I understand. I was referring to his statement of 'committing adultery in his heart'. I would assume this type of lust would be sexual in nature no?
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Originally Posted by LinkH
From what I've read, the word translated 'lust' in the New Testament does not always refer to sexual lust.
I agree. I think the best way to describe lust (all lust)....is to have excessive desire for something outside of God's will.
I agree. I think the best way to describe lust (all lust)....is to have excessive desire for something outside of God's will.
About Hermas, whether he was supposed to have desired the woman in a sexual or nonsexual manner isn't specifically stated. He may have been justifying himself in his own mind in that story. It did cause me to think of the issue of nonsexual lusting when I wrote it.
In English, we use the word 'lust' in an exclusively sexual sense. The Biblical use of the term seems to refer to illegitimate desire, and Paul associates it with the command 'thou shalt not covet.' The word often seems to be used to refer to sexual lust though. But a man coveting his neighbor's wife for her apple pies is still coveting, and he is giving in to some kind of lust, IMO.
Btw, I think there is a difference between lusting and coveting, since 'when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin.' Lust brings forth sin. It is not sin. Lust conceives sin if we yield to the lust. Paul says not to yield your members into sin. Yielding to lust can be ask simple as yielding the eyes.
What if it goes a step further and he says to himself, "I wish she were my wife"? He could do this without having sexual thoughts.
I understand. I was referring to his statement of 'committing adultery in his heart'. I would assume this type of lust would be sexual in nature no?
Not necessarily. Like his (Link's) example of the other woman that baked wonderful pies---and the man coveted her for that reason. That's dissatisfaction and a lack of contentment for his own wife.....and, it's not sexual. I agree that it's still committing adultery in his heart.
I understand. I was referring to his statement of 'committing adultery in his heart'. I would assume this type of lust would be sexual in nature no?
Do you think if a man likes his own wife's pies too much, he is committing adultery with his own wife? I wonder if that RCC speaker whose not a priest that you often post links to would interpret it that way.
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.~Romans 1:21
That's idolatry.
The same can be said of marriage (adultery). A person can "think up foolish ideas of what their spouse *should* be like".....and worship....long for.....lust for that created image. It diminishes the relationship.
*foolish*?????
What denotes a desire about a spouse is foolish?
I had many desires & my wife fullfills them all. Some might think some oof my desires were foolish but these desired attributes in my wife makes me happy.
I've seen some fairly unordinary couples deep in love over some rather unique behaviors. (Including myself)
Let's say a man sees a married woman and desires her to be his wife, but doesn't think any sexual thoughts. Let's say she cooks really well, or she's smart, and he thinks I wish this were my wife. He looks at her, and lusts after her for nonsexual reasons. That's looking with lust, too, isnt' it.
It's still adultery if I become displeased with my wife because she doesn't meet some absolute standard I've set--an imaginary Stepford Wife.
The woman I'm committing adultery with in my heart might be wholly imaginary, but it's adultery of the heart nonetheless.
Correct. It's not about solely the sex.
If I as a married man look at another woman and think, "I'd like to be married to her," yes, I am commiting adultery in my heart even if I'm only thinking about how pleasantly she sings and plays the piano.
It's still adultery if I become displeased with my wife because she doesn't meet some absolute standard I've set--an imaginary Stepford Wife. The woman I'm committing adultery with in my heart might be wholly imaginary, but it's adultery of the heart nonetheless.
I don't think so. I think RDKirk's description is the best explanation of what falls into the category of adultery. Some things are just being unloving and selfish. That's different than coveting a different wife (even if it's just an image in one's mind).How is that adultery? Does every marital problem or even sin in marriage fall into the adultery category?
I think understanding what idolatry is helps us to understand what adultery is. It's very similar to "you should have NO other gods before me".I don't see how adultery is used quite that broadly in the Bible, even in Matthew 5.
How is that adultery? Does every marital problem or even sin in marriage fall into the adultery category?
Btw, would they have stoned someone for that in the Old Testament?
I don't see how adultery is used quite that broadly in the Bible, even in Matthew 5.
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