|
Sexual Immorality |
|
Not a nice subject but an important one; one that the Scriptures have a good deal to say about. However, first of all let us define what we are speaking about. In the AV the words moral, immoral and allied words do not appear. What we have instead are words such as good and evil, righteousness and wickedness, truth and falsehood, and similar expressions. The same is true in a more literal translation such as that of JND. However, when we talk of moral matters we are usually speaking of ethical matters, that is, matters of good and evil. If something is moral it is right (good); if it is immoral it is wrong (evil). Morality is simply the subject of good and evil. One must say not just right and wrong, but good and evil, because the former words can also be used where there is no ethical connotation, such as of a mathematical calculation. |
|
One difficulty is that the Church of Rome talks about faith and morals whereas Scripture speaks about "faith and truth" (1 Timothy 2:7). Matters of faith are the objective things that we believe in - the teaching of Scripture about God, Christ , the Holy Spirit, heaven, hell and the other things we read about in the Bible that are not visible to sight (faith stands in contrast to sight - 2 Corinthians 5:7). The truth, however, is rather the divine standard: "The judgement of God is according to truth" (Romans 2:2) and is what we see in Jesus (Ephesians 4:21). The form of truth was in the law (Romans 2:20); the reality is in Jesus. He is the model (1 Peter 2:21). Then truth is to abide in us - it is subjective: "Behold, thou wilt have truth in the inward parts" (Psalm 51:6) - see also Genesis 42:16; 1 John 1:8; 2:4; 2 John 2. Righteousness is not said to be in us; it is what we do (Revelation 22:11). If the truth is in us we will do and say what is right. Scripture does not speak of morals or truths, but of truth; it is one whole rather like the law which was one whole. If we break a part we have broken the thing itself (James 2:10/11). We are not told that the Scriptures instruct us in morals but that they instruct us in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16); what is right and wrong in the ethical sense. If we try to work out such matters using our minds or feelings only we soon end up in what today is called a moral maze, that is, we become confused. The only way is to learn from God's revelation in the Scriptures. |
|
However, today the word immorality is often thought of as synonymous with fornication, that is, sexual immorality. The RSV has immorality in 1 Corinthians 5:1 where the AV and JND have fornication. There is danger in this, because today there seems to be a tendency to think that morality (sexual purity in common parlance) is an optional extra. There are plenty of people who would not think of sexually abusing children who would have no compunction about having sexual relations with another man's wife, not to mention a single woman. The reason for this is that while people are often afraid of what the law enforcement officers can do to them, they have no fear of God before their eyes (Romans 3:18), though in reality God's judgement is the thing much more to be feared (Luke 12:5). However, it must be stressed that all evil is immoral and not just sexual impropriety. |
|
Turning now to Scripture we find that fornication is often put first when a list of evils is given by Paul - see 1 Corinthians 5:10/11; 6:9; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3 and Colossians 3:5. Why is this ? One reason may be that fornication was the most prevalent of sins and many people did not think it was a sin. Further, Paul whose ministry was to present the church as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2) would have had the sin of fornication probably uppermost in his mind. It is also to be noted that Scripture not only speaks of fornication but of all uncleanness (Ephesians 5:3). The strictures of Scripture cannot be avoided as a president did recently by saying in effect that he did not have sex because his acts did not involve doing anything which could result in his partner having a baby. Scripture often counters this kind of argument by an additional clause. Thus we have: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Not just positive sins but shortcomings as well. Again in Acts 13: 38/39 we have: "Through this man remission of sins is preached to you, and from all things from which ye could not be justified in the law of Moses, in him every one that believes is justified". The second part of the sentence shows that everything is covered and not just what we might consider positive sins. In common usage the second part is a sweeping up clause. What does sexual immorality cover ? Generally the following:- |
|
|
|
(1) Adultery - having sexual relations with another man's wife (Leviticus 20:10) |
|
|
|
(2) Fornication - having sexual relations with an unmarried woman (Numbers 25:1) |
|
|
|
(3) Abnormal sexual relations - relations with persons of the same sex (Leviticus 18:22), or with animals (Leviticus 18:23) |