The bible, as translated into English, uses the term fornication and condemns it—where does it make a clear...

Question

...definition of fornication as pre-marital sex, not the precise term of course, and was not the custom the Hebrew custom of the time betrothal followed by marriage after impregnation?

This is a reworking of a previous question since I don’t think I asked it properly. I would like to hear from people who know the Bible well and are willing to give the question a fair appraisal and thoughtful answer that doesn’t judge the asker in a negative light. I do appreciate the answers I got to the previous question and think that they were honest to the spirit of the answerer.

PS-Now I can see why people often put ellipsis in their question after finding out how short 110 characters is.

I can see that this question is already getting better and more well thought out responses. Keep them coming. Thanks guys.

It seems that the word has a complex meaning kind of like the word love which in English encompasses a bunch of Greek words. I guess our language presents a challenge for translators. Still while trusting the translator means trusting their bias, it would still require the knowledge of ancient Greek, Chaldean, Hebrew and Aramaic to do it myself so I guess I'm in a bind.

Answer 1

To understand the translation issues you would need to understand the Greek word, pornia (I believe) our root for the word pornography and then how that word was translated into the word fornication in the Hew Testament, which at the time of translation was a synonym of pornography (pornographic sex, acts, etc), and then find an English synonym for pornography that means what it did in those times since it does not mean the same thing these days.

That was a mouthful of a run-on.

You need to study the Greek word Fornication was translated from.

You need to understand how the words were used in the context of the cultures they were used in.

This took me years of study and then I realized that Christ could have led me into understanding in minutes, if I had let Christ really act on me instead of putting my faith in Academic study.

Answer 2

Fornication means sexual intercourse/intimacy between a male and a female before marriage, both being unmarried. Fornication also means sexual intercourse/intimacy between a man and a woman who are both divorced or one is divorced and the other is single. Fornication also means sexual intercourse/intimacy between a man and a woman who are both widowed or where one is widowed and the other is single.

Here are the verses from the Old Testament concerning fornication: In the Old Testament every form of the above-mentioned examples of fornication it is sternly condemned by the Mosaic law.

Leviticus 21:9; 19:29;
Deuteronomy 22:20,21,23-29; 23:18;
Exodus 22:16

And in Deuteronomy 22:28-29 It tells that if a man sees a young woman, who is a virgin & says as much, and he has sex with her anyway, the man must give her father 50 shekels of silver for the crime against him and he must then marry the daughter & make her his wife and he is not allowed to put her away. (He must marry her pregnant or not).

Answer 3

Bethrothment in Jewish culture gave a couple the right to live together under the roof of the man's father's house. Pre-marital sexual relations were forbidden until after the marriage celebration had taken place.

Fornication:
Greek Word: porneia
Pronunciation: por-nā'-ä
Part of Speech: feminine noun
Root Word (Etymology)
from G4203

Outline of Biblical Usage:
1) illicit sexual intercourse
a) adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
b) sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18
c) sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11,12
2) metaphaphorically: the worship of idols
a) of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols

Answer 4

I'm just going to answer this from a New Testament point of view.

I looked at the Greek words underlying some of these verses. I found 32 references to "fornication" in the New Testament - I was surprised there were so many! 31 of the 32 references come from the same Greek root word - "porneia" which includes the following: harlotry, adultery, incest, to indulge in unlawful lust. It also calls someone who practices "porneia" a strumpet, harlot, or whore. Adultery is commonly known as sex outside marriage - don't think there is any debate there - so there's your answer.

The one reference that is different is in Jude verse 7, and the word used there is "ekporneuo" which means "to be utterly unchaste - to give oneself over to fornication".

Answer 5

There is a modern translation called The Message by Peterson. edit: You seem to focus on the King James. There is a New King James version that is more modern. edit: Scripture is spiritually discerned, so which translation is used really doesn't matter anyway as long as it is reasonably accurate. God the Holy Spirit both led yielded men to write scripture and leads us believers into understanding what is written.

Answer 6

The Greek word for fornication is "porneo" which is where we get the word for pornography. The word was used in that culture of that time for any sex outside of marriage and or sexual immorality.
1 Thessolonians chapter 4 addresses the issue.

Answer 7

"Betrothal followed by marriage after impregnation" was not a "custom." It was an expectation in the event a woman became pregnant without being married.

But there was no "custom" that said "the way to get married is to first get pregnant, and then marry the guy who got you pregnant!"

As for the "definition of fornication" part of your question -- no offense, but it sounds to me like you're looking for loopholes, as W.C. Fields said in response to someone who asked him why he was reading a Bible.

This may work in a court of law, but not in the Big Court in the Sky.

.

Answer 8

Ezekial 23

Answer 9

The people who wrote the bible were often shy about sexual detail and used innuendo just like modern people.

The real rules were in the verbal laws and traditions that did not make it into writing.

For example sodomy means ANY sexual contact that was not in the missionary position and done for the strict reason of having children. Extreme interpretations were that they were not even allowed to see each other (the hole in the sheet that has become a common religious joke).

Answer 10

Sex before marriage, pre-marital experience, assuming one is talking of sexual intercourse or perversion of the same, the word of God implies it all by calling it fornication. It knows no exception. It allows none. Renaming fornication does not change the"'act or remove the consequence. Those who commit fornication, sin.

This article, like all other true Bible messages, is designed both for believers and disbelievers. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17, so the purpose of the Bible revelation is to create believers of those who-would learn. The fact that pre-marital sex, fornication, homosexuality, are laughed at by the world should be of little consequence to one who seeks for truth, of to one who believes the truth. It is the truth that shall make you free (John 8:32). Now let's consider briefly the question of fornication, or pre-marital sex' Fornication is a sin against God. Sin is transgression of the law of God (I John 3:4). It is to go against or across, what God has revealed. So If one believes God and follows His word, he must stand on the simple conviction that fornication is wrong. Consider what the word says. "Marriage Is honorable in all and the bed undefiled, but Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge" Hebrews 13:4. In the Bible, a prostitute, a harlot, a whore, were all guilty of the same fornication. One may prostitute himself for any kind of gain, not just money. It may be the pride of continued association, or perhaps a weekend all-expense paid trip to a neighboring city. Prostitutes (male and female), street walkers, call girls, those who dwell In plush penthouses, -all have one thing in common: they commit fornication. It is a sin against. God, His word and His way. Judgment will fall on those who are guilty of fornication and who fail to do His will, and fail to turn in repentance.

Paul writes I Cor. 6:9-11, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters., nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall Inherit the Kingdom of God." You say, 'What am I to do then? For I am guilty." Read the next verse, "But such were some of you." According to Acts 18:8,, "And many of the Corinthians, hearing believed and were baptized." The guilty Corinthians were forgiven and- redeemed.

Fornication is a sin against the other person involved. It is always a mutual sin engaged in by two or more. Involving others in your own sin. You sin against them. If your convictions had been wrong perhaps they would have been encouraged to do right. The sin, the shame, the wrong Is by both. For this reason Paul writes in I Corinthians 7:2, "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let a man have his own wife and woman have her own husband.".- Temptation is not a sin, fornication Is.

Fornication is a sin against oneself. Paul said, "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" I Corinthians 6:18. The body of the believer belongs to God. You have been bought with a price and are to glorify God while in the flesh. All of this is clearly taught in this chapter. Fornication Is generally committed, in private. This leads one to believe that since no one knows, or since the act was committed with a prostitute or call girl that the sin goes unnoticed and the consequences are alleviated. This is just not so. Pre-marital sex? An effort to reach compatibility. An innocent game to play. Not according to the Word. God says it is fornication, sin, and those who commit such shall not inherit the kingdom of God.