Topic(s): Marriage, Divorce, Moral Issues

Bob Prichard

As He explained to His disciples why Moses had allowed divorce, Jesus said, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery” (Matthew 19:9). In this statement, Jesus gave “fornication” as the one ground for divorce.

Many make a distinction between adultery and fornication, saying that fornication is illicit sexual activity between an unmarried man and woman, while adultery is illicit sexual activity by a married man or woman. While the English language makes this distinction, the original language of the Bible does not make this distinction in the same way. “Fornication” comes from the Greek word porneia, which is a general word meaning any illicit sexual activity. Porneia is the word Jesus used in Matthew 19:9, and includes all sexual immorality, whether the participants are married or unmarried, as well as incest, adultery, prostitution, and homosexuality.

Since Jesus gave “fornication” as the one ground for divorce, it is important to consider what constitutes that marriage that is dissolved in divorce. A marriage is a legal agreement between a man and a woman, regulated by the laws of God and of the state, and which includes the exclusive marital right of sexual relations. In God’s eyes, it is only in marriage that a man and woman have a right to sexual relations.
Paul described those rights so exclusively as to say that the man and woman have control of their mate’s body. “The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife” (1 Corinthians 7:4). Thus when a married person violates the bonds of matrimony by illicit sexual relations (adultery), that person sins against God, against the mate, and against the body itself. “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18).

Paul warned against using a sexual relationship, which God intended exclusively for marriage, for another purpose. He wrote, “What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh” (1 Corinthians 6:16). Sexual intercourse is a privilege of marriage. Unless there is a legal marriage, any sexual relations are sinful. God will forgive fornication, just as He will forgive any other sin, but only when the sinner repents and obeys God. The Corinthian Christians had been forgiven of this sin. “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. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).