Here is a study on a very important issue, especially for those of us who are single/divorced/widowed and are looking for that right mate.
1Cor 6::9 � Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Now Paul contrasts believers from unbelievers
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
Let me pause here for a moment and go over what the term "Harlot" means. It is anyone who engages in sex outside of marriage either for money.... OR... PLEASURE.
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." {Gen 2:24}
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 FLEE sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God�s.
Your body belongs to Christ and it no longer belongs to you, if indeed you are a Christian.
1Cor 5:11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner��not even to eat with such a person.
Above, Paul is making a very strong statement to not have any fellowship with someone claiming to be a believer and yet are in a state of UNREPENTANT fornication.
Let's take a closer look at what fornication is and what it means to "TOUCH" a woman.
1Cor 7:1 And concerning the things of which ye wrote to me: good it is for a man NOT to touch a woman, (YLT)
2 and because of the whoredom let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her proper husband; (YLT)
1Cor 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let
every man have his own wife, and let every woman have
her own husband.(KJV)
Fornication:
4202 porneia porneia por-ni�-ah
from 4203; TDNT-6:579,918; n f
AV-fornication 26; 26
1) illicit sexual intercourse
1a) adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
1b) sexual intercourse with close relatives; #Le 18:6-23
1c) sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; #Mr 10:11,12
2) metaph. the worship of idols
2a) of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols
4203 proneuw porneuo porn-yoo�-o
from 4204; TDNT-6:579,918; v
AV-commit fornication 7, commit 1; 8
1) to prostitute one�s body to the lust of another
2) to give one�s self to unlawful sexual intercourse
2a) to commit fornication
3) metaph. to be given to idolatry, to worship idols
3a) to permit one�s self to be drawn away by another into idolatry
Now Paul is not saying that you should go ahead and get married just to have sex so don't book any reservations and run off to Las Vegas. OK? Marriage must be built on deeper things and it is a life long commitment. Sex is the icing on the cake so to speak.
llet's address the word "TOUCH" in it's context of this passage.
G680 haptomai hap'-tom-ahee
Reflexive of G681; properly to attach oneself to, that is, to touch (in many implied relations): - touch.(Strongs)
Thayer Definition:
1) to fasten one�s self to, adhere to, cling to
1a) to touch 1b) of carnal intercourse with a women or cohabitation
1c) of levitical practice of having no fellowship with heathen practices. Things not to be touched appear to be both women and certain kinds of food, so celibacy and abstinence of certain kinds of food and drink are recommended.
1d) to touch, assail anyone
Part of Speech: verb
The proper application of this word in this context is 1B) "of carnal intercourse with a women or cohabitation." Obviously from this verse Paul is not intending for us to interpret it as any form of prostitution, but as "pre-marital" sexual relations, which of course could include a prostitute but the passage is not exclusive to it. So as he continues in verse 2, when he says "Fornication" or as Young's puts it, "Whoredom", it is not to be construed as anything other than Pre-marital sex. That would of course imply extra-marital sex.
Webster's definition.
WHOREDOM, n. Horedom.
1. Lewdness; fornication; practice of unlawful commerce with the other sex. It is applied to either sex, and to any kind of illicit commerce.2. In Scripture, idolatry; the desertion of the worship of the true God, for the worship of idols.
So even in Webster's the term Whoredom and fornication mean the same thing.
So to avoid "Fornication" you have to be married otherwise when you have sexual relations with someone you are not married to, then it is "Fornication" / "whoredom" and it is a SIN. And let me touch on an issue I did a study on. If you meet someone and they are "separated" in the process of a divorce, this means that they are still married in the eyes of God. You are not single and you are not free to date and especially not free to have sex. God allows for man's laws and until a judge finalizes the divorce decree, then you are still married and it does not matter the circumstances. Adultery does not automatically cause the marriage covenant to be broken though it is grounds for a divorce to be sought if necessary. If your spouse commited adultery and you are seeking a divorce and then you also while separated have sexual relations with someone, then you have commited adultery as well. You are in a serious predicament now because you may have nullified your right to divorce in God's eyes. How are you any less guilty?
If Pre-Marital or extra-marital sex were permitted there would be no reason for Paul to say that it is better for a man NOT to TOUCH a woman and to avoid "fornication" let each man have his own wife (singular) and each woman have her own husband, (singular).
Now I know some of you are saying, man have I messed up. Well the wonderful thing about Jesus is that His blood covers your sins providing you have placed your Faith in Him and have been baptized. But the key for forgiveness is "Repentance". Have you repented? It means that you have had a 180 degree complete turn around in your mind and do not plan on repeating it. Sometimes it takes time to get past our sins. Sometimes we are under bondage. But God's grace will give you the strength to break free. After all, Christ came to free us from our sins and it's bondage. You know the devils know your weaknesses and will exploit them and our sexual desires are one of the strongest physical desires that God gave us. So the key is to not place yourself in a place where your integrity will be compromised. In other words don't be alone with someone of the opposite sex if you know in your heart of hearts that there is any possibility of stumbling or causing them to stumble. Remember that God loves you and wants the best for you!
Thank you for that lesson. It is so needed on this subject. I hope that the unsaved on this site will read this and many of the other posts that speak about godly behavior. That they would see the difference between saying I am a Christian, and living in a way that is pleasing to God. Thanks my brother, Lydia
Interesting topic, but I thought most Christians already knew fornication was wrong? As for pre-marital sex, depending on how you define it, there are some clear exceptions. I am not a sex therapist, maybe you are.
If a couple is getting married and they think about what it (sex) would be like? Are they lusting in their mind and therefore committing sexual sin. What if they get council or Christian books on what to expect in the physical relationship? I would hesitate to describe this mental /emotional longing as a type of fornication or pre-marital sex.
The phrase pre-marital sex is not in the bible. The real fornicator would be better described as having recreational sex (not premarital) which is closer to the meaning of prostitution and Idolatry. I am not pointing this out simply to be salacious. But one line from your post seems to me a Red Flag.
You said, Quote: �what the term "Harlot" means. It is anyone who engages in sex outside of marriage either for money.... OR. PLEASURE.
There is a false teaching going back hundreds of years which states pleasurable sex is a sin even in the confines of marriage. Marital fornication means sex in marriage is also FORNICATION? See the explanation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVAI2TTOcgM
Real fornication has to do with idolatry and prostitution.
Another Quote: �I Cor 6:9 badly mistranslate "porneia" as fornication. � Where our English translations read 'fornication', Paul's original Greek word was 'porneia' which means to sell and refers to slaves bought and sold for cultic prostitution. What was happening in the Temples of Corinth was farmers were visiting the temple priestesses who represented the fertility Gods. By having sex with these prostitutes they believed their fields would be more furtile. It didn't even have to do with going to prostitutes, but pagan cultic worship.
In Rome, the Latin prostitutes would hang out in small alley's and behind small L shaped walls. In Latin the shape is called FORNIX, hence the place association with acts of prostitution gave "fornicatio" Where Paul was condemning sex goddess, cultic, prostitution or trafficking in slaves for that purpose, the Latin fathers substituted 'fornicatio', which led readers to believe that Paul was condemning all forms of premarital sexual intercourse." http://www.libchrist.com/bible/fornication.html
I do not indorse polygamy or the self centered objectifying women for sex. But the giving and receiving in marriage very much Does have to do with pleasure. In that sense harlotry has little to do with pleasure. It leaves one feeling empty and used and as it is written Pro.7:23, � He did not know it would cost his life.�
God created sex as an expression of Love. And He designed it to be a pleasurable thing. Fornication is the wrong way. And the bible clearly lists what falls into the category of fornication. Premarital or marital sex did not make the list.
Interesting reply Brother Dave and we shouldn't judge anyone who is led by the Spirit to turn to God's word to clarify and justify life's meaning.
I know that the first response would be that even Satan knows the words of the bible and will turn their meanings against us. I am not joining in on that chorus because I understand where you are coming from. Satan didn't give us the gift of being pleasured by the flesh, God did. It is by freewill that we abuse that gift. Those who are not connected to God by being filled with the Spirit are the ones to be seduced by the flesh. Indulge in immoral practices because of their weakness.
Sex is one of the factors that bonds a man and a woman together, if a promise of love and devotion is made within the presence of God (who is omnipresent) is it a sin to share that gift between the two? If a ring, a symbol of that promise is giving, should two people wait until the evening of their wedding to consumate their union? What if the wedding plans involve an extended period of time? 3 mos, 6 mos, a year? In that time how shall the world tempt us?
In biblical times you would have to go to certain places to be tempted by the flesh, now temptation is trusted upon us with a turn of a corner, a hot summer day near a pool of cool water, a click of a mouse . It would be best to be familiar with what pleasures could be provided with the one we love.
So your last statement makes sense. "God created sex as an expression of Love. And He designed it to be a pleasurable thing. Fornication is the wrong way. And the bible clearly lists what falls into the category of fornication. Premarital or marital sex did not make the list."
I know that we have the right to our opinions, but what if they influence younger Christians in a negative way? I think about a brother's post a few days ago, he said that he and his girlfriend had gotten engaged, a ring and a commitment so he thought. He gave her his virginity and afterward she decided she did not want to marry him. He said that he had not known what he was missing and now that he does he desires sex all the time. In my opinion this is why we are to wait until marriage.
I have to agree with Lydia. How many young people are the two of you leading astray? Sometimes we forget how many hits these posts get, but be careful my brothers, God is watching you.
Dave, your post here is in direct conflict with your post about love in this same section. The things said in this post is why we have so many Pastors giving in to temptation today. You can find someone out there that is willing to tell you what you want to hear, even that pre-marital sex is okay.
So, what you are saying is if I am gay, that is okay because God made me that way? Or if I enjoy beating women, that is cool because the Bible doesn't say I shouldn't, and God made it enjoyable to me? That kind of reasoning just doesn't hold up.
Now let me ask you a question, if God is okay with sex outside of marriage, and for the sake of this argument we will assume that your view of scripture is accurate, why would they always call a young woman about to be married a virgin in the Bible? Even Paul, whose writings everyone seems to like to twist, did this. I will tell you why, because what you are saying is a false teaching. If it feels good-do it was never a Biblical principle. That is man's teaching, not God's.
Watch out for the millstone brothers, there are lots of young Christians here.
People can use Scripture to justify anything they want. Trouble is, they have to take it out of context to do so ~ just as satan did with Jesus.
What does the Spirit within you say is the Truth in these matters? Assuming His Spirit is alive and active in your hearts/minds? It doesn't always tell me what I wish it would ~ but it is always what is for my good.
Sometimes I wish that I could sin without consequence (but it just aint so). Sometimes I ignore His voice and do what 'I' want anyway ~ and I pay a price.
One thing I don't do is pretend that what is wrong is actually right. And I certainly don't want to be the cause of another's sin, simply by trying to justify my own.
Sex outside of marraige IS wrong. Though sometimes I may wish it wasn't. Disobedience in these matters would cost me having any hope and reasonable expectation of God's blessing me with a relationship that has it's foundation in Him. So, much as the temptation may be to do what I want ~ it's a price I'm not willing to pay.
