Is Masturbation a sin?

[ken777]

Does it really matter? God said it and that should settle the issue. The bible NEVER says why. It is the height of arrogance to think that we can mind-read God to get all of his motivations and reasons.

Indeed, does He not tell us that His ways are above our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts?

Everything in God's Word matters. Everything in God's Word has spiritual meaning if you look for it.

 

[Dave-W]

Everything in God's Word matters. Everything in God's Word has spiritual meaning if you look for it.

That is such a Greek way of looking at it. (which I reject)

Looking for an answer to a question is one thing. (probably good) Looking keeps us digging and pressing into God.

Thinking you may have found it is quite another. (maybe not so good)

There is an old joke about a congregant who comes into his synagogue one day and tells the rabbi "I have just found the answers to all our burning questions in Judaism!" The rabbi slaps him up side the head and says "Fool; do you realize what you have done? It is the questions that keep us together."

I submit it should be the same for us in Christianity.

 

[ken777]

That is such a Greek way of looking at it. (which I reject)

Looking for an answer to a question is one thing. (probably good) Looking keeps us digging and pressing into God.

Thinking you may have found it is quite another. (maybe not so good)

There is an old joke about a congregant who comes into his synagogue one day and tells the rabbi "I have just found the answers to all our burning questions in Judaism!" The rabbi slaps him up side the head and says "Fool; do you realize what you have done? It is the questions that keep us together."

I submit it should be the same for us in Christianity.

Consider just one example in the NT: Galatians 4v24-25
Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
​

God has set teachers in the Church to help us understand the spiritual application of the OT.

 

[dayhiker]

The definition of uncleanness ...
Lets see the NT has chapters deal with if its clean or unclean when one eats meat sacrifices to idols.
The book of Lev. lists many thing that are unclean, some animals, something things are unclean to eat, people are unclean after intercourse, if they have open sores that issues of puss or blood, unclean if one touches a dead body. Sacrifices are unclean if they have a defect and priests are unclean and can't preform their duties if they have a crushed ball for example.
The Pharisees are concern about Jesus and disciples touching unclean people, eating without washing their hands and thus being unclean. Peter is concern about eating with gentiles that are unclean. Acts has church councils about if Gentiles can be clean before God without first being a Jew, ie keep the purity laws listed in the OT.

In academia there have been a lot of authors over the last 50 years years who have written books upon books about this phenomenon of being clean/unclean, Holy/profane, and pure/polluted. I just went and read a review of this literature. https://www3.nd.edu/~jneyrey1/purity.html if you want to read the review of this literature.

So one can see that there are a lot of things that are named as unclean. The interesting thing is not one time does masturbation come up in these lists of things that are unclean. So why would someone pick out uncleanness in Paul's lists and say that referres to masturbation?

 

[ken777]

So one can see that there are a lot of things that are named as unclean. The interesting thing is not one time does masturbation come up in these lists of things that are unclean. So why would someone pick out uncleanness in Paul's lists and say that referres to masturbation?

I do not think "uncleanness" (akatharsia) in Galatians 5:19 is a specific reference to masturbation only, but is a reference to sexual uncleanness in general and especially today would include the use of pornography. I could include a list of other sexually immoral practices not specifically listed in Scripture but Paul said it was shameful to speak of them (Ephesians 5:12).

 

[Papa Jon]

The best place to start with this question is defining what is sin. A definition most accept which I think is the best is "missing the mark" of what God intends. So, since masturbation falls in the area of sex the question to be asked is what is God's intention for sex.
I believe the Bible teaches God's intention for sex is between a husband and wife and that it is to be other centered and not self-centered.
Masturbation obviously fall short on two counts according to this definition of gods intention for sex, It is not between a husband and wife and it is self-centered. This may sound simplistic, but it works for me.
With that being said I would not condemn those who Give in to this temptation. Like any other sin we need to agree with God that we fell short of His will and have a genuine desire not to fall again. Once we do this we enjoy the forgiveness we already have and move forward seeking his grace to do his will in the future.

 

[StephanieSomer]

Uncleanness from a man in the O.T. is when he has an issue. ( sperm ) One can argue the point that it only means hygiene instructions as far as the marriage bed goes.

But now in the N.T., uncleanness as listed as a work of the flesh and among the sexual sins, it cannot mean anything else except masturbation when listed with fornication and lasciviousness which means sexual excessiveness.

So the problem IS avoiding defining what that uncleanness is because the believers that are engaged in it, do not want to believe that it is a sin when it has a hold on them like that, but that is one of the sins that Jesus came for to deliver us from; that infirmity in the flesh to not obey it to fulfill the lust thereof. Do not gloss over verse 19 below.

Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you:........... 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Now try to explain how that cannot mean masturbation at all, but then again, only God can help you see the truth here as well as our need for Him to overcome this sin & to keep us from it.

Romans 12:1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

I'm sorry. But you are equating your own private interpretation with the truth of Scripture. As I already pointed out, that is tantamount to idolatry. You are in error in so doing.

God is certainly NOT stupid or unable to clearly define what He means. If He did NOT define it, I'm quite sure He has His reasons.

One last point that you seem to have ignored. My OWN convictions agree that I cannot touch in faith. I also realize that there is no clear Scriptural prohibition to it. But, for me, it's not beneficial. Since I cannot exercise myself that way in faith, it IS sin, FOR ME. But, not because there is anything inherently sinful in the act. Simply because I cannot do it in faith. Nothing more.

You have a misunderstanding of what constitutes sin. Sin is not any particular act. It is an attitude. ANY act CAN be sinful, if the attitude is wrong. However, if the attitude concerning it is right before God, there is NO sinful act. Else, how could Paul have possibly said that, "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify." In your position, masturbation is excepted from "all things".

If I shoot and kill a man who has his trigger on a bomb in a crowded place and he has spoken his intention to blow everyone up, I have committed no sin. Yet, if that man did not have his trigger on a bomb in a crowded place, nor threatened to blow everyone up, I would be committing sin. In both cases, the act, and the result, are identical. But the two incidents are not equal.

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

Then tell me what God has taught you about what uncleanness is as listed as a work of the flesh and among the sexual sins of the N.T.

It is one thing to say that it is my private interpretation, but yet it is another to show me what it actually means in according to what God has taught you. You have not yet told me anything about what God has taught you on what that uncleanness means in the N.T.

Well, one of the things God actually did forbid in the OT law (unlike your boogeyman of masturbation) is intercourse while the woman is having her period.

Lev 15:19-23
"When a woman has a discharge, if her discharge in her body is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. Everything also on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean, and everything on which she sits shall be unclean. Anyone who touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. Whoever touches any thing on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. Whether it be on the bed or on the thing on which she is sitting, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. "
NASU

And there are alternate, unclean means of having sex.

 

[Meowzltov]

Really? Most cases of tamay, or ritual uncleanness, had nothing to do with sex. Most cases were from running (infected) sores, mold issues and proximity to a dead body.

You've listed some of the reasons. Sex was another reason. Menstruation was yet another.

 

[Kylie]

It is a matter of authority. And you have that exact same authority over him.

Since when does my husband have any authority over what I do with my own body? The only person with any authority over my own body is ME.

 

[Dave-W]

Since when does my husband have any authority over what I do with my own body? The only person with any authority over my own body is ME.

Since Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in the first century.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

 

[Cearbhall]

Since Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in the first century.

Only if you subscribe to that sort of thing.

 

[Dave-W]

And I most certainly do.

 

[Cearbhall]

And I most certainly do.

That's your right. It's also my right and KTS' right not to do so.

 

[Dave-W]

That's your right. It's also my right and KTS' right not to do so.

OK - fine. Take it up with God on Judgement day.

 

[Cearbhall]

OK - fine. Take it up with God on Judgement day.

Again, it's your right to believe that this will occur. I have no problem with that. It's none of my business.

I do find it quite disturbing that you're shaming a woman for not giving in to marital rape, though, regardless of your religious beliefs.

 

[Kylie]

Since Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in the first century.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Yeah, some guy who lived 2000 years ago doesn't get to tell me who has control over my body.

My body is a temple to my womanhood, my motherhood and my individuality. I am in charge and anyone who tries to take away my control and replace it with their own is defiling me.

 

[Kylie]

OK - fine. Take it up with God on Judgement day.

Such veiled threats are rather unbecoming.

 

[Dave-W]

Yeah, some guy who lived 2000 years ago doesn't get to tell me who has control over my body.

Hey - you get complete control over your husband's body as well.
It is just not a one way street with you being the recipient of abuse.

Such veiled threats are rather unbecoming.

No threat intended. I gotta stand there too.
We all do.

 

[Cearbhall]

Hey - you get complete control over your husband's body as well.
It is just not a one way street with you being the recipient of abuse.

I don't want that. I would never want that.