Hello Graig, love your reply. Can you provide some links/books on where you get your interpretations of the scriptures? I agree with you on all points mentioned and I am working on creating a collection of resources to share with family and friends on these topics. Would very much appreciate whatever you have to offer.
Hi Haley,
To be quite honest, I don’t know of any books that would dare refute whom or whatever created this false standard. Lexicons and digging out the actual historical situations present in each context this trash appears goes a long way.
Let’s face it, if you do a little research you will quickly see that sexual worship in idolatry was epidemic through out the ancient world and the Roman Empire. The Israelites fell right into it more than once. We don’t pick up on it because it was common knowledge since before the rise of Babylon and may have even been a major factor in Gods judgment upon the people of Noah’s day.
When Paul suggests that having sex with a prostitute joins both as one flesh…he is also speaking about idol sex worship ! Some translations blur these images through what I consider “creative interpreting”.
Even worse… there’s a reason the words of Christ are Red in the NT. It’s because those red words are the only ones that truly qualify as Scripture. The rest is in no way, shape or form anything more than a kind of window into the issues and instructions being given to the early church.
The first 5 books of our OT were dictated by God directly to Moses. It’s the Torah, and that’s the only “scripture” the Jewish people acknowledge. They also reverence “The Prophets” and what they call, “The writings” (we call them the minor prophets.
When the NT writers reference scripture, they arent speaking about anything in our NT. Duh?
Now, for clarity, anyone that is a true follower of Christ won’t want a life of jumping from bed to bed for very long. It’s not healthy or satisfying for anyone regardless of what it may seem like at the time. The Holy Spirit is more than able to guide every believe to healthier, more satisfying and stable relationships for their own good.
In this age, we don’t get married early ( like when we are 12) in fact our age is riddled with complexities beyond belief so much so that no one living at any point it was being written could have even imagined the weight of what we are subject to today. For example; “no one has ever hated their own body….” Yet today it’s a darn epidemic !
The horror about these mutilations of translation is that they are deliberate. Every false teacher, preacher, prophet or priest either knows or should know they are teaching and preaching a lie. It’s an attempt to expand the law of Moses ! Raising the standard to a point they can condemn nearly everyone wasn’t the reason Jesus came.
You asked for references or books… I think we have looked to other for far too long. “Learned men and women” can’t be trusted to eliminate their opinions and own hang ups. Rehab the Harlot appears in Jesus’ family tree…🙃😮! Think about that.
The New Testament isn’t the inspired word of God at all apart from the words of Christ. To prove this point one only need to read “Peters” (which in no way could have ever been written by any apostle) standards for bishops and deacons ….which Jesus would fail. Hummmm…. While it may not be the inspired word of God, it sure tells us a lot if we know what we are reading. (Didn’t Jesus tell us the kingdom parables in which he was telling us the evil would infect the church like leven (yeast) permeates dough for bread?
Many. Of the latter epistles show us how quickly the gospel way compromised into a socially compromised message. Suggesting that Christian’s were required to be superhuman examples to the society they lived in so they wouldn’t be accused of doing bad?
Now, think, didn’t Jesus tell us to expect false accusations? And that we would be hated? And that our enemies would be those of our own household? Also that we would be delivered up to be judged and people would say all manner of evil against us? Why would anyone who knew Jesus tell us to compromise in order to avoid these same things?
The absolute stupidity of people never fails to shock me. People don’t read the Bible seriously or actively. They read it through the filters of every wrong teaching they’ve ever heard. All because it sound good and right. Oy Vey! We have the words right in front of us.
The whole reason the gospel message is and was an offense is because Jesus didn’t come for the righteous but to save sinners. To listen to any preacher or teacher say fornication to prohibited by God is the highest form of blasphemy there is. It’s putting word in Gods mouth that he never said and then condemning billions wrongly. If anything holy or right is produced in us it is only because the Holy Spirit literally forced it out of us ! 😇 [email protected]
You should not condemn some one to burn in Hell as their judge, for they have a judge who will pass judgment on them when the time comes. I’m not saying that we should not judge what is sin or what is wright in God sight, what is good or evil, I’m just saying that we should not pass this type of judgment apron some one, for all sin can be forgiven.
The Lords Servient
Thank you very much. This piece helped?
You are really fooling yourself here and trying to go against the word of God Jehovah?
The bible clearly states that if you have sex without being married, you are committing fornication. It doesn’t matter if you are to be married or not, you are still having sex outside of marriage. The bible doesn’t have to spell out everything to you for you to understand this. It is a sin, simple as that and by trying to find a “loophole” in the bible is hilarious. God is perfect and perfect and has no loopholes. Please don’t fool yourself or try to make yourself or anyone feel better against this word of God. I am human and imperfect and have made mistakes too, we all are, but to pass judgement and say the bible didn’t tell me sue usually is bad judgement and you need to have a real bible study to get in terms with God. I applaud your effort, but understand a sin is a sin. To anyone reading this, don’t let the devil fool you and make you believe otherwise. A true Christian, don’t take my word for it, will come to understand through Gods Holy Spirit what is right and what is wrong.
and I will say the same to you…
You clearly didn’t read the full article did you? I am going to copy and past the very last part of this article for you:
“God created sex. God created our sexual desires. Sex is good within the borders of marriage. For those of you who think that God is a killjoy for limiting sex to such a situation, please remember a couple of things:
God created sex! How could he be a killjoy? Think about it. The very act about which you are complaining is an act he created.
God knows better than you do what will satisfy you. It takes an act of faith to believe this, but it is not too big a step to take.
Most married Christian men and women who, like myself, did not have a very successful single life would love to turn back the clocks and do it all over again. And this is not because we are not forgiven . . . we are. It is because we know the intimacy which is lost when you have already given yourself to another.
Our advice to you would be to wait. If it is too late, stop and wait. It is never too late to trust God in this matter. As cliché as it may sound, he really does know best. Fornication is really a sin.”
The reason you are receiving the negative attention toward your article is because of the long unclear beginning and it is worded 8n such a way that it seems that fornication can be looked at in a way that sex outside of marriage can be somewhat ok. I can see where you are coming from and I can definately can see how others view this article as well. I know you are trying to give enough info to cause the reader to research and determine on their own what is the truth about fornication, but you fell well short due to the fact that it isn’t something that true men and women of God need to debate about. The holy spirit confirms it is as truth within all born again believers. Yes.!!..it is just thst simple..you are just making it complicated like most who want to justify sin in or cause others to question and end up falling into that very sin that is in discussion. Be careful that you don’t trip up the weak Christian who is new in this faith. Use your words wisely
7 years ago I spent time to meditate on the scriptures because of the concept, I back withe same understanding.
The long unclear beginning is just as clear to some of us because we under what it’s all about
The reason you are receiving the negative attention toward your article is because of the long unclear beginning and it is worded 8n such a way that it seems that fornication can be looked at in a way that sex outside of marriage can be somewhat ok. I can see where you are coming from and I can definately can see how others view this article as well. I know you are trying to give enough info to cause the reader to research and determine on their own what is the truth about fornication, but you fell well short due to the fact that it isn’t something that true men and women of God need to debate about. The holy spirit confirms it is as truth within all born again believers. Yes.!!..it is just thst simple..you are just making it complicated like most who want to justify sin in or cause others to question and end up falling into that very sin that is in discussion. Be careful that you don’t trip up the weak Christian who is new in this faith. Use your words wisely .
WRONG! This commentary is standard rhetoric on this subject, it’s far from original.
I believe most people don’t understand the mind of God on sex. Even in the house of God, whenever your view goes contrary to general view, you will have questions to answer and battle to face. God gives us the Holy Spirit to comfort us. As a child of God when you do a thing and you feel discomfort in your spirit is a sin. Sex outside bonds is a sin not marriage in the eyes of God please. God pronounced marriage in the garden of Eden. Not necessarily mean feasting. Adam and Eve didn’t just start having sex please. Besides when JESUS told the Samaritan woman she has had 5 husbands John 4:18, you should know she still had one with her and JESUS said he wasn’t her husband. Do you want to say they had had sex or not. Brethren sin is sin. Every immorality is a sin. I pray we will not miss heaven in JESUS name. Thanks for the article.
What’s the matter with you? Your just making things up. There’s no marriage in the garden, God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply so, yeah they went and had sex just like that!
Jesus did tell the woman at the well about her husbands and boyfriend. Never said anything more about it and never said she was damned for it so don’t insert something that’s not there. It’s amazing how casually you can add to and take way from “Gods Word”, that is clearly prohibited but you think your version is better I guess????
Craig where are you getting info from there was a marriage in garden of eden by God himself he brought the woman to the man and for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wifecand two shall be become one flesh. And as fornication , it’s any sexual act outside of marriage
You don’t think articles like this one and billions of books and sermons condemning everyone for it has anything to do with the sense of guilt believers experience? If you fail to see the connection your deaf, dumb and blind.
Be careful of the word immorality in the Bible unless you dig deeply into the original language used. You can’t refute anything here unless you do just that. Your only regurgitating what others told you it means.
Tell us about concubines, God allowed it, King David and Salomon (and others) participated, What say you O wise man?
God never said He was pleased and all those polygamous repented and died with only 1 wife. Jacob, David and Bathesheba, Solomon, Abraham
This is a old comment but ya’ll need to read the whole article before you comment.
Yeah, your Bible … translated from Greek to Latin to English says that in black and white. But it does NOT say that in Greek or Hebrew you dope. Leviticus 18 is THE LAW of sexual prohibitions. Fornication between two consenting adults isn’t mentioned anywhere there or elsewhere in the Bible. It’s not a loophole, it’s common sense. Your brainwashed and attempting to adhere to a false standard. Where did God ever preside over a wedding between Adam and Eve ??? Did Adam or eve ever say,”I do”? Hod acknowledged marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman…. That’s not saying anything about sex between two consenting adults you religious zealot ! Go look it up in the lexicons and other reliable texts that depend on the original language and you will see you’ve been misled, not me.
This comment attached to the wrong comment…
But still this does not prove anything.when paul says to avoid ”burning”,he means avoiding sleeping around for the fun of it.if it is deplorabe like adultery ;why isn’t it punished like adultery ????why are people given a chance to mend their ways ????Exodus 22:16.
Because the Law was for the people of Israel, which was the nation that God established for the express purpose of bringing the Messiah into the world. The people of Christ are no longer under the Old Covenant, and while the moral aspects of that law are still found in the New Covenant, the civil penalties are not.
Israel was a nation with civil laws that governed it’s citizens’ behavior, laws which came with penalties for transgressing them. The Church is God’s spiritual nation on earth, and as such, the Church was not put in place to punish sin, but to declare the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and leave the fate of sinners in his merciful and just hands.
Bongani gives us hisinterpration of what Paul meant. I do not see any reason to believe that Bongani is correct in his/her interpratation. “TEXT OUT OF CONTEXT IS PRETEXT.”
Paul didn’t say it was deplorable ….go back and read it again and stop adding to it.
Mr. Michael Patton,
Thank you for your insight on this issue. Unlike the others that have demonstrated the sin of judging your sin because your sin is different then their sin is a mistake. Sin is sin no better no worse period. Yes, I have fornicated greatly in the past while in the service. Quite addicted actually. I am celibate today. I think it is silly to say just because you are fornicating as a Christian and other Christians are not I immediately receive a one way ticket to hell flame. Like I said before. Don’t judge others because their sin is different then yours. This is a mistake. Christ died on the cross for our sins past, present and future if we belive in him. That’s the gift. I’m not saying that we can sin wholesale. But your get where I’m going here. Like I said. I’m celibate now and will not fornicate again until marriage. But I am having a tough time with libido and sex drive restrained. I have a problem now with pornographic material. Namely online kinds. I try to stop, prayer about it and ask for relief from such sinful acts. But it presists. I just don’t know what to do. I only view such things maybe once a day or two. I have grand quilt from these things. I am familiar with the verse about looking a women with lustful intent then it adultery anyways. Doesn’t seem fair. I just try to relieve myself as little as possible then pray about it and ask for help on this.
Well anyways. Thanks for the article. I DID read it in its entirety. It was very helpful but I would really like your opinions on porn and releasing sexual tension and still be a good and fundamental Christian in good standing with the Lord.
Matthew McP
It is very strange to me when we talk about judging some one of their sin…I see no judgement here…we are to confess our sins to one another that we may be healed…the very word of God judges once it goes forth from the mouth of a Christian…judgment is in God’s word..it is not in the person who is speaking God’s word…we aRe to teach, rebuke and reprove one another in love, in the God who is love via The Word Of God…we need to really read amd get a clear understanding of what judging is…I respect for your honestly and who u came forth about your sinful struggle…port is absolutely dangerous…many men suffer from it and need deliverance…I don’t watch porn, but I have a desire to watch and enjoy it which makes me just as guilty of the sin…persevering prAyer is key…don’t stop making your request be known unto God…praise him for the victory even when it seems hopless…never be convinced that your are not being heard…pray immediately after your sinful act and even before you sin…sounds crazy, but U must understand that it is not you but the indwelling sin within u that is driving u and u must fight it with prayer…when u are ashame…pray…dissapointed in yourself…pray…think God has turn his back on you and give up on you…pray…if u want to stay hooked on porn…all you have to do is stop praying…if you want to stop watching porn…prove it…and just pray…I don’t care if you find yourself in that sinful act 3 times a day…don’t stop praying…God will hear and he will save…that’s why we call him our Savior! !!
Sir, I Have Been In This Struggle That You Are In. A Sexual Spirit Is One Of The Hardest Spirits To Conquer. It Can Be Done With Serious Praying I Mean Crying And Praying And Giving Your Body Mind And Soul Over To Father GOD In The Name Of Jesus But You Must Be Serious And You Will Conquer Those Evil Spirits. They Will Attach To Someone Else.
Believe This.. Donald.
Your not far from the truth!
Sex before marriage is not a sin People, just a very important life making decision.
First of the definition of sin as defined is: “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law” us bible believers know that our divine law was handed down to Moses from YHWH! within those laws which you can find in: exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy, there is not found a law given by YHWH against this act. You cant “transgress” against a law that doesnt exist. Not everything that you do is a sin according to it’s definition. There are some choices and decisions that leads you to sin. From the beginning of the bible(Genesis) sin is introduced when Adam and Eve went against God’s word and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They went against God’s command. You are only sinning when you are going against God’s command. Do you not agree?
Juice, I agree that sin is any offense against God or the will of God. The blogs seem irrationally trying to include fornication in the Old Testament as an act displeasing to God … But those self appointed scriptural experts fail to cite any explicit context in the Old testament that specifically addresses fornication as a sin when 2 consenting unmarried people of the opposite sex have have sex. It simply is not there. You twist words and assign meanings where God did not speak. Clearly, God would have told us and He did not. So, seeing the favor of God disposed upon Solomon and David suggests that a married man can have concubines but women cannot have the reverse benefits.
You are substituting your opinions for God’s words and revelations. You are making up stuff to support your biases.
Very correct! Bravo !
This is great….I enjoyed reading it and it’s really a great lesson, thanks a lot for the wise words, I have fornicated before but never again..
Interesting debate.
I think this has clearly demonstrated that the church uses the term “fornication” in a technically incorrect way.
Read Christian books, Go to a seminar, or youth group discussion or listen to any preacher and they all refer to sex outside marriage as a sin called “fornication”
Ask an evangelical christian what fornication is, and 99% will say any sex outside of marriage.
Why do you think the church has continued to propagate a wrong translation of the F word?
Could it be because the bible doesn’t NAME sex outside marriage as a sin??
In other words the church had to borrow a word and give it a different meaning or should I say stretch it’s meaning.
I notice a number of folks believe its a Christians automatic ticket to hell!!
My question in that is this..
If giving into that particular temptation means you lose your salvation. i.e you are no longer under the blood and clothed in Christ’s robes of righteousness by Gods grace..
Then .. Do you not think God would state so in a very clear way. Like include it in the 10 commandments or have it clearly written in the New Testament.. Not just possibly implied by Paul’s advice to marry not burn.
I believe the vitals are clearly stated in God’s word. Other topics such as masturbation are not stated in black or white terms.
We often read between the lines to see what might be being inferred when scripture is non specific on a topic.
If it were all in black and white and not open to different interpretations we would not be having discussions like this one.
And on a final note…
Lets remember Adam and Eve were not married.
So were they Fornicating in Eden!!??
Not everything is going to be spelled out completely in black and white…we all need a savior…we only know in part…all of us fall short to the glory of God…most of us know within our hearts that sex outside of marriage is wrong regardless of what label we want to put on it…funny how we like to complicate the simple in order to justify our actions…this is quite typical of the human sinful nature that is as natural as breathing…there is a reason why we are given the holy spirit to help us to decern what is good and what is evil…if u look at morality today you will find that it was considers immorality 10 years ago…why…because we want to be a sexaul immoral people… nakedness and shame is worthy enjoyment…it is almost normal to be crude and sexaully explicit in everyday talk…it is evident in subtle ways that many are blind in seeimg in the developed habits of children…all of God’s people know right from wrong because he wrote the truth on the tablets of our hearts…feel free to debate on because I know that some enjoy a good argument but believe this as u justify this sin there are other sins that are gaining steam behind the scenes that will overtake, because to deNY one is to give strength to many more amd the wages will be paid with death
Exceptional Chris the Christian! Concise and pithy! You have said all that needs to be said. It is refreshing to read a dispassionate discourse based on logic instead of wishes that something may be different from the Old Testament’s words. Weigh tu Gough!
Adam and Eve were married. Genesis 2:25a
NOT
See, its not at all difficult to understand that sex between two consenting adults male and female isn’t mentioned at all by God or condemned.
One might try to apply the words of Christ when he said if a man looks at a woman with lust in his heart he has already committed adultery.
However, they’d be wrong. Funny how Jesus used words that actually suggest “ having an intense and obsessive desire with an intent to act”. That would be more than a look!
Sexually repressed and shamed individuals cling to these ideas..
Fornication is sin John said take the book and eat it all sex before marriage is sin don’t overlook the word of God and make it another effect
Prove it with all the sexual sins you see in the Bible…. so I can benefit
Don’t Just give us your opinion
Prove it with facts from the bible
What is the purpose of marriage? Ultimately, all of scripture is telling the story of God in all of His attributes with the goal of His glorification. The question for a genuine Christian is not, “What is permissible,” but rather “what brings God the most glory?” We are called to be living sacrifices, pouring ourselves out for His glory. In Ephesians 5:22-33 Paul gives a theological deep-dive into the beauty of marriage. It culminates with “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (verse 32). Whoa! The amazing depth of the beauty of the institution of marriage is that in marriage, my wife and I get to be a living type or shadow of the relationship between Christ and His bride the Church. If my goal in marriage is to be a physical representation of Christ and His church, how could I even consider extramarital sex? It is blatantly a sin, not because of Levitical law but because I am set free from that law by which no man will be justified (Romans 3:20) and instead have the higher calling of the Law of the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2). Thus my calling is to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), following the example of my savior Jesus Christ who gave up all His divine rights to glorify His Father (John 17, Philippians 2:1-11). Extra-marital sex is a sin because marriage is supposed to be a reflection of the relationship between Christ and the Church, and to flippantly join myself to anyone but my wife, even prior to marriage, is a cheap gratification of fleshly lust rather than demonstrating the exclusive unity of Christ with His Church. The oneness of Christ and his bride is exclusive, and so to properly reflect that, the only place that physical oneness is appropriate for a Christian is the exclusive marriage bed.
You’re spot on Matt
This has been a very good read. What if God’s heart is as soon as a man/husband(same word in greek or hebrew) takes a women/wife and lyes with her (marrys her/the 2 become 1 flesh). That man has chosen to begin a process of marrige with her and infact she will now be wth him all his days. This is taking into condideration all that was written in the article aswell as own research/journey with God.
What if fornication in the bible is only when you have slept with more then 1 wife/women. Or slept with some1 but dont tell the next person that you sleep with that you have. What if Jesus was saying if you lust after another mans wife/woman Its adultary, well that fits the meaning and definition of adultry. What if paul in 1 corith 7 was saying if you cant keep away/touch and stay single to avoid abeing immoral or impure(having more then 1 sexual partner) rather marry/touch and choose 1 women and only her. What if in context of the whole bible its only a sin to chose one wife/women and the all of a sudden want another 1, coveting, etc.
Non the less God is the only person who we where made for in truth, marriage is a blessing and not the critical ingredient of eternal life but Jesus is. We are completed with Christ not marriage per say.
But i aggree with this article but have a few more ideas which i think we dont take into consideration interms of what scripture actually says and into which culture scripture was originally written to, how they did things, etc.
God bless all.
I fully agree with you. If this is a covenant (sex) then you better chose wisely before you do it.
As societies evolved so did the public marriage ceremony. This is a public declaration to the society where you live that you’re committed to this person, and only to this person. A marriage ceremony is not considered consummated until the couple had sex. So the act of sex is the covenant : one flesh!
The honourable thing to do is to publicly declare that this is your intention and commitment : you’re joining this covenant before society and before God. Your family is coming with you to honour the covenant. Your wealth, land, possessions also come into play. It is a serious matter.
The dishonourable thing to do is to do it in secret, and to keep it a secret. There is no true commitment there, this might be easily dissolved and who knows, what if this person is doing it with someone else? where is my assurance, where is the love? If you love someone you will honour them.
If our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit one might think that we would treat it with honour and respect?
Hell0
I don’t understand your statement here:
Before I married Kristie, I did not do to well in the sex before marriage department. I regret it quit a bit. I don’t think I ever actually committed adultery,
noun: adultery; plural noun: adulteries
voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse.
If your not married, you cannot commit adultery; therefore your sentence doesn’t make sense,
What you were actually involved in before marriage that you consider “adultery” I do not know.
I do know that before I commited my life to the Lord Jesus Christ, I commited many sins, fornication among them; but once saved, it would grieve me to do such things, and I stopped until I got married.
I feel like I’m the one who Jesus spoke about that sinned much, and was forgiven much. And once forgiven so much how can I hurt my Lord by grieving his spirit that lives within me. How can I willingly shame my Lord?
Jackie
Wife of twenty-four years
Mother of three awesome young people
Committed my life to Jesus in 1990
Community college graduate
P.s. You spelled quit instead of quite in the quote above
Quit = stop
Quite = truly or considerably
Hell0
I don’t understand your statement here:
“Before I married Kristie, I did not do to well in the sex before marriage department. I regret it quit a bit. I don’t think I ever actually committed adultery”
noun: adultery; plural noun: adulteries
voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse.
If your not married, you cannot commit adultery; therefore your sentence doesn’t make sense,
What you were actually involved in before marriage that you consider “adultery” I do not know.
I do know that before I commited my life to the Lord Jesus Christ, I commited many sins, fornication among them . But once saved, it would grieve me to be a fornicator or date someone who thought it was ok do such things and I stopped until I got married.
I feel like I’m the one who Jesus spoke about that sinned much, and was forgiven much. And once forgiven so much how can I hurt my Lord by grieving his spirit that lives within me. How can I willingly shame my Lord?
Jackie
Wife of twenty-four years
Mother of three awesome young people
Committed my life to Jesus in 1990
Community college graduate
P.s. You spelled quit instead of quite in the quote above
Quit = stop
Quite = truly or considerably
Jackie,
In your post, you said:
“If your not married, you cannot commit adultery; therefore your sentence doesn’t make sense,
What you were actually involved in before marriage that you consider “adultery” I do not know.”
I think that what Mr. Patton is referring to, is to commit adultery by having sexual relations with someone else who is married. To put it another way, imagine we have three people: Jim, Sally, and Tom. Sally and Tom are married to each other, but Jim is single. If Jim and Sally have sexual relations, then Sally would indeed be committing adultery. But isn’t it fair to say that Jim is committing adultery as well, in spite of being single himself, by having sex with a married woman?
Just my thoughts.
May the Peace of God through Jesus Christ be with you,
Finn
Brothers and Sisters. All God is looking for between a man and a woman regarding sexual life is ‘FAITHFULNESS’ I type in capitals. The very day you talked to that woman and proposed marriage, God heard you and became interested in your conversations. Why? Because he himself instituted marriage in the book of Genesis when he created Adam and Eve. The very day you had sexual intercourse, it became a bound and a covenant between the the two of you. That is why God said what he has joined together, no one should put asunder. Good. I want readers to read Matthew 1 : 18 – 20. I always ask my self two questions in the passage. Question 1 How can someone who is engaged or betrothed to someone before marriage, be considered as a wife before the eyes of God?. Question 2 How I can divorce someone I am not legally married to and not my wife? But we are only engaged (planning to marry), or How can I divorce someone I am planning to marry in simple English? All I am trying to bring out is this, For the part of Joseph he not have any sexual activity with Mary his fiancee, before the birth of Jesus Christ, but God said to Joseph “Don’t be afraid be afraid to take Mary your wife” in verse 20 NOTE To all readers: God did not say ” Don’t be afraid to take Mary AS YOUR WIFE but your wife. People are so much upset as to Sex before marriage is a SIN right? Let me tell you, the very day you had sex with that woman, (whether you are legally married or not as required by the state law or customary law) she became your wife instantly before the eyes of God and not man. To man he calls it fornication but to God he says, She is your wife or he is your husband. So remain faithful to that one man or woman you went in for. If you flirt around with other ladies or other men, you are committing FORNICATION. GOD HATES PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS, Go and pay your pride price and stay with the woman for life, until death puts you apart.
I agree with you that God meant sex for a faithful union between a man and a woman . Just Maintain the relationship you have entered and sealed with sex . That is what he meant by the two bodies have become one . And that was confirmed by apostle Paul in 1 cor 6 : 15-17 . No wonder Jesus told the Jews that the only condition to divorce your spouse is the issue is about Fornication , according to Jesus he said from the beginning it was not so . Matt 19 : 8-9
The definition for Fornication mean “sexual intercourse between two unmarried people”. If you are not married, and you are having sexual intercourse, you are sinning. No judging, no opinions, just plain facts. If you want to justify your sins and live in your sins, your free to do so. God have us free will, and if you choose hell to be your final destination, God is cool. He’s not gana force you to change.
Weirder than weird…
When JESUS was asked about divorce he went right back to Adam & Eve as the answer and there was not a marriage certificate , they were married after they became one HAD SEX. The Messiah proved this as fact with the woman at the well when he told her she had 5 husbands.
A marriage certificate is something given by the state , in GODs eyes marriage is having sex. If people are living together and only have sex with each other this is marriage in GODs eyes not sin.
If the son of God shall make you free… you will be free indeed…..
There are facts and there are opinions
God’s word have us the facts
If you don’t know the word of God for yourself, you will have your own opinion about it and other people’s opinion about it.
God didn’t say read my words. He said study to show yourself approved. He said Meditate.
If Jesus has made you free, and Fornication is a sin…. it means you are free from it…. But show me the very Bible quotation that says, fornication is sex before marriage. ..
Everything we discussed about it is as a result of study and meditation….
There are things you will understand personally when you study…..
Stop condemning others and show us from the Bible the truth considering all the sexual sins spoken of…
Are You SERIOUS?! The definition of Fornication is “sex before marrige”. Please, PLease, Please, ask for the Holy Ghost to fill you, so you can have true wisdom, and not be wise in your own eyes.
Fornication is the derived Latin translation of Pornia, which actually is referencing prostitution ! There is no biblical reference to sex between a man and a woman that aren’t married. But in order to know that you’d have to look it up in the original language smarty.
Pornia translated means pornography. Or any sexual act outside of the marriage covenant
You might want to research that more, not every concordance is accurate. To be honest, if you look up the word fornication it is derived from a Latin word related to the arches of Roman bridges, a place commonly utilized for prostitution. So while today we may consider fornication differently, the Latin clearly points to something else.
I did some research on porneia the outside of the KJV is fornication the NIV and ESV is immorality. Defined as illicit sexual intercourse,or sexual activity outside of marriage,also refers to prostitution or selling of, homosexuality lesbianism incest,premarital sex and beastiality. Conclusion all sex out side of marriage
You’re close but you’re not looking at the Greek. Yes, illicit sex is what it means. To find the biblical guide to what sex is forbidden or illegal (illicit) in the Bible all you need to do is read Leviticus 18.
However, trying to use an English dictionary won’t show you the truth since nothing in the Bible was ever written in English. Greek and Hebrew have to be referenced to find definitions of the specific Greek or Hebrew words being used.
The truth is, what we understand as fornication is never addressed in any biblical text. The fact that so many translations say it does should trouble everyone that reverences the scriptures. It is absolutely abhorrent to know we have been lied to and deceived by people in order to shame and condemn as many as possible falsely. Illicit sex or illegal sex is completely listed in Leviticus 18, we can’t add anything more to it… oddly translators didn’t attempt to insert fornication there !!!!
Know that Marriage is not a ceremony. It’s a union. And a convenant sealed by sex
If you had sex with a virgin without a ceremony, the fact is, you have already got into the convenant of marriage.
And God says You must pay her dowry..bride price
Your misapplying Leviticus 18 ! The female isn’t exactly consenting which is why Jewish theologians and rabbis still debate its meaning today.
Sex with someone as you stated like a virgin you have entered the covenant of marriage no that’s fornication
Dear Michael Patton. The passage in Deut 22 which you refer to, likely was about adultery. If you notice, the punishment is basically the same, stoning at the door of her father’s house for this woman who likely committed betrothed adultery in Deut 22:21, and stoning at the city gate, the punishment for the adulterer and adulteress in Deut 22:23-24. That the woman’s crime in Deut 22:20-21 is betrothed adultery is a Jewish interpretation. Rashi wrote concerning Deut 22:20 — But if this matter was true: [as corroborated] by witnesses, and there was warning, [proving] that she had committed adultery after her betrothal. — [Keth. 44b] http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9986#showrashi=true
In Deut 22:21, a verb is used (which is translated ‘play the whore’ in the KJV), not a noun, and the verbal forms of the Hebrew noun Zonah can mean different things. The crime is likely betrothed adultery in her father’s house (she hath wrought folly in Israel), at least according to a Jewish interpretation. If you notice, the punishment is the same as the woman and man who are discovered committing adultery with each other later on in Deut 22, except the stoning is at the city gates. Why both parties in the act of adultery are not mentioned as being stoned in Deut 22:23-24 is likely that the male wasn’t discovered committing adultery with her, so his identity is unknown or there is not proof of his part in that act of adultery.
Deut 22:13-21 Discovery of young (young, damsel, naarah, without h for some reason in entire Deut 22) woman’s (a young woman who is supposed to be a virgin and whose father was given the virgin bride price, 50 shekels, cf: Deut 22:29;Ex 22:16-17) betrothed adultery (a Jewish interpretation), hid until after marriage, discovered during (1st?) intercourse after marriage. If true, punishment is to stone her to death in front of her father’s house. If false, punishment is to chastise the false accuser (Deut 22:18), and fine him 100 shekels (Deut 22:19, twice the virgin bride price).
Deut 22:23-24 Discovery of both a (young?) woman’s betrothed adultery and her lover (in the act?), possibly in a potential rape situation, when she didn’t cry out. Result is to stone both of them to death at the city gate.
The laws of Moses were about civil life. The admonitions against sex were about diseases and the responsibility for care of children. The idea that everyone should marry and procreate, and that all sex needs to be for procreation is a remnant of the past. At the same time, sexual promiscuity is still a pathway for disease. Sensible protections against unwanted children and disease, in addition to a least some modicum of restraint make sense today. Sorry, but I refuse to believe all sex outside of marriage is a sin. I do believe that some of St. Paul’s writings show evidence of a disturbed man. I do not worship Satan, claim to be a prophet or want to run anyone else’s life. But I do believe there is reason to use human intelligence and rationality in combination with the teachings of the Bible. The most virulently pseudo-Christian people in this country (USA) today, are committing atrocities on a daily basis and pointing at the sins of others. Forgive me, God, but my personal belief is that sexual congress outside of marriage is no more sinful than an occasional fancy dinner. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to fight against fascism as a real evil in our time.
Paul did say it was better for a man not to marry – who here agrees with Him?? men / women ? I personally like the King David and King Solomon approach to sex (lots of girlfriends) to keep a man happy! How could we go wrong, Solomon was one of the wisest men to walk the earth…was he not? His dad David was no wimp either.
Ok, your just making that up. Read a book!
I love this . God bless you for your sweet massage.
Sex outside of marriage actually IS PERMITTED. All of you so-called Christians here are adding your own words to God’s word, and you have forsaken the Law which is the GREATEST SIN, but thats a whole ‘nother issue.
This is EXACTLY why we MUST KEEP THE LAW! So we may first and foremost be in accordance with Gods intentions, and for proper understanding of his word. When Jesus says not look at a woman with lust, and if we do we have committed Adultery in our hearts, we must look to the law that describes Adultery in the Law of Moses as thats what he’s referring to. Leviticus 20:10 “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” Notice it never states anything about the marital status of the man. The correct way to understand Jesus’ comments in Matthew 5:27-28 is ANY man (single or married) who looks upon another man’s WIFE with lust has committed adultery in his heart. Not simply looking upon any woman. What kind of God do you Christians worship??? No wonder marriage and birth-rates are down amongst you people. How exactly is a man going to even choose a wife if he can’t admire her beauty? That can easily slip into a lustful thought. By this reasoning ALL MEN are CONSTANTLY guilty of this Sin. Is he committing a sin now by just looking at a single unmarried woman whom he may want to court and possibly marry??? This is a ridiculous interpretation . And Paul’s word while unclear certainly do not constitute an explicit ban on pre-marital sex. I admonish Christians, be CAREFUL reading Paul’s writings! Please consider 2 Peter 3:16. It can make a difference in your very salvation. Also, might I remind all of you, that Paul is not Yeshua (Jesus) AND NOT THE MOST HIGH GOD YAHUWAH.
I know its going to make many of you Christians angry because you’ve been taught for so long that sex is EVIL and God hates it, but I’m here to tell you that God, the true God YAHUWAH isn’t that hung-up on sex. He makes his guidelines clear in the Law (yes those rules you Christians are absolutely loathe to follow) and surprisingly (at least to you) sex before marriage is NOT PROHIBITED. . .and neither is Polygny. But thats another article. . .
I shall leave you with these two scriptures “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 and “Do not add to what I have commanded you and do not take away” – Deuteronomy 4:2
Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Go to any pastor and he will even debunk what your talking about. I don’t know if this is a joke or a plant from the enemy but any Christian struggle with sexual sin, do not believe everything you hear, especially what this guy above is talking about. The Devil can twist the word of God to if you didn’t know. Shew, even Gays still think God never said Homosexuality is a sin.
A pastor? No where in scripture does it say we need a pastor. Thats what the Spirit of Truth is for. To reveal truth. Yahusha came to get rid of religion and an intermediary to the Father… And what did Christian’s do? They created a religion and church hierarchy. SMH…. Paul’s letters add to Yahusha’s perfect Word from Father. Read John 17 and tell me where Christ leaves room for another self proclaimed apostle. He absolutely DOES NOT. He makes no mention of garnering any Truth from new scripture after he left. He said ALL truth is from the Spirit.
You clearly totally missed everything Jesus tried to tell you.
Just yesterday I saw a video of a woman who said by living together with her boyfriend, she was living in sin. They already had a child together, but that just brought me to search for this article.
In the Old Testament, I believe the sexual immortality sins are clear as “incest, beastiality, adultery, rape, and men laying with men as with a woman.” One major point is lesbians were not wicked, or forbidden by God. Paul seems to forbid them in Romans 1, but it might just be women using dildos that he noticed, or something (Ezekiel 16:17). Either that or Paul is adding to the law. Another thing I noticed that’s only in the New Testament is “orgies”.
So, there was a law given to Israel, “Do not have temple prostitutes,” and another, “The Levite priests’ daughters cannot become prostitutes.” But for everyone else in Israel, some women would survive as prostitutes. I highly doubt the held God’s wrath in their palms and I also doubt they married every man they had sex with.
Apart from those two laws, I do not remember any laws against prostitution as a way to survive. So sex before marriage in the Old Testament would not be forbidden, otherwise every girl on the streets or in a brothel trying to earn money by selling herself for some time and anyone who submits to her is condemned to hellfire, I guess. But I think God is more considerate and merciful to his people.
In the New Testament, and it’s always Paul, he says, “Do I unite the body of Christ with a prostitute, never!” or something like that. Now I do believe every man and woman who unite in sex become one body before the judgement of God, but that’s because “the two shall become one flesh,” and the lack of “if you love your husband/wife more than me you are not worthy of me” said by Jesus.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Ask God for wisdom and he will give you the truth. There are reasons why God doesn’t want us to sleep around before marriage.
Sex before marriage is fine, you must love and care for this partner however. If you had sex with a woman who is with another man and they are considered ‘married’ in the eyes of God then that is fornication as known from its direct meaning as adultery (fornication is adultery). There is nothing wrong with lust, it is only if you lust for a woman that YOU KNOW is married then it is a sin, this is because lust is a natural desire and a man will look for a mate and the same for a woman. A man can not know every woman that is married, therefore the sin is the act of acting against the love and what is considered as the ‘marriage’ of a man and a woman. The amount of sexual partners is confusing as we don’t know if you should have one or more. This is also confusing as Paul says that if no longer with a partner e.g. a divorced man, that you can have other partners to stop the desire. However it is also said that two become one, but this can only occur if the two fully love each other… So what do you do when a person may love someone and has formed the act of marriage through sexual action, but the other only did the action out of sexual desire and no love. Should they be bound together for ever in the eyes of God because of the action. This brings us to the importance of LOVE between the two, you can not have marriage without love and the action of sex. So therefore a person could be allowed or (as I believe) should be allowed to find another partner who is single and with whomever they can love and have sexual relations if another relationship has not worked out because of the circumstances I previously explained. The idea of virginity in the Bible was emphasised because it was a sign of purity and was a major factor of realtionships during the time period. The church also has taken things out of context and added to the rules and teachings of the Bible to suit them (and some may argue to keep control of people). The thing we need to remember is the love that we share, that is what Jesus taught us, the most important thing… Love. Not to hate, or hurt, or argue, but to love. At the end of the day God won’t ask us all the things we did right and wrong… But if we loved. So don’t worry about sex before marriage, just think about whether you love.
I don’t know if your a plant from the enemy, or just a misguided “Christian”, But Ima just tell you to really get connected to the word of God and not be wise in your own eyes. God never said it’s ok to sleep with people before marriage.
You’re an idiot that likes to play make-believe!
Good article, I really enjoyed reading it. Some of the comments are questionable but to each his own.
OP, I think you’re right, Paul clearly states that the unmarried who “burn with lust” should marry. He does not provide any alternatives so let’s not read into what the scriptures say. Does that mean it’s inherently sinful for two unmarried/never married people to have sex, no I do not think it does. As you spelled out, the Law does not forbid it except for certain situations. HOWEVER that doesn’t mean it’s not sin either and IMO we should strive to obey what we do know to be true, which is to marry if we cannot abstain. It may not be an issue of absolute sin, but it certainly is an issue of wisdom. Don’t believe me? Just talk to anyone who’s paying child support!
I love this article….
fornication is not good and we must abstian from it positively……
All we need is Gods grace and favour……
“Flee Fornication” 1 Corinthians 6:18. It is a command from the Lord. How you flee from it your choice. This command like all other command it is not for God’s benefit. God is instructing us what to do. You suffer the consequences.
Sir, I Have Been In This Struggle That You Are In. A Sexual Spirit Is One Of The Hardest Spirits To Conquer. It Can Be Done With Serious Praying I Mean Crying And Praying And Giving Your Body Mind And Soul Over To Father GOD In The Name Of Jesus But You Must Be Serious And You Will Conquer Those Evil Spirits. They Will Attach To Someone Else.
Believe This.. Donald.
It says that even looking at a woman with lust is akin to adultery.
For most men, being aroused by an attractive woman is unavoidable.
It’s as natural as breathing.
Are we all just doomed to fail then?
It just doesn’t make sense.
The 10 commandments make perfect sense to me though.
Actually committing adultery is a shameful act.
“Fornication” isn’t listed in the commandments in the King James, so it must be of a lesser importance.
Am I right to assume that the 10 commandments are basically our most importance set of rules?
The majority of marriages don’t work out nowadays.
So, the question is…
Are you better to stay unmarried, and be intimate only with women you’re in a committed relationship with?
Or, are you better off getting married and risking the chance of divorce and never being allowed to be sexual with another women again?
Even post-divorce, it’s still considered adultery in the eyes of god, is it not?
You’re kinda creepy. Jesus was pointing out the harsh reality that no one can live under the law and be justified or righteous !
“If you burn with passion you should marry”. to whom is Paul referring to, man only or both man and woman.
What must a woman do when she burns with passion since she must be found to be married. It is not a normality for woman to approach a man and tell him she loves him and “please I want to marry you”( silently saying I am burning with passion) of which is a secrete for men during those moments.
Even when you try to be a nice caring sister in Christ to care for a particular brother of interest as a silent indication burning and wishing him to say ” 3little words” , instead he is not interested or shies he away.
What must women do when they burn with passion?
Women should be able to show signs that she is interested in a man who is good and to tell the man that she likes him, if the man becomes aware, he will think about it and make move with I do love u or I don’t….. That’s the mistake of most women they burn in passing and can’t confess their feelings good men and this leaves them open to the bad guys who pretends to love the girls but only wants to have sex with them
Women do say what they think and feel…expecting a man to be a mind reader is just very immature.
I’v read everyones comments. We talk about the Holy Spirit,but yet we differ. Have you ever ask why. Jesus made it clear to us. When the church comes forth, its throws rocks.When Jesus come to the women at the well He toughes her soul. This is address not the hypocrites out there but those that are struggling to find an answer. He who is without sin let him throw the first… Open your eyes and see Jesus in others and take out the tree from yor obsess view.T Thanks for the article. I’ve forgiveness of sin. It’s the love of Jesus that will change LIVES..
It’s very sad if any true child of God has to think “Is fornication really bad?” If you don’t think fornication is bad, then your not a child of God. Simple. What next? “Is Pedophilia really bad?”
Wow. And the battle rages on.
I can say I know that I don’t know.
I don’t know because of all the variations / versions of the bible and how the words are formed in each. The context is different.
But what I do know is that Christ said that “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
Well… sure. But first, isn’t that where all sin comes from anyway – the heart?
“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”
So fornication is in one’s heart or it is not. Being that we are all sinful by our nature, I would conclude that such a thing resides in us all, but to the point:
According to Jesus, in regards to those speaking about the lady at the well with the five husbands, we have all had a moment or hundred when we flashed a thought of desire for some person we saw, no matter how we want to Hallmark card justify it. So, we are then all fornicators, and by your standards of how God sees it, then we are married to all of those people (in the eyes of God). And if we are then married, and God hates divorce, then we are adulterers as well. For how do we put away such a person that we are married to by looking at them in lust without condemning them or ourselves?
This is insanity.
King David, the man after God’s own heart, had several wives and concubines. And sorry, but concubines were pools of sexually available women.
Rahab was a “prostitute” when she was written in the book of life as a righteous person of faith – as Rahab the prostitute. Not as Rahab the cleaned up version who later married. Tell me, did she not fornicate? Was there no adultery in her actions as we think we understand it?
And what of the woman caught in adultery? Was she condemned by Jesus or not? She was not. Did “He” threaten her with something worse happening to her by “his” hand or was he speaking of humanity?
The problem I have is with our translations of the word “fornication” even appearing.
And “our” interpretation of lust.
Consider if you will what one lusts for.
Don’t you lust for what you don’t possess?
Personally, I believe it’s more to do with “other gods” and co-joining with them, or seeing one’s self “as god” in comparison to God, much like the “lust” in our hearts in the beginning – before the law – as it is said, that desiring to “become like God and knowing” we reached out and took. We “lusted” to be like God. We “fornicated” with the Deceiver and became one with him.
See, back to King David… it wasn’t that he had had sex with another man’s woman, as much as it was how he went about it – the “unrighteousness” of it, the injustice.
And consider King David’s response as well after being convicted by the Prophet of the riddle.
Was it because King David fornicated and murdered that he lost his child?
What would have happened had he said in response to what he should do with such a man “Have mercy on him, and forgive him, though he has committed such a horrible offense.”?
Dunno. But I think there’s a whole lot more to this, spiritually speaking, than just the fleshly bits we get all caught up with – especially since “that” counts as nothing.
You be the judge.
I’ll be over here living peaceably.
Go look up the key word in their original language ! You can find it easily at Bible hub.
I have been researching this topic for some time.
Here’s the big problem: All references to sex before marriage concern young, fertile people. Name one passage that specifically speaks to older widows and widowers with regard to premarital sex. I can’t find one. Just one.
Even the passage referring to a widow burning with desire should marry doesnt speak to two things: 1. Age. 2. Widowers. Also the word is “should”, not must.
It makes complete sense to not engage in premarital sex before marriage when you are young and fertile. Children may be affected by premarital sex.
At my age, I’ve long ago left my parents, became one with my husband, had children with him, remained faithful to him for forty years before he died.
Suddenly my world is turned upside down. Bad enough to lose someone you love, but along with it all are all sorts of rules imposed on you from church, family, friends, society and even the government.
Suddenly, this 60+ vital, healthy woman is supposed to mourn an “acceptable” amount of time ( naturally varies depending on who you talk to!). I’m supposed to accept the celibate life immediately and take to my rocking chair and knitting. Gardening is also good. Baking cookies for the church is even better!
However – no dating and certainly no sex. Maybe a sweet peck on the cheek and a quick hug. That’s not only unrealistic but completely laughable.
Let’s face it – society is uncomfortable with the idea of old people having sex. Get over it. Our feelings don’t suddenly disappear because we’ve grown old.
Quit treating us as though we are the same as young people in their teens and twenties. We can’t get pregnant. We often don’t want to marry because it ties up our finances and hurts us in other ways tax-wise and financially in general.
We’re not starry-eyed, naive young people but have gained wisdom over the years to understand what and who we want as well as what risks are involved and are smart enough to weigh those risks and appropriately address them.
If we are discreet, in a committed relationship we are hurting no one. In fact, the loneliness disappears – no more the lonely widow/widower sitting alone in the church pew and/or otherwise ignored by society in general.
It is fine for young people to lecture the old. But perhaps you should spend less time obsessing over whether or not two old people are having sex and pay more attention to them in general in areas of real concern to the old. Where is the time spent on THAT?
If you think a woman wants you and you’re so inclined…no one is going to stop you Sir.
I despair at peeson who disparage fornication. I encourage it. And an an enthusiastic participant and promotor of abundant fornication. Personally, I fornicate at every opportunity with as many women and sweet young things who have reached the age of consent. Such innocents are mist enjoyable to introduce to the freshly pleasures but married women offer me more adventure and variety because of their experience and desire to give and receive carnal pleasuring. Innocents are sometimes bewildered when I tongue their pussy, they not being familiar with a man kissing them intimately on their vulva and labia. They all enjoy my deep penetration when I slide my turgid erect penis deep and probing inside them. Their vocalisations make it evident they enjoy the pleasure of my thrusting into them. I also fornicate with older women, of course, since the mother of a school acquaintance at 15. I was also fortunate to ravush her daughter, his sister, and was caught naked and thrusting into her, by her girlfriends. I just carried on till I came, then we showered together. The mother couldn’t say anything, so I didn’t bother to dress and we spent the rest of the weekend nude and indulging in sex as the fancy took us. Some ofbtge neighbours raised eye brows, but I had been with some of their wives anyway. I even scored oral pleasure from one of them as 2 other wives looked on. We agreed to meet up later to continue the adventure. We meet after church service each Sunday morning.
That sounds a lot like sex addiction…. That might be a problem!
You need to repent I’ve been where u are when I was sick 20yrscago and jesus showed me where I was headed unless I repented and it was outer darkness I pray for u to repent and except christ as your saviour
There is a difference in sins. Longest name of God in the Scriptures includes, ‘…forgiving iniquity and transgression (trespasses) and sin, but by no means clearing the guilty (Exodus 34:6-7)” – those who do not repent. Fornication: two important details: “…Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral (fornicators; KJV)… nor adulterers, nor homosexuals (men who have sex with men – in some translations – as in Lev. 18:22; 20:13)… will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10).” “adultery, fornication… shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21).” (Revelation 21:27). There is a distinction between sexual sins while married and unmarried; and between those by heterosexuals and homosexuals; And all those listed can result in the loss of salvation. “For if we (continue to) sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins… (Hebrews 10:26).”
Using a good condom and the morning-after pill make fornication and premarital sex a non-issue and inconsequential.–where’s the sin outside of a covenant marriage?
I didn’t get to read all the comments, but just throwing a thought out there.
What does marriage mean? It includes the joining of two spirits through physical action. Marriage is the conjoining and the only way to commit this act is to be with each other. In that logic, sex = marriage, therefore sex before marriage isn’t a real concept. It’s simply just marriage.
Fornication means sex before marriage …it’s a serious sin that prohibit us for it is not good for our body . Why ? Lots of people commit fornication then next , they will have unwanted pregnancies. Followed by what “abortion “ killing an innocent being because of sinful desire to have sex without marriage or they can get sexually transmitted diseases. Not only that , having sex without marriage will not give you peace within why? You are no longer pure and you will have “trust issues with your next partner in the future. God wants us to be wise and not a fool. God never lies . It is better to have the pain of discipline than the pain of REGRET.
Fornication in an American dictionary isn’t the same as what the Greek and Hebrew words mean
Greg. Tha ks for commemting, but please limit the amount you are commenting to one or two in a row. This is a bit much. Thanks brother.
Fornication represents jesusho uses his church without joining her in covenant permanently to himself aman who sexually joins himself to a lady without covenant is preaching a different gospel than that of Jesus christ.
You might consider that this is an old thread and the fact that there’s any activity here isn’t a “bad” thing. More so, I’d think you’d be rethinking your own statements if you’ve been reading. Just because a great many have promoted a false doctrine hardly makes it true.
“Mat 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”….how can sex between two single adults be called adultery?
Also the word used for “Lust” means an intention. You are planning on committing the adultery.
Wrong translation of “lusts”
” Woman” in Matthew 5:27:28 can also be translated to “wife”. So which is it? I makes a difference and makes more sense to talk about adultery as lusting after a woman who is wed.
Mat 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
No where in scripture does it say that fornication is heterosexual intercourse before marriage with another who is also not married. Fornication could instead be defined as sexual immorality which is beastiality, sex within the family, homosexuality, prostitution, and even permiscuity. But sex with a single partner out of love before marriage is never said to be a sin.
In the old testament the bride is stoned if she lies about her virginity. But is she stoned if she doesn’t lie?
Fornication is not sex. Don’t people know about Christs enemies boasting about not being born of fornication? A lying spirit was in them. They were born of fornication wanting God with blood in him to be dead. The same mentality exists today with People wanting pedophilia people to be dead, and zoophilia – zoosexuals to be dead and gays to be dead, and furries of the furry fandom to be dead and naked people to be dead hating them, and not being friendly to Brony Ponies which is also wanting them to be dead. John 8:33
“They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?”
John 8:41
“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”
King James Version (KJV) The enemies of Jesus were born of fornication. The truth needs to be spoken. The dictionaries need to change. I know the truth in the Bible like no other.
Don’t be offended by the word sex or fornication and other words. Censoring of words needs to stop. We need to control ourselves as to what we say.
Regulate yourselves.
It is a sin to be married to Satan’s spirit, talking and behaving like that being. Fornication is being intimate – married to Satan who is in love with accusing, condeming, arresting and death giving taking great pleasure in it. zoosexuals, pedophilia people, gays, furries when they yiff, are not fornicating when they engage in sex. A man and women living together are not living in sin, like the church says. Fornication is not sex in what is seen. Christs enemies boasting about not being born of fornication. Two people living together male and female are not living in sin. It takes two to marry. Reaboahm, Solomon, and Jacob did not use a priest. They had concubines. The church does not want people to know that. The church is born of fornication hiding truth from people. Muslims are born of fornication, bowing down to the being they are bowing down too, having prayer that God will not hear, being like the religious Sodomites. Isaiah 1 verse 10 down makes that clear. A lying spirit was in them, and Christs enemies. They were born of fornication wanting God with blood in him to be dead. John 8:33 “They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?”
John 8:41“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”
King James Version (KJV) Old Scofield Study Bible. Dictionary definitions need to change. I know the truth in the Bible like no other.
Don’t be offended by the word sex or fornication and other words. Censoring of words needs to stop. We need to control ourselves as to what we say.
Regulate yourselves.
Wow, that may seem right to you but it’s a lot of opinion. And misappropriation of biblical text. Did you bother to look up the word “fornication” in the Greek before you decided to respond? Clearly you didn’t because you’ve been brainwashed and you’re so convinced of a lie your unable to even consider you might be wrong.
Any sexual activity outside of marriage is sin ( sexually immoral) maturbation is when u are lusting after a person even when your maturbating it s a spiritual act involving someone your not married to when you spill your sperm you have form a soul tie with that person and anyone she has had sex with. Theres also a term known as spirit wives when a man looks at pornography fornication touching his genitals every man should read sexual strongholds by naana hankey so remember fornication is immoral because it involves anyone who is not in covenant of marriage. Gods design for sex is in a godly marriage designed for 2 virgins if your not a virgin is it biblical o cant say. Virgin is an untouched individual( sexually) to enter into a holy covent of a lifetime bond till death do you part. In order for a man to be bonded to his wife the tiny vessels in a man’s penis fills with blood to cause an erection. The blood triggers nerve endings in a man’s genitalia to maintain an erection until sperm is released when a womans loses her virginity she shed blood even after her virginity during sexual intercourse an increase of blood flow to the womans genitalia causes arousal blood is the common fluid used to activate the marriage covenant and the man releases sperm into the vagina to seal the covenant that’s why marriage is a blood covent which God created onle for those who are married. The other covenant of the new testament was the blood of christ.
When the world began, there wern’t as many people.
God multiplied the earth and.as time went on, there were enough people. Many different languages & many different religions came about.. Then God said those things that were required before, no longer needed to take place, like multple women to one man……Later, people began committing all kinds of sexual acts and changes needed to be made (they no longer followed Him}. So he set up a Holy System, which includes sex after marriage. This was a union between two people, like the union He has with us, who choose to serve Him and know Him. He set up a holy union between man and woman. A love that will never change, that’s from the heart, (He looks at OUR HEART) it also set up the coming and teaching of Jesus, and the union with the Holy Spirit..Father-Son-Holy Spirit as one.. Therefore, one of the requirements is to have one mate and sex after the wedding/marriage…not before, to show a union like The-Father-Son-Holy Spirit Union….ONE LOVE.
You clearly don’t even bother to read the bible
You craig are a false teacher
No, I suggest you do more research on the topic before making such broadly condemning statements. My comments here are not about me or my life style, in fact, I’m quite conservative. My comments are about what’s is and is not in the Bible. Rather than checking your own faith, which is based on what others have told you rather than your own examination of the evidence., you have blindly accepted the false teachings of many others whom have done the exact same thing.
We aren’t speaking of deviant sexual activity or sex addiction here or any other perverse life style.
From what I have understood, marriage is about accountability. It is a thing preformed before everyone so that both partners must be faithful. Lest all who witnessed should know. If you have sex outside of marriage, who is to know what you do behind closed doors? How should they know the woman you sleep with has already given herself to you? Marriage is what it is because people inherently lie. For if everyone was faithful to their first until death, what ceremony would there need be?
If she is willing to marry you first, you can believe she will not lightly leave you.
Which if you happen to get her pregnant, would become a major concern.
So yes, marriage I believe is accountability before the world.
Lest you believe lies of love and only you know how you were betrayed.
Could you be faithful before marriage? Sure. Can you trust anyone to uphold that in secret?
You are lying to yourself if you do.
Just let God protect you.
Philosophy is man’s attempt to pretend to be wise and or holy. Nothing you’ve said above has a basis in scripture.
It is this type of projection and over laying one’s intellectual predispositions on top of the faith that has been handed to us all that supersedes all of scripture by expanding farther than God intended which makes such statements non-canonical . It is a perversion to create new laws atop of the Laws Christ came to fulfill.
As a pastor, your inability to trust the limits of God word suggests a great lack of faith in the very being you claim to be representing.
1 Cor 7 for the most part is an opinion, Paul’s opinion to be precise. It is not in any way a directive from Above.
Marriage is about commitment or covenant. Sex apart from marriage is not. It’s that simple. Just because we may want clarity where The Lord has been silent, that silence hardly gives us the right or the authority to falsely claim such a right or impose shame, guilt or condemnation upon any person that acts apart from your personal opinion on the matter.
More so, you falsely invoke the name of God into a prohibition that God and scripture do not support. It is a lie. Just because many promote this lie hardly makes it allowable in any way.
If the scriptures are silent on a matter so should we be. Do you not know by promoting a lie that you are altering the very image of God?
The desire for sex is a natural and even God given element of our humanity. But you would use it to harm others by falsely suggesting that any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage is forbidden and there by causing unjustified condemnation of those who may fall into such a common human experience?
Sex is a personal choice which apparently even God will not attempt to dictate the exact parameters of when it comes to a man and a woman. Who are you to insert your opinion as though it is the very Word of God?
Like it or not, it’s none of our business if others are having sex or not. And it should be none of our concern. It is foolishness to think creating false doctrines can serve any good ! It’s quite shameful to be so deceptive and claim you’re doing God a service.
As a pastor, I would never think of perverting the scriptures in order to force a lie upon those I am called to shepherd.
Like it or not, the fornication and sexual immorality addressed in the Bible is almost exclusively directed at temple worship related to false gods and/or the same temple prostitutes of the pantheon of gods referenced throughout the cultures present when these scriptures were written. Obviously, you know this to be true.
Yet, you seem to think it’s necessary to somehow label and categorize premarital sex in the most negative and condemning manner. The only purpose of doing such a thing is to shame, embarrass, humiliate and condemn as many as possible as a form of control and creating a false standard which most can never meet.
The scriptures present enough condemnation without your needing to add such personal and intimate shame upon those who simply act upon their natural desires. The consequences of sex outside of marriage are clear enough that those risks can be taught openly and freely in church and the home in a positive and living manner.
Regardless of one’s choice to be intimate or refrain, we are called to love one another, not act as a devil by continually accusing the faithful.
So as I have nearly reached 60 and happen to be a male SINgle with no hope of finding a wife I guess I just burn in my lust? I trusted God in my youth and while I may have fail to stay pure, why couldn’t God let me know He would do this great evil to me. Because then I could have at least sole more wild oats. I think most older SINgles Christians especially those who are still virgins, don’t have a kind view toward the Church or God in the sex department, we consider both to be Killjoys. As I read about a 50 year old woman who keep her virginity she like myself was burn out with God and His church. She stated even if God gave her a husband it is very unlikely she could have children, and at this point of life we both have lost our best years. I know because of my bitterness that I happen to be a bad ground because by God denying me this gift, Proverbs 18:22; 19:14 and Luke 8:4-15 story of the seed and 4 grounds. I fall under either the bad ground of rock/temptation v 6, 13 or more likely thorns/choked cares and riches v 7, 14. What I care about is the first and only thing in the garden that wasn’t good. And no man or woman should have to chose between God or a mate. “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Genesis 2:18
Because I wanted this godly desire I now join though spoken in Hebrews 6:1-8. For without a way to fulfill my need I stand JUDGE! Hebrews 13:4.