Is Adultery The Same Thing As Fornication?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles Tags: What is Fornication in the BibleA querist asks, “Is adultery the same thing as fornication except one or both parties are married to someone else? If this is true does that mean you cannot get a divorce if your spouse is involved in other types of lewd behavior without full sexual intercourse?”
The New Testament meaning of fornication is any kind of wrong-doing involving sexual acts (John 8:41; Acts 15:20; Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Corinthians 6:13; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Gal. 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Revelation 2:21; Revelation 9:21); adultery is sexual intercourse between two people, one of whom is married (Luke 18:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Hebrews 13:4).
Fornication is a generic term, signifying every type of sexual abberation; adultery is a specific word and when literally used, simply designates “illicit sexual intercourse.” This distinction is highly significant in the light of our Lord’s words in Matthew 19:9 KJV:
“Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication , and shall marry another, committeth adultery….”
Had our Lord stated, “Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for adultery….” then the exception would have been limited to the meaning of the Greek term, “moicheia “(adultery), the usual and normal act of sexual intercourse. By using the Greek term, “porneia” (fornication), however, He extended the exception to include every form of sexual deviation, such as homosexuality, incest, lewdness, bestiality, and perversion, as well as adultery (cf. Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:9).
Related Articles:
- The Erosion Of Marriage
- A Question Concerning Marriage
- The Plague Of Perversion