v. Adultery
Jer 3:2 with your f.. you have polluted the earth
Eze 16:29 you also multiplied your faith on earth
23:5
Fornication (Heb. 5enûnîm, 5enût ; Gr. pornéia ). The original terms indicate all kinds of illegal sexual relations. The prohibition of the 7th commandment (Exo 20:14) includes fornication, which was part of the religious rites of the Canaanite cults and in which the Israelites sometimes mixed (2Ch 21:11). Jesus stated that a man could not divorce his wife “except for fornication” (Matt 5:32). The Gentile element in the early Christian church was warned against this form of impurity (Acts 15:20, 29), and Paul had to write plainly to the Corinthian church because of the fornication that was among them; such that it was not even practiced among the notoriously licentious pagans of the region (1Co 5:1). He warned church members against having contact with a fornicator even if he pretended to be a believer (1Co 6:9, 11). Furthermore, he pointed out that such have no part in the kingdom of Christ (v 9). The Book of Revelation uses the term figuratively to indicate spiritual apostasy (Rev 17:2; 19:2). See Adultery; Sodomite.
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
(Heb., zanah, Gr. porneia). It is used to signify the illicit intercourse of an unmarried person (eg, 1Co 6:9, 1Co 6:18; Eph 5:3-4). It is to be distinguished from adultery, which has to do with the infidelity of a married person, and from rape, which is a crime of violence without the consent of the person against whom the sin is committed.
When these sins are mentioned in the Bible, they often represent disloyalty (Jer 2:20-36; Ezekiel 16; Hosea 1-3).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
Having sex outside of marriage. The Bible totally forbids it, even the “desire” of the neighbor’s wife, Mat 5:27-32, Exo 20:14. It is very serious because you sin against your own body, 1Co 6:18-19.
It must be fought against, and opportunities avoided, Col 3:5, Eph 5:3, Heb 13:4, Prov.5, Heb 23:27. See “Adultery.”
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
In the OT, the term f. (zanah) involved the idea of disloyalty and promiscuity, applying in a special way to the practice of idolatry. Thus, God says that Jerusalem prostituted herself with many f., referring to idols (Eze 16:15), and asks her to repent of them (Jer 3:1-2). There is no doubt that the fact that the f. generally accompanying idol worship (Exo 34:15-16) contributed to this association of ideas.
the f. (Gr. porneia) in its broadest sense, denotes any kind of sexual immorality, but most of the time the term is used to indicate sexual relations outside of marriage. As a sin it is placed next to †¢murder, †¢idolatry, †¢sorcery, etc. (Gal 5:19). the f. heterosexual and homosexuality are equally condemned (1Co 6:9; 1Ti 1:10). Sometimes the word is used to encompass †¢adultery as well (Mat 5:32). An incest is also called f. (1Co 5:1). The believer must flee from the f., because his body being the temple of God, contaminating himself with this sin produces an affront to the Holy Spirit (1Co 6:18), since “the body is not for the f., but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body† (1Co 6:13). †¢Prostitution.
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
type, type
vet, (from the Greek “porneia”, primarily fornication, any sexual practice outside of marriage, and also, figuratively, idolatry, apostasy, etc.). In its various forms it appears 447 times in the New Testament. Four times at least its meaning is obvious; thus, in 1 Cor. 7:2 and 1 Thess. 4:3, Paul admonishes singles to beware of the temptation to fornicate. In both passages Paul advocates marriage as a prevention of immorality. In four other cases “fornication” is used in a list of sins that also contains “adultery” (Mt. 15:19; Mark 7:21; 1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:19). In at least two other cases it is used as a synonym for adultery (Mt. 5:32 and 19:9). The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; Paul exhorts believers to flee from fornication (1 Cor. 6:18; cf. 1 Cor. 6:13). Here the term refers to all immorality of the body, and Christ said in this regard that all sexual immorality has its origin in the heart of man (Mt. 5:28; Mk. 7:21); therefore, we must take care of the heart (Prov. 4:23; Jer. 17:9). In a figurative sense, fornication refers to all forms of apostasy and the immoral relationship of a believer with other gods. In other New Testament passages “fornication” is used in a general sense referring to all forms of lewdness (Jn. 8:41; Acts 15:20; Rom. 1:20; Eph. 5:3). There are uses that refer to prostitution and commercial sex (Rev. 2:14, 20, 21).
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
DJN
A
The Greek word, which the Latin versions and quite a few in the vernacular translate as “fornication”, is “porneia”; 26 times it appears in the New Testament. Its meaning is very varied: sexual immorality, lust, prostitution, filth, dissolute life… The problem of “porneia” hardly appears or does not appear in the preaching of Jesus or in that of the early Church.
1) controversial is the interpretation of the passages (Mt 5,32 and 19,9), where in the face of the strict prohibition of divorce in Mk 10,11s and Lk 16,18, Matthew introduces the exception “mé epi porneia”, with the sense of a woman’s extra-marital sexual relationship, practically of adultery. Much ink has been spilled in an attempt to clarify the meaning of the texts. This is not the place to summarize theories and assess them. Suffice it to say that from the context in Matthew “porneia” is not understood in the general sense of sexual immorality, but of the sexual relationship of the wife with a strange man, that is, it is about adultery. The clauses want the man to be released from all obligations, since the woman with her conduct has made the continuation of the marriage impossible.
) In the Gospel of John “porneia” appears only once (8,41): the Jews who pride themselves on being legitimate descendants of Abraham, are actually bastard children, because their true father is the devil (8,44 ).
) In the book of Acts “porneia” is mentioned three times in the restrictions “of the apostolic decree” (15,20,29; 21,25). Christians of pagan origin must observe, because of their relations with the Jews, some “minimum obligations” (15,28); among them refrain from “porneia”. What meaning does “porneia” have here? Fornication proper? Idolatry? Marriage between blood relatives, prohibited in the Mosaic law (Lv 18,6ss)? Illegal marriages?
. St. Paul deals repeatedly with the problem of “porneia”. He tries to highlight among Christians of pagan origin the incompatibility between “porneia” and the Kingdom of God.
a) We consider the following key text to interpret the meaning of “porneia” and formulate a series of questions: “Flee from fornication”. “Any sin by man is outside the body, but whoever commits fornication sins his own body” (1 Cor 6:18). According to this affirmation of the apostle, the “porneia” would be the only sin committed against one’s own body. Aren’t there other sins that attack the body itself, such as drunkenness, suicide, gluttony, drugs? The appropriate response, in order not to go around the bush, is to consider “fornication” as commercial and sacred prostitution, which means that through this sacred prostitution the Christian becomes a true idolater and thus loses his condition as a believer, his condition consecrated to Christ. The “fornicator”, when entering into a relationship with the “porne” (prostitute), enters to participate in a world opposed to his baptized condition. He is, then, in the field of religious and cultural prostitution. It also clearly follows that Paul only alludes to the sexual union between man and woman, without alluding to solitary sexual acts…
) Question: Does the word “porneia” mean “fornication” in the New Testament? In contemporary language the word has very varied meanings: -sexual exchanges other than those between husband and wife (= sexual exchange between a married person and another who is not; sexual exchange between unmarried people); -sexual exchanges between unmarried people, but with consent.
) Fundamental question: Is the description of “porneia” offered by the lexicons and commentaries and the subsequent versions the result of an exegesis or an eisegesis? That is to say, the meanings attributed to the group “porneia” are due to the use that the NT makes of “porneia” or rather the later historical and cultural conditionings have guided the interpretation of “porneia” in the NT? The answer is not easy. The group “porneia” is found in the following types of texts: -Apocalyptic (=with reference to idolatry). (Rev 2,14,20,21, 9,21, 14,8, 17,1,2,4,5,15,16, 18,3,9, 19,2, 21,8, 22,15) . Catalog of sins (Mk 7,21-23; Rom 1,24-32; 13,13; 1 Cor 5,10-11; 6,9-10; Gal 5,19-21; Col 3,5-8; 1 Tim 1,9-10; Cf Eph 5,3). -Passages preaching or instruction: Acts 15,20,29; 21.25; 1Cor 10.8; 1 Thess 4:3; Heb 13,4…; Development of a primitive didactic form similar to the Qumran terna: “the worst of all sins” (Eph 5,3; Col 3,5). Solution to specific problems: 1 Cor 5.1 ss; 6,13,18; 7.2; 2Cor 12,21. Simple reference to prostitution: Mt 21,31,32; Lk 15.30; John 8:41. According to the context, only in the first group and in the last two does the meaning of “porneia” seem to be clear: apocalyptic group: reference to idolatry and sexual cultic practices related to it; these texts are illuminated in the light of Hosea 6,10; Jer 3.39; 3.2; 2 Kgs 9.22; 23,7,14, hence the general meaning of idolatry or cultic prostitution. In the group of concrete problems, a case of scandalous immorality is alluded to: “a man has had sexual relations with his father’s wife, that is, with his stepmother. Commentators speak of a consensual union with the woman who had abandoned or divorced the father who was still living” or “of an illicit concubinage, whether the father had died or their marriage had been dissolved by divorce. That is why “porneia” here does not mean adultery, but (shameful) immorality”. (Cf. G. FITZER, in HORST BALZGERHARD SCHNEIDER, Exegetic of the New Testament, Vol II, 1087-1088). The OT laws prohibit sexual union with the stepmother (Lev 18,8; Dt 27,20). The death penalty is indicated for both (Lev 20,11). Roman law also prohibits marriage with the stepmother. Paul has very drastic words to condemn such an act: expel him from the community. In 2Cor 2,5-11 and 7,12, some exegetes see a reference to the same case and Paul manifests himself more benign and understanding, putting…