What Does The Bible Say About Sex Outside Of Marriage?

Last updated on: September 24, 2015 at 4:19 pm by Jack Wellman

What Does The Bible Say About Sex Outside Of Marriage? 2015-09-24T16:19:07-05:00 Jack Wellman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Does the Bible say much about having sex outside of marriage? Yes, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

In the Beginning

God obviously created married couples to be monogamous with one another for their entire lifetimes. If there were biblical grounds for them to separate like with ongoing, unrepentant adultery, then the marriage covenant has been broken and the two can separate, however, they were created in God’s image (Gen 1:27) to be in fellowship together with God for eternity but they decided to choose for themselves what was right and what was wrong (Gen 3:1-7) and so God, Who at one time fellowshipped with them and apparently even walked in the Garden with them (Gen 3:8) said, “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field” (Gen 3:17b-18). Adam and Eve’s Garden means of sustenance just got harder. God said, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19). Adam and Eve were unfaithful to God and we see the consequences for them and so you would expect that there would be consequences for anyone who commits adultery which is also being unfaithful to God.

God’s Relationship with Israel

The Old Testament expressed the idea that God was married to Israel and later to both Judah and Israel after they split so Jeremiah, in speaking for God, wrote“She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore” (3:8) and as a result, both of them were taken into captivity. Because Israel had worshipped false gods, she played the harlot even though they knew better than to worship other gods before the One, True God (Ex 20:2-3). They knew the law that said, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them” (Ex 20:4-5a). Because of the sin of In Deuteronomy the law was that “If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house” (24:1). This is no small matter though because the Hebrew word used for “indecent” is the noun “`ervah” and means “nakedness, shame, indecency,” or “improper behavior.” Israel and Judah both committed adultery against God which is why God “sent her away with a decree of divorce” so we see that there are biblical grounds for divorce in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

New Testament Teachings

Jesus amped up the law by saying “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt 5:27-28). It appears to be breaking the ninth commandment too which says “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house [and] you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” (Ex 20:17a). Jesus did not say that by “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14) is done away with. He only told us where this act begins; in the human heart with temptation, lusting, coveting, pondering, and then imagining it. It could also lead to the actual physical act. Committing adultery is grounds for divorce but if it is a one-time occurrence, then it is hoped that place of forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration will take place so that a divorce is not necessary but obviously not every marriage can be saved. Jesus did say “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce” (Mat 5:31) but then clarifies it by saying, “that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Matt 5:32) so whoever divorces their spouse without biblical grounds creates the possibility of adultery for whoever marries the divorced spouse.

Bible on Sex Outside of Marriage

Anytime you read the word “sexual immorality” it is talking about adultery and sex outside of marriage (fornication). The only place for sex is within the confines of marriage between a man and a woman. Only the marriage bed is undefiled (Heb 13:4). The city of Corinth was full of pagan religions where their rituals included some sexual prostitution so Paul, in wanting to make it abundantly clear, ask the rhetorical question, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1st Cor 6:9-10). Paul also wrote to the church at Ephesus that “sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Eph 5:3-5).

Conclusion

The fact that sex outside of marriage is not my idea or it is not my opinion. It is sin because God calls it sin and God will judge all unrepentant adulterers. My opinion is worthless next to the Word of God. God says it is sin. The Bible gives us a warning about where all sexually immoral people go, whether they’re adulterers or fornicators (sex outside of marriage); “as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rev 21:8).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

Bible Answers

Fornication

Sexual Immorality

Previous Post

September 24, 2015

7 Bible Verses That Will Blow Your Mind

Next Post

September 24, 2015 Why Did The Bible Stop Being Written At Revelation?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Answers Bible Definitions Bible Story Bible Study Bible Verses Christian Books Christian Entertainment Christian Fathers Christian Mothers Christian Quotes Devotional Famous Christians Music News Parables Prayers Quotes Sunday School Lesson Uncategorized Youth Sermons

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which book of the Bible contains the most direct prophecies about the Messiah?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Zechariah Micah Isaiah Psalms