From: dlhpfm!dlh@ncoast.org (daniel lance herrick)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Sexual Immorality
Date: 14 Aug 92 07:22:19 GMT
Organization: dlh Performance Marketing

mueller@owlnet.rice.edu (Ernest Conrad Mueller) writes:

> >Okay, a question for all you Greek educated folks out there.  In the NIV,
> >a certain word is translated "sexual immorality."  In the KJV it is
> >"fornication."  It appears in the following places:
> >1 Thess 4:2-4, Mark 7:20-22, Matt 15:18-20, 1 Cor 6:8-19 (several times),
> >1 Cor 7:1-3, 1 Cor 10:7-9, 2 Cor 12:21, Col 2:5, Eph 5:3,
> >and, I am sure, many more.
> 
> >[The original meaning involved prostitution, and it is sometimes used
> >in the NT in contexts that mean specifically adultery.  It is used
> >figuratively for idolatry.  Later Judaism used it to cover adultery,
> >incest, sodomy, unlawful marriage, and sexual intercourse in general
> >(??).  Thus the best translation seems to be "sexual immorality",
> >except in a few contexts where "adultery" is clearly meant.  But you'd
> >need to look at more specific passages to define exactly what acts are
> >and aren't immoral.
> 
> It's a sad world when I'm following up to my own posts.
> 
> But OK then, since I need to look at more specific passages, does anyone
> have some support for why sex outside of marriage is sinful?  All the NT
> references I have listed above use the same phrase.  What is a good
> reason for interpreting these to include fornication? 
> 
> (Tradition of course, but the person I'm dealing with is rabidly Protestant,
>  so Biblical reasons would be appreciated.)

It is not tradition.

There are some who consider the Old Testament to be the Word of God,
emeritus.  The Old Testament is the rough draft, but now that we have
the final document we don't have to waste time on the draft.

I think a more accurate understanding is that there are many areas
where a great deal of OT detail is included in the NT by reference.

One example is "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples,
that you keep my commandments."  What are His commandments.  The
immediate answer is "Love the Lord your God with all your...and love
your neighbor as your self.  In this is summed up the whole law."

I knew that some of my classmates wrote their papers on the basis of
reading the Cliff Notes and the Schaum's Outline.  I always thought it
was more fun to read the book.

Similarly, many modern evangelicals choose to limit their attention to
the summary and assume they know from that the whole law. 
Unfortunately their definition of "love" comes from the pagan society
around them and they end up with essentially no understanding.

That is all to establish the reason for looking to the Older Testament
to learn what Jesus meant when he said "sexual immorality" (pornea). 
There is great detail in the Old Testament.

Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18, adultery forbidden.

Exodus 22:19 sex with an animal forbidden and penalty established.

Leviticus 18:7-17, 20:11, 12, 14, 17, 20, 21; Deuteronomy 22:30, 27:20,
22, 23 incest forbidden and penalty established.

Deuteronomy 23:2 the bastard is cut off from church and state, for ten
generations, thus putting a high price on extramarital sex.

I Corinthians 6:16 even casual sex establishes a union.

Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22 penalty for adultery is death.

Proverbs 5:1-23 Marital chastity is declared to be the standard.

Proverbs 5:15-23 Marital chastity is not an impoverishing life, but a
wellspring of joy and health.

Proverbs 6:26 A prostitute seeks only for a loaf of bread, but another
man's wife stalks a priceless sour.

Proverbs 6:20-35 Adultery is a devouring fire.

Proverbs 7:1-27 Adultery leads to death and ruin.

The New Testament merely repeats some of the prohibition on sex outside
of the covenantal commitment of marriage: Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25; Romans
1:29; I Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; 7:2; etc.  Jesus forbids the
thoughts that lead to extramarital sex in Matthew 5:28.

Deuteronomy 22:23-29 Rape forbidden, defined, penalty established. 
Notice the woman is presumed innocent if the event occured in the field
where her screams could not be heard.  Applies to a betrothed woman.

Exodus 22:16,17 sex with unmarried virgin forbidden and penalty
established.  Much like rape, but before she is betrothed she is bound
to her father differently than she would be bound to a fiance or
husband and the penalty is less, marriage is possible.  He has no
right of divorce in such a marriage "because he hath humbled her."

That is enough to show a pattern.  Rushdoony, in his Institutes of
Biblical Law, gives (around page 407) a helpful treatment of that word
you mention.  If pressed, I'll transcribe some of it.