Understanding Adultery as a Sin Against One's Own Body
Adultery, defined as conjugal infidelity, involves illicit sexual intercourse with a married or betrothed woman [1]. The Mosaic Law prescribed severe penalties for adultery, including stoning for both guilty parties [7]. While the Old Testament primarily focused on the social and legal ramifications of adultery, the New Testament, particularly through the teachings of Jesus and Paul, expands the understanding of this sin to include its impact on the individual and their relationship with God [5, 3].
Jesus broadened the definition of adultery to include lustful thoughts, stating that "everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart" [5]. This highlights that sin is not merely an outward act but also an inward disposition [6]. The apostle Paul further elaborates on the unique nature of sexual immorality, including adultery, in 1 Corinthians 6:18: "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a person commits is outside his body, but the one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body" [3, 4].
This passage distinguishes sexual sin from other transgressions. While all sin is a transgression of God's law [8], sexual immorality is presented as a sin against one's own body. This concept is understood in several ways. First, the body is considered a temple of the Holy Spirit and is bought with a price, belonging to God [9]. Therefore, misusing the body in sexual sin is a defilement of what is sacred and not one's own [9]. Second, sexual sin often involves a profound betrayal of trust and a violation of the intimate union intended for marriage, thus damaging the self and others involved [10, 13]. Proverbs 6:32 states that "He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul" [2]. This suggests a self-destructive element inherent in the act.
The "flesh" in Pauline theology, which encompasses the fallen state of the soul under animal passions, is often associated with such acts [12]. Adultery is a "heinous crime" that goes against natural law and God's express will, breaking the marriage covenant and causing injury to another's property and affection [11, 13]. This understanding underscores that adultery is not only a social wrong but also a profound spiritual offense that impacts the individual's own being and relationship with God [1, 6].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Adultery — Conjugal infidelity. An adulterer was a man who had illicit intercourse with a married or a betrothed woman, and such a woman was an adulteress. Intercourse between a married man and an unmarried woman was fornication. Adultery was regarded as a great social wrong, as well as a great sin. The Mosaic law (Num. 5:11-31) prescribed that the suspected wife should be tried by the ordeal of the "water of jealousy." There is, however, no recorded instance of the application of this law. In subsequent times the Rabbis made various regulations with the view of disc”
- Proverbs “He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul. -- Proverbs 6:32”
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 6:18 (LEB) — Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a person commits is outside his body, but the one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”
- 1 Corinthians “Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. -- 1 Corinthians 6:18”
- Matthew “but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. -- Matthew 5:28”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sin — Is "any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God" (1 John 3:4; Rom. 4:15), in the inward state and habit of the soul, as well as in the outward conduct of the life, whether by omission or commission (Rom. 6:12-17; 7:5-24). It is "not a mere violation of the law of our constitution, nor of the system of things, but an offence against a personal lawgiver and moral governor who vindicates his law with penalties. The soul that sins is always conscious that his sin is (1) intrinsically vile and polluting, and (2) that it justly deserves punishment,”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Adultery — (Exodus 20:14) The parties to this crime, according to Jewish law, were a married woman and a man who was not her husband. The Mosaic penalty was that both the guilty parties should be stoned, and it applied as well to the betrothed as to the married woman, provided she were free. (22:22-24) A bondwoman so offending was to be scourged, and the man was to make a trespass offering. (Leviticus 19:20-22) At a later time, and when owing, to Gentile example, the marriage tie became a looser bond of union, public feeling in regard to adultery changed, and the pena”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Sin — Is the transgression of the law -- 1Jo 3:4. Is of the devil -- 1Jo 3:8; Joh 8:44. All unrighteousness is -- 1Jo 5:17. Omission of what we know to be good is -- Jas 4:17. Whatever is not of faith is -- Ro 14:23. The thought of foolishness is -- Pr 24:9. All the imaginations of the unrenewed heart are -- Ge 6:5; 8:21. Described as Coming from the heart. -- Mt 15:19. The fruit of lust. -- Jas 1:15. The sting of death. -- 1Co 15:56. Rebellion against God. -- De 9:7; Jos 1:18. Works of darkness. -- Eph 5:11. Dead works. -- Heb 6:1; 9:14. The abominable thing that Go”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 3:23: 3:23 Just as they may now claim everything as their own, so Christ has claimed them for himself (see Rom 14:7-9), and in Christ they are ultimately claimed by God (see 1 Cor 6:19-20; 7:23).”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 20:14: 20:14 adultery: Here this term represents all sexual sins, among which adultery most clearly indicates breaking faith. Adulterers satisfy their sexual desires as they please, and they break faith with their spouse in so doing. Jesus expanded on this command in Matt 5:27-30.”
- Job (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Job 31:10: For this is an heinous crime,.... Adultery; it is contrary to the light of nature, and is condemned by it as a great sin, Gen 20:9; as well as contrary to the express will and law of God, Exo 20:14; and, though all sin is a transgression of the law of God, and deserving of death; yet there are some sins greater and more heinous than others, being attended with aggravating circumstances; and such is this sin, it is a breach of the marriage contract and covenant between man and wife; it is doing injury to a man's property, and to that which is the nearest and dearest to h”
- Galatians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Galatians 5:19: Now the works of the flesh are manifest - By flesh we are to understand the evil and fallen state of the soul, no longer under the guidance of God's Spirit and right reason, but under the animal passions; and they are even rendered more irregular and turbulent by the influence of sin; so that man is in a worse state than the brute: and so all-commanding is this evil nature that it leads men into all kinds of crimes; and among them the following, which are manifest - known to all, and most prevalent; and, though these are most solemnly forbidden by your law, the o”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 20:14: Thou shalt not commit adultery - Adultery, as defined by our laws, is of two kinds; double, when between two married persons; single, when one of the parties is married, the other single. One principal part of the criminality of adultery consists in its injustice. 1. It robs a man of his right by taking from him the affection of his wife. 2. It does him a wrong by fathering on him and obliging him to maintain as his own a spurious offspring - a child which is not his. The act itself, and every thing leading to the act, is prohibited by this commandment; for our Lor”