QUESTION: Compare and contrast fornication and adultery in the light of Scripture. Which of them is condemned by God, and which is permitted by God?
20 thoughts on “Akubueze Bible Study Question 12 | FORNICATION AND ADULTERY”
First and foremost, let’s define fornication and adultery. Fornication is voluntary sexual intercourse between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. While adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man and another married woman who is not his wife. The two of them are sins, they are punishable offenses in the sight of God. The bible says: this our body is a temple of God, that we should not defile it in the days of our youth. Both are sin in the sight of God because it is injurious to one’s body. Fornication is rampant in the life of our so-called youths, while adultery is rampant in the lives of married couples. When one commits fornication or adultery, it makes one to be impure, you are no longer holy in the sight of God. Sex is made by God for married men and women, not for singles who are yet to marry. The bible says in Exodus 20v14, that thou shall not commit adultery. That shows that it’s a sin that is common among married couples. So likewise fornication is a sin that is common among singles and is also a sin because it defiles the body. Both of them are sins in the sight of God, no one is pardonable only if one repents from it.
Hi Ivy, All of your points are relevant and the presentation is quite good. It’s great to know that it’s pardonable when one repents from such acts. Isn’t our God a good and compassionate God? Thanks for your inputs.
Both sins are condemned by God. None is permitted by God. Fornication is sex outside marriage. Usually common among singles. It is sin against one’s own body. On the other hand, adultery is sex involving people who are married. Like one partner cheating on the other. Both fornication and adultery involve sex. A fornicator will have wounds and dishonor. An adulterer will defile the marriage bed (Ephesians 5:3, Proverbs 6:32, and Exodus 20:17).
God cannot pardon any of the two. I Corinthians 6 vs 9 to 10 said so. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be ye not deceived, neither fornicators nor idolatry, nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God
Hello Emily, glad you joined the conversation. Please, take a closer look at the contributions of others and remember what we said the other day. No sin is too dark for the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse away. No sin can exhaust the compassionate character of God. Consider John 3v16, Romans 3v23, and 2 Corinthians 5v17.
If “God cannot pardon any of the two” as you mentioned, then, the gospel has no value or message. Then, there is no good news to preach. Then, Jesus’ mission is distorted and the cross has no redeeming power. But Jesus came to die for such sinners and all sinners so that when they repent, there’s still provision for them in the kingdom. In essence, all sinners can inherit the kingdom of God when they repent of their sins and turn to God; this includes the fornicators and adulterers and any other sin you know. until Jesus comes back, the provisions for forgiveness in still upheld under grace. Remember Jesus came to call not the righteous, but sinners (Matthew 9:13).” If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Thanks for the entry, Nkem. Take out some time and go through the other comments in order to add to what you already know. Truly, we were glad to have your contribution with us.
Fornication and Adultery are two out of the Commandments that God warns us never to do according to Exodus 20:14, the Bible in Matthew 5:27 – 28 defines Adultery as an act of looking lustfully at a woman or man with him/her in your heart, also; Matthew 5:32 tells us that whoever marries a woman who is divorced, commits Adultery. Furthermore, Adultery is defined as voluntary sexual intercourse between one married individual and another unmarried fellow while Fornication is defined as voluntary sexual intercourse between two opposite sex who are not legally married. Hebrews 13:4 says that Fornicators and Adulterers will be judged by God, meaning that God does not permit either of them. Now, the two are classified under sin and God promised that no Fornicator or Adulterer will enter into the kingdom of Heaven, therefore, every sin is punishable, since Adultery and Fornication are sins, God condemns them and whoever practices them. God does not permit any sin as there is no little or large sins, therefore, I put it that Fornication and Adultery are condemnable sins that God will never permit. God only shows mercy to a repentant Adulterer and Fornicator not because he permits the sin they once committed but because they have repented of it and He wants their Soul to be saved. Thank you!
Well presented, Alex, with relevant points and Scripture citations. Above all, there’s room for forgiveness as you mentioned. Thus, the adulterers and fornicators may never lose hope. Repentance creates room for all sinners. Congratulation!! You are one of the winners of the quiz.
Fornication is having sexual affairs when you are not married. For example, young ladies who are sleeping around, and young men defiling girls all around. While adultery means having an extramarital affair. They are both sins before God, and both are condemnable in Galatians 5 v 19, Exodus 20 v14
Thanks for your time and contribution, Jocelyne. Please, you would glad if you went through the many results that we have here. God bless you as you do.
While FORNICATION is sexual intercourse especially on the part of an unmarried person, ADULTERY is sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse.
SIMILARITIES
1 Both are sin
2 Both involve a man and woman
3 Both are committed hiddenly
4 Both are condemned by God
5 Both are unlawful
6 Both are condemned by man
7 Both are a sin against our own body
8 Both make the victims weak spiritually and psychologically.
DIFFERENCES
1) Fornication involves the singles while Adultery involves the married couple.
2) Fornication is a sin against the singles’ own body and God the owner of the body, while Adultery is a sin against the partner and God who ordained the union.
3) While Adultery breaks the oath and trust promised to one another during the wedding, Fornication on the other hand is directly against the body and God the owner.
4) For the Adulterous couple, their partner is not enough for them. Fornicators on the other hand want to sample and hunger for sex.
5) Fornication leads to Adultery. 90% of those that commit adultery have pre-marital sex.
If one doesn’t sample before marriage, it will be very RARE for the person not to satisfy with what one has at his/her disposal.
“Fornication leads to Adultery. 90% of those that commit adultery have pre-marital sex. If one doesn’t sample before marriage, it will be very RARE for the person not to satisfy with what one has at his/her disposal.”
Quite an interesting presentation, Suzan. I am not sure about the figure, but your last statement really caught our attention. Personally, I concur with that. It’s worth saying again!
Fornication and Adultery are both sexual intercourse but of different meanings. Fornication is intimate sex between a nonmarried man and a woman. Adultery is the intimate sex between a married man or woman. Also, it is a sexual relationship outside the marriage bond. Both are punishable and condemned by God. There are many verses in the Bible but I will just talk about a few. In 1 Cor 6:18-20, it mentioned to Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. God warns against sexual immorality which is now the lifestyle of our youth. Purity is what God wants.
The Lord said in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, For this is the will of God your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you knows how to control his body in holiness and honor. The bible also warned and condemned the sin of Adultery. In Leviticus 20:10, it says if a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both he and the woman shall be put to death. In Exodus 20v14, God warned against adultery in the 10 commandments.
In Hebrews 13:4, Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled for God will Judge the Sexually immoral and the Adulterous. God condemned both and does not permit anyone. But 1 John 1:9 makes an offer of forgiveness to the sinners if they confess. But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoings. So when fornicators and adulterers have a repentant heart, they should ask for forgiveness and surely they shall be forgiven.
FORNICATION: is premarital sex ie sex before marriage. It is unlawful sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other.
ADULTERY: extramarital sex. Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse. Fornication could also mean idolatry.
DIFFERENCES:
1. Adultery involves married people (Matthew 19:9) while fornication involves unmarried persons (1 Corinthians 7:2)
2. Adultery is a sin against one’s partner and God (mark 10:11) while fornication is a sin against oneself and God (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
3. Adultery is the breaking of the marriage oath (Malachi 2:15-16) while fornication does not involve the breaking of oath since it involves unmarried persons.
SIMILARITIES:
1. Both are sins
2. God forbid both
3. They are both wicked sins in God’s sight.
4. Both adultery and fornication provoke God to anger
5. They are both filthy sins
6. Both are acts of unfaithfulness to God
7. Both are not allowed in God’s kingdom
8. Both have their origin in the hearts of men
9. Both have physical and spiritual implications.
10. Both adultery and fornication are condemned by God.
Interesting presentation, Brenda, graced with plenty of biblical references for further reading. Thanks so much for the shared time and enormous contribution.
First and foremost, let’s define fornication and adultery. Fornication is voluntary sexual intercourse between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. While adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man and another married woman who is not his wife. The two of them are sins, they are punishable offenses in the sight of God. The bible says: this our body is a temple of God, that we should not defile it in the days of our youth. Both are sin in the sight of God because it is injurious to one’s body. Fornication is rampant in the life of our so-called youths, while adultery is rampant in the lives of married couples. When one commits fornication or adultery, it makes one to be impure, you are no longer holy in the sight of God. Sex is made by God for married men and women, not for singles who are yet to marry. The bible says in Exodus 20v14, that thou shall not commit adultery. That shows that it’s a sin that is common among married couples. So likewise fornication is a sin that is common among singles and is also a sin because it defiles the body. Both of them are sins in the sight of God, no one is pardonable only if one repents from it.
Hi Ivy, All of your points are relevant and the presentation is quite good. It’s great to know that it’s pardonable when one repents from such acts. Isn’t our God a good and compassionate God? Thanks for your inputs.
Both sins are condemned by God. None is permitted by God. Fornication is sex outside marriage. Usually common among singles. It is sin against one’s own body. On the other hand, adultery is sex involving people who are married. Like one partner cheating on the other. Both fornication and adultery involve sex. A fornicator will have wounds and dishonor. An adulterer will defile the marriage bed (Ephesians 5:3, Proverbs 6:32, and Exodus 20:17).
Great points, Johnson, and Bible citations were relevant indeed. Thanks for that condensed contribution
God cannot pardon any of the two. I Corinthians 6 vs 9 to 10 said so. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be ye not deceived, neither fornicators nor idolatry, nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God
Hello Emily, glad you joined the conversation. Please, take a closer look at the contributions of others and remember what we said the other day. No sin is too dark for the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse away. No sin can exhaust the compassionate character of God. Consider John 3v16, Romans 3v23, and 2 Corinthians 5v17.
If “God cannot pardon any of the two” as you mentioned, then, the gospel has no value or message. Then, there is no good news to preach. Then, Jesus’ mission is distorted and the cross has no redeeming power. But Jesus came to die for such sinners and all sinners so that when they repent, there’s still provision for them in the kingdom. In essence, all sinners can inherit the kingdom of God when they repent of their sins and turn to God; this includes the fornicators and adulterers and any other sin you know. until Jesus comes back, the provisions for forgiveness in still upheld under grace. Remember Jesus came to call not the righteous, but sinners (Matthew 9:13).” If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
1 Adultery according to Bible extra-marital affair of either a man or woman and is an offense against God.
2 fornication is a sexual act between two who are not legally married and is an offense against God.
3 Both are sexual offenses against God.
4 Adultery is an extra-marital affair with another man or woman while fornication is a sexual act between two who are not married to each other.
5 God condemns these two acts because they are all immoral acts.
Thanks for the entry, Nkem. Take out some time and go through the other comments in order to add to what you already know. Truly, we were glad to have your contribution with us.
Fornication and Adultery are two out of the Commandments that God warns us never to do according to Exodus 20:14, the Bible in Matthew 5:27 – 28 defines Adultery as an act of looking lustfully at a woman or man with him/her in your heart, also; Matthew 5:32 tells us that whoever marries a woman who is divorced, commits Adultery. Furthermore, Adultery is defined as voluntary sexual intercourse between one married individual and another unmarried fellow while Fornication is defined as voluntary sexual intercourse between two opposite sex who are not legally married. Hebrews 13:4 says that Fornicators and Adulterers will be judged by God, meaning that God does not permit either of them. Now, the two are classified under sin and God promised that no Fornicator or Adulterer will enter into the kingdom of Heaven, therefore, every sin is punishable, since Adultery and Fornication are sins, God condemns them and whoever practices them. God does not permit any sin as there is no little or large sins, therefore, I put it that Fornication and Adultery are condemnable sins that God will never permit. God only shows mercy to a repentant Adulterer and Fornicator not because he permits the sin they once committed but because they have repented of it and He wants their Soul to be saved. Thank you!
Well presented, Alex, with relevant points and Scripture citations. Above all, there’s room for forgiveness as you mentioned. Thus, the adulterers and fornicators may never lose hope. Repentance creates room for all sinners. Congratulation!! You are one of the winners of the quiz.
Fornication is having sexual affairs when you are not married. For example, young ladies who are sleeping around, and young men defiling girls all around. While adultery means having an extramarital affair. They are both sins before God, and both are condemnable in Galatians 5 v 19, Exodus 20 v14
Thanks for your time and contribution, Jocelyne. Please, you would glad if you went through the many results that we have here. God bless you as you do.
While FORNICATION is sexual intercourse especially on the part of an unmarried person, ADULTERY is sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse.
SIMILARITIES
1 Both are sin
2 Both involve a man and woman
3 Both are committed hiddenly
4 Both are condemned by God
5 Both are unlawful
6 Both are condemned by man
7 Both are a sin against our own body
8 Both make the victims weak spiritually and psychologically.
DIFFERENCES
1) Fornication involves the singles while Adultery involves the married couple.
2) Fornication is a sin against the singles’ own body and God the owner of the body, while Adultery is a sin against the partner and God who ordained the union.
3) While Adultery breaks the oath and trust promised to one another during the wedding, Fornication on the other hand is directly against the body and God the owner.
4) For the Adulterous couple, their partner is not enough for them. Fornicators on the other hand want to sample and hunger for sex.
5) Fornication leads to Adultery. 90% of those that commit adultery have pre-marital sex.
If one doesn’t sample before marriage, it will be very RARE for the person not to satisfy with what one has at his/her disposal.
“Fornication leads to Adultery. 90% of those that commit adultery have pre-marital sex. If one doesn’t sample before marriage, it will be very RARE for the person not to satisfy with what one has at his/her disposal.”
Quite an interesting presentation, Suzan. I am not sure about the figure, but your last statement really caught our attention. Personally, I concur with that. It’s worth saying again!
I think, if I’m not mistaken, you were among the winners.
Fornication and Adultery are both sexual intercourse but of different meanings. Fornication is intimate sex between a nonmarried man and a woman. Adultery is the intimate sex between a married man or woman. Also, it is a sexual relationship outside the marriage bond. Both are punishable and condemned by God. There are many verses in the Bible but I will just talk about a few. In 1 Cor 6:18-20, it mentioned to Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. God warns against sexual immorality which is now the lifestyle of our youth. Purity is what God wants.
The Lord said in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, For this is the will of God your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you knows how to control his body in holiness and honor. The bible also warned and condemned the sin of Adultery. In Leviticus 20:10, it says if a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both he and the woman shall be put to death. In Exodus 20v14, God warned against adultery in the 10 commandments.
In Hebrews 13:4, Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled for God will Judge the Sexually immoral and the Adulterous. God condemned both and does not permit anyone. But 1 John 1:9 makes an offer of forgiveness to the sinners if they confess. But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoings. So when fornicators and adulterers have a repentant heart, they should ask for forgiveness and surely they shall be forgiven.
Great presentation with legit Bible citations, Anthony. Thanks for the contribution.
FORNICATION: is premarital sex ie sex before marriage. It is unlawful sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other.
ADULTERY: extramarital sex. Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse. Fornication could also mean idolatry.
DIFFERENCES:
1. Adultery involves married people (Matthew 19:9) while fornication involves unmarried persons (1 Corinthians 7:2)
2. Adultery is a sin against one’s partner and God (mark 10:11) while fornication is a sin against oneself and God (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
3. Adultery is the breaking of the marriage oath (Malachi 2:15-16) while fornication does not involve the breaking of oath since it involves unmarried persons.
SIMILARITIES:
1. Both are sins
2. God forbid both
3. They are both wicked sins in God’s sight.
4. Both adultery and fornication provoke God to anger
5. They are both filthy sins
6. Both are acts of unfaithfulness to God
7. Both are not allowed in God’s kingdom
8. Both have their origin in the hearts of men
9. Both have physical and spiritual implications.
10. Both adultery and fornication are condemned by God.
For further reading:
Adultery: mathew 19:9, mark 10:11-12, Luke 16:18, exodus 20:14, proverbs 6:32, leviticus 20:10, 1 corinthians 7, Romans 7:3, proverbs 6:26, proverbs 7:22-27.
Fornication: 1 Corinthians 7, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Hebrews 13:4, Exodus 22:16-17.
Interesting presentation, Brenda, graced with plenty of biblical references for further reading. Thanks so much for the shared time and enormous contribution.
Congratulations too, Brenda.