Biblical Definition of adultery

[from scratch]

This all leaves me wondering what exactly is the value of marriage?

 

[GreatistheLord]

Trying to understand the spirit behind the question here.
If you wonder how to know what constitutes adultery so you can
get cut loose from someone, or even wondering if you've crossed
that line..

Jesus said that even to lust after a woman is adultery in your heart
so, imo, let God Himself guide you.

No, i dont wonder that, i want to understand the deeper meaning given the
Looser OT perspective of "marriage"

 

[GreatistheLord]

Interesting question. Trying to see how much you can get away with, perhaps?

No, not in the least. Youre rather supiscious.

 

[GreatistheLord]

You didn't mean to imply that these can't be gender reversed, right?
Example, *a married man engaging in ...

Actutally, there seems to be a gender discrimination.

 

[Nanopants]

Why is it that whenever someone asks the definition of a certain sin, folks come out to ask them who they are trying to boink?

Good question. Why have theologians throughout centuries sometimes considered sex and sexuality, in general, to be evil things, even though they must have known that God created it? And why is it that people seem to have this nasty habit of imagining evil of things without reason? All questions as old as time in my estimation, although, if by questioning this or that, one seeks to question the validity of a certain "knowledge" of evil, then he or she would risk stepping outside the bounds of safety and into sin, according to some. Maybe we should just obey anyone and everyone with a rebuke. Surely they must know what's best.

 

[sunlover1]

No, not in the least. Youre rather supiscious.

Just seemed like an odd question if not to figure out how far
one can go without being considered in adultery.
I didn't think he was out of line at all.
Why so defensive then?
It was an innocent question.
I wondered the same.
It helps to answer if you know WHY someone is asking/
what they're looking to achieve.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

I can totally see why someone would ask the question, because look at the different answers.

Adultery in its simplest form is someone cheating on their marriage. In OT times, women were considered property, so the rules of society were a bit different.

God doesn't look at a guy having sex with an unmarried woman as being okay, although OT time society may have had no problems with it.

One need only look to Ephesians to see how marriage works and how one can adulterate it.

 

[from scratch]

Good question. Why have theologians throughout centuries sometimes considered sex and sexuality, in general, to be evil things, even though they must have known that God created it? And why is it that people seem to have this nasty habit of imagining evil of things without reason? All questions as old as time in my estimation, although, if by questioning this or that, one seeks to question the validity of a certain "knowledge" of evil, then he or she would risk stepping outside the bounds of safety and into sin, according to some. Maybe we should just obey anyone and everyone with a rebuke. Surely they must know what's best.

I can't find any peace doing that.

 

[Willie T]

Just seemed like an odd question if not to figure out how far
one can go without being considered in adultery.
I didn't think he was out of line at all.
Why so defensive then?
It was an innocent question.
I wondered the same.
It helps to answer if you know WHY someone is asking/
what they're looking to achieve.

You seem to be far more aware and observant than the average person.

 

[Kristos]

The first time a single woman has voluntary sex, she is thereafter essentially automatically joined/betrothed/married to that man.

or a prostitute

 

[seeingeyes]

Just seemed like an odd question if not to figure out how far
one can go without being considered in adultery.
I didn't think he was out of line at all.
Why so defensive then?
It was an innocent question.
I wondered the same.
It helps to answer if you know WHY someone is asking/
what they're looking to achieve.

The question was not "how far can one go without it being considered adultery?", though. That's what you read into it.

The question was, "since marriage is not strictly defined in the Bible, how should we define adultery?"

 

[sunlover1]

The question was not "how far can one go without it being considered adultery?", though. That's what you read into it.

The question was, "since marriage is not strictly defined in the Bible, how should we define adultery?"

Well, the entire thread is confusing me anyhow LOL

I still say, ya gotta just go with the check in your spirit and trust God to
make you walk in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
He doesn't always remove temptation from us but He does ALWAYS
provide a way out.
So when we're tempted, our response should be to look for that door
that GOD Himself has provided, and run through it.

Lord, you are so amazing.

 

[sunlover1]

You seem to be far more aware and observant than the average person.

Heh.
Not gonna lie, my own mind used to work that way.
Looking for loopholes in the law to get cut loose.
Now I just try to let His Voice lead me, and am
aware that I don't live by rules but by His Spirit.
IMO

or a prostitute

Or a lover...
Betrothed?
Doesn't make sense to me.
Maybe I missed a post.

 

[seeingeyes]

Well, the entire thread is confusing me anyhow LOL

I still say, ya gotta just go with the check in your spirit and trust God to
make you walk in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
He doesn't always remove temptation from us but He does ALWAYS
provide a way out.
So when we're tempted, our response should be to look for that door
that GOD Himself has provided, and run through it.

Lord, you are so amazing.

Who is being tempted?

 

[Willie T]

I think, sometimes, we all have a tendency to follow after Bill Clinton's evasive thinking, in that if we feel we can fool people, we can probably fool God, too.

 

[seeingeyes]

I think, sometimes, we all have a tendency to follow after Bill Clinton's evasive thinking, in that if we feel we can fool people, we can probably fool God, too.

I don't know what that has to do with the question though. The definition of marriage would be awfully important to the definition of adultery, no?

That's true even if I have no plan to commit either of them.

 

[Willie T]

I don't know what that has to do with the question though. The definition of marriage would be awfully important to the definition of adultery, no?

That's true even if I have no plan to commit either of them.

I think this whole "technicality" thing is the very issue Jesus addressed when He spoke about our heart attitudes.

Preacher, or no preacher, church, or no church, ceremony, or no ceremony, if you have chosen to live with and sleep with someone, you KNOW you are married to that person. And if you cheat, then you cheat, even if no one can nail you to the wall with a specifically binding definition of adultery.

I don't imagine God likes us playing games like that.

 

[ananda]

I think this whole "technicality" thing is the very issue Jesus addressed when He spoke about our heart attitudes.

Preacher, or no preacher, church, or no church, ceremony, or no ceremony, if you have chosen to live with and sleep with someone, you KNOW you are married to that person. And if you cheat, then you cheat, even if no one can nail you to the wall with a specifically binding definition of adultery.

I don't imagine God likes us playing games like that.

The modern church's traditions about marriage is not what Scripture says it should be.

For example, most of the modern church would demand that a couple receive a license from the state before being married by an officiant (representative of the state). On the other hand, Scripture does not 1. require state licenses, 2. or officiants. It seems to merely require consent.

The modern church deems couples sleeping together "before marriage" to be a morally gray area - frowned upon as fornication, but is not considered adultery. Scripture, on the other hand, says that, if you're a woman, the first man you sleep with is basically your husband, and all who you sleep with after that are actually committing adultery with you against your "first partner". If you're a man, the first woman you sleep with is basically your wife, and all whom you sleep with after that are additional wives or concubines which you are obligated to support.

So, I agree with you ... once you live and sleep with someone, you are, for all practical purposes, married in God's eyes.

 

[sunlover1]

Who is being tempted?

All of us at one time or another unless we've overcome that one
and the enemy doesn't bother with us or unless we've become
so strong in standing against that it no longer can tempt us, or
unless we're dead. (jk lol, some folks have no problem in that area
at all, but most can be tempted at one time or another by lust..imo)
I was answering the OP's confusion about what adultery is or isn't.
It's too ambiguous because it's a heart issue and so we have
to just follow His voice.
Mentioned the temptation piece for anyone who may be looking
at this thread and dealing with temptation or wondering if they're
sinning.

Sin causes us to lose faith and run from God. But that can also
be remedied by running back to Him and falling at His feet
(That was also for lurkers, sorry)

 

[Nanopants]

or a prostitute

Hate to say it but this also seems to be the source of Paul's terminology: "Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For 'the two,' He says, 'shall become one flesh.'” (1 Cr 6:16)