Verses that uses the word Por-ni-ah, (fornication)
as well as other verses that uses the word Moy-khah-o (adultery)
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”...they (the Pharisees) said to Him (Jesus) We are not born of fornication (por-ni-ah)
Some people take this as a “dig” at Jesus (i.e. the possible rumors surrounding His birth). This may be true, but even if it is not, one can still see the Jewish understanding of the word fornication (por-ni-ah) as well as the possible result of the sexual act (i.e. children). The meaning of the word in its cultural context is quite clear. Pre-marital sex.
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold to the teaching of Balamm, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel...to commit acts of immorality (i.e. fornication, por-ni-ah) Revelation 2:14
Notice, if you will that this is Jesus speaking and using the word as He understood it.
If you read what Balaam did Numbers 22:7,17, and the result of his act 25:1-8, 31:16-18 you will see that Balaam caused the children of Israel to commit fornication (i.e. sex outside the marriage covenant. (See also 1 Cor 10:8 that also uses the word fornication to describe the even, also see the Numbers 31:16-18 description of the word i.e. “knowing a man intimately”) Anyway, over 20,000 people died as a result of committing this type of sin during that period. OVER 20,000! (One can make a strong case for early marriages!)
Also, if you go on to read Numbers 25:1-8 it talks about an unmarried couple being killed in a tent with a spear. They must have been pretty close to one another. (again another description of the word in context)
It’s no doubt that Jesus, in the book of Revelation, is talking about fornication (por-ni-ah) as we commonly understand (i.e. pre-marital sex). The fornication mentioned in the book of numbers is probably not the type of fornication that can exist within a pre-marriage covenant (as in Matthew 5 & 19), but scripture in this case (i.e. the Book of Numbers) is not clear, it doesn’t matter, what we do know is that Jesus in the book of Revelation is not using the term (Por-ni-ah) to mean adultery, otherwise He would have used that word (Moy-khah-o). Again read to book of Numbers for a description of the term, it’s quite clear what it means.
Fornication can exist outside an engagement covenant - granted - but not in Matthew 5 & 19, for He mentions the term WIFE too (more on that later). As a side note see what happened to Balaam later (Joshua 13:22). The nation that he blessed ended up killing him. Balaam went into deep deep error. Also see that Balaam is mentions in Jude 11, and 2 Peter 2:15, so what he did was significant.
“but because of immorality (i.e. fornication, por - ni -ah), let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 1 Cor 7:2)”
Again, another verse describing fornication in terms of pre-marital sex. Otherwise he would not have said “let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband”
Below are 2 verses, one by Jesus and the other by Paul that contrast fornication with adultery and other sins. In other words all theses sins while they may be similar are different from each other given by the distinction of their names. IOW”S if they were the same thing they would not have been given different names.
”For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries (moy-khah-o), fornication’s (por-ni-ah)...” (Matthew 15:19, and Mark 7:21)
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators (por-ni-ah), nor idolaters, nor adulterers (moy-khah-o), nor effeminate (A&G p. 489 “persons soft, effeminate, esp, of catamites, men and boys who allow themselves to be misused homosexually”) nor homosexuals (A&G p.109 “a male homosexual, pederast, sodomite”)...shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9,10)
It’s interesting to take note of the above verse inparticular, for there are some who say that fornication in Matthew 5 & 19 talks about gross sins like homosexuality, but as you see in the above verse - while the homosexual acts may involve fornication of some type (I really don’t want to think about it) - Homosexuality is without a doubt a distinct sin from Fornication (see Jude 7 “ indulged in gross fornication (por-ni-ah) AND went after strange flesh), otherwise it would not be separated from it. I mean hey, if every sex act outside the covenant of marriage can be called fornication (as some maintain), then what do you call sex between single people? Fornication (i.e. sex between single heterosexuals outside the marriage covenant) - while it’s true that some aspect of it may be involved in every sex sin, somehow looses it’s meaning as a distinct sin. (Again read 1 Cor 6:9,10. It is a distinct sin.)
“It is actually reported that there is immorality (por-ni-ah) among you, and immorality (por-ni-ah) of such a kind as does not exist even among the gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife”’ 1 Cor 5:1
It’s possible to make a case that fornication within marriage means a gross sin like incest, but there is a lot of weight against it meaning this too. Almost every verse aside from this one defines it as sex between single heterosexuals outside the (consummated) marriage covenant. Also, if you factor in the reason Paul uses this word por-ni-ah to describe the sexual relationship...
It really leads on to wonder. Paul does not even have a name for the type sexual relationship he is addressing between a child and his/her parent. (what does this say about our society?) IOW’S if he said something like “It is actually reported that there is incest among you” the Corinthians would not know what he is talking.
Context does determines meaning, and if you use that rule then you can make a case for fornication meaning incest, but since Paul does go on to say that there is no word for the act (as in Homosexuality), he doesn’t go on and make up a word, he just uses the term fornication to describe the sexual nature of the relationship. Porniah is used in a “default mode” here.
Listen you don’t build a major doctrine (i.e. divorce on account of incest ) on a word that is being used in a default setting, especially when there is a ton of evidence that shows the word meaning something else. Incest can be forgiven (1 Cor 5:5)
And BTW, the way Porniah (i.e. fornication) is used in 1 Corinthians 5 in the context of a heterosexual relationship - even though it is an illegitimate one, it is still used in the sense of sexual relations between heterosexuals outside a (legitimate) covenant. Hence the definition of fornication is still very much intact.
And BTW again. 1 Corinthians 5 does point out that there is such a thing as illegitimate covenants.
And finally a verse to end all misunderstanding of the distinctiveness of the two terms...
‘Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators (por-ni-ah) and adulterers (moy-khah-o) God will judge” Hebrews 13:4
Again, Jesus in Matthew 5 & 19 is NOT talking about the sin of adultery as grounds for divorce but fornication. They are two distinct, different sins as seen not only in the above verse but in almost all the above verses. Especially, Especially, Especially 1 Cor 6:9,10
Rahab verse? Closest to actual meaning of word, “prof - sense”
Click Here
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Thus you can have your own web site [Angelfire (Lycos ) offers free web pages as well as many other sites Click here and ask around].
Periodically I will update the links on these pages. Below you will find the dates of the ‘last update’ of a particular page. If you wish you can use the below “updates” as a guide to update your own pages or you can update your own at you own discretion.
Feel free to improve on any of the pages you copy.
Also, feel free to use this entire sites content (Music, Theology, Divorce and Remarriage etc.) in any way you wish (for example: if you wish to publish a page in whole or in part in another medium (let’s say in tract or book form), you have my permission to do so (and you don’t have to inform me or put my name on the work).
You can also sell the work at a profit if you wish, just having these works circulating in the world is reward enough for me).
Again, this is an open source web site. The code (as well as content) is free to all. Feel free to tinker, dabble and fiddle around with both code and content. God is a very creative Spirit. Who knows what kind of page(s) you will develop. Also, who knows what kind of influential tracts or books you may write. (If you want you can change the sentence structures around and put this sites content in your own words. Then put your name on the book or tract and shop it around to some publishers. Most of this sites content is desperately in need of rewrite so putting your name on a rewritten work is probably a good idea, actually a very good idea).
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P.S. If you copy these pages to a server make sure you place your own e-mail address on the pages so people will know whom to write if they have any questions (you can also leave my e-mail address on them if you wish (i.e. StevenMRyan@cs.com), but as of now I don’t have the time to answer everyone’s questions so I think your e-mail address would be a better idea).
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