Fornication & Pre-Marital Sexual Activity. The Bible IS Clear

1 Cor. 5:9-11 ~ 9- I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10-Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11-But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

The TV show, Preachers Of LA has given rise to many conversations among believers. The show has also detailed conversations that many believers have been having for quite some time. One such conversation centers around the relationship and eventual marriage of Deitrick Haddon to his current and new wife, Dominique (Mctyer), with whom, according to THIS ARTICLE, Deitrick had a baby before he was divorced from  his first wife Damita. In fact Deitrick and Dominique had a baby in early 2012. (So his relationship and infidelity with Dominique began as early as 2011) His divorce was said to have been finalized in August/Sept. 2012. Deitrick then went on to marry his current wife, in July 2013, preceded first in what appeared to be a fake wedding ceremony (with a string for a ring) carried out on Preachers Of LA and then in an official ceremony sometime in July 2013. 

It was plain to see that Deitrick, according to his own confession, not only fell off the wagon, (ie: Backslid, as we call it in Christian circles) so far as his salvation was concerned, but was also was an adulterer and a fornicator according to the biblical definition of the words.

Reinterpretation Of The WORD

One scene that caught my attention was when Bishop Ron Gibson was speaking to Derick and Dominique about marriage and living together, or what we often call in the Black community, "Shackin' Up". Interestingly enough Deitrick's claim was that "Shackin' up" wasn't in the bible. In fact Dominique would go on to claim that they (Deitrick and she) were "already married in God's eyes" because they had already had sex.

Now, if this wasn't the most biblically illiterate rambling I had ever heard. Here we had an adulterer claiming that God had honored the union of a relationship that had taken place when one party was not divorced and where it can be readily and rightfully said that Deitrick had committed adultery and fathered a child while still married? That was beyond belief....

I felt this issue to be important enough because Deitrick is not the only one confused on this issue or feeling that the bible and church folk should accommodate their sins. As you are reading this, you may know of some church musician or other individual who is associated with your church who not only has committed fornication but who lives in such as a lifestyle and is seemingly unchallenged in their sins. They feel that their actions or acts are unquestionable or that they simply should be accepted. Although sins of sinners will wax worse, let it be known that God will not and does not endorse any sin and the sin of fornication, whether that is the fornication of a church musician, singer, preacher or teacher will not be treated any less.

Does The Bible Condemn Pre-Marital Sex?

Interestingly enough, the same topic came up on Facebook (as everything eventually will) and some stated that Deitrick may have been right because scripture didn't condemn pre-marital sex, it just condemned prostitution. 

They interpret the "sexually immoral" (Gk:πόρνος, ου, ὁ ) (Pornos) as found in 1 Cor. 5:9 as being a male who prostitutes himself because the word is used in conjunction with one who has "sold themselves" into sexual immorality. They conclude that is the only Greek usage of the word is male prostitution. Therefore, "fornication" is only referring to making one's self a prostitute, not merely the act of having sex outside of marriage. They are wrong and I will point out the lines of argumentation and provide the biblical proof necessary to weed out charlatans such as this and refute their assertions. 

A Right Interpretation

The word that they point to (Gk:πόρνος, ου, ὁ ) (Pornos) which is used about 10 times in the NT and is translated as both "fornicator", 5 times and "whormonger"5 times: (Ephes. 5:5, 1 Tim. 1:10, Heb. 13:4, Rev. 21:8, Rev. 22:15) What them that make the claim that pre-marital sexual activity is not condemned  do is violate the first rule of interpretation...CONTEXT.

Similar to homosexuals advocates who attempt to find endorsement in the bible, they reinvent a context to say that the scripture was referring, in a strict sense, to those who sold their bodies for sex. However the context of 1 Cor. 5, for instance, DOES NOT facilitate that folk selling their bodies for prostitution was a problem. However, the context of the text does indicate that sexual immorality (in this case a man having sex with his mother -in law) was a problem. (Read 1 Cor. 5) This is just one scripture, but in order for them to make this case successfully, they must destroy the complete context of scripture and assert otherwise.

Premarital Sex, aka: Fornication, Is Condemned

The bible is clear on the issue. Let's look at 1 Thess. 4, where the word and the context are overwhelmingly clear:

1 Thess. 4:3-8~ "3-For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4-That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5-Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6-That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7-For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 8-He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. 

The word used in v. 3 (Gk: πορνεία, ας, ἡ) (Porneia) from the same word group as "Pronos". This particular word is used 25 times in the NT. It is always interpreted in the NT as "fornication". Same instance in 1 Cor. 7:2 that a man should marry in order to avoid "fornication". This variation of the word DOES NOT yield to anyone who is "sold or selling anything" physically. In other words it is not a reference to prostitution or any other form of sexual merchandising.

In order to better understand the whole concept, Paul stated we were "sold under sin" (1 Cor. 7:14) Paul uses this term to signify relationship to sin as opposed to action of sin. 

There was a specific word for "prostitute" (Gk: πόρνη (porné) This word was used 12 times in the NT. The interpretations of that word are "harlot" and "whore". This word is also used to refer to Rahab in Heb. 11:13 specifically by name. So IF the parts where we see "fornication" is simply referring to the act that we know if as prostitution, there is a specific word that Paul and biblical writers would have used to indicate such actions.

In light of evidence, it then become more easy to understand why the variation of fornication was used 10 times. It was to indicate a relationship to the sin of sexual immorality rather than to specify a sexual immoral act such as prostitution.

One who did or performed the act could more readily and easily be called a "whore" or "harlot". So the use of "fornication" as we view it in scripture is sufficient to justify teaching against the out of wedlock and dishonorable sexual activity of a man and a woman. 

The Teachings Of Jesus

Jesus called sex outside of marriage fornication. Porneia (Gk: πορνεία, ας, ἡ) was the word used in the gospels. (Matthew 15:19. Mark 7:21) Jesus uses a word that does not and in any way indicate selling ones body but has in general been understood to indicate sexual promiscuity or sexual sins. In fact according to Jesus teachings on the subject, this act emanates from the condition of a defiled heart. So this is not merely a weakness of the flesh, or some action that can be separated from the heart's condition. 

A Long As They Were Committed In The Old Testament God Didn't Care, So They Were Right About That

First of all, assertions such as these are totally unfounded within scripture. Of course Adam and Eve, God married himself and even pronounced as much. However, there is a big difference from there to Jewish or ANE (Ancient Near Eastern) practice and cultural setting in which "honor" and "chastity" were values. Their is no OT support or endorsement of a man taking a woman out of the bond of marriage and having sex with her and calling it all good...Such sentiments are not based on solid biblical principles and are rooted in extremism and is not founded in history nor are such conclusions warranted in Jewish ANE culture. 

Sexual Immorality Is "Corruption"

Take it back to the time of Moses on the mountain. God told Moses that the people had "corrupted themselves" (Ex. 32:7, Deut. 9:12). This Hebrew word (שָׁחַת (shachath) means to pervert and defile. The same word was used in Genesis when God said that all flesh had "corrupted themselves" in Genesis 6 when the wickedness of man had become so wicked that God destroyed men and mankind save Noah. This phrase included all aspects of man's behavior and how it was defiled and not subject to God.

The overarching problem in the scene at the Mt. Horeb as idolatry. However that wasn't the only problem. I believe Jewish historian Philo takes it further claiming lasciviousness, reveling and all forms of sexual sins and evils were being committed by Israel. So from the root of idolatry, all forms of sexual immorality flowed. Therefore we see another dimension of sexual immorality. Sexual immorality is not merely an action that one does. It is a form of idolatry or worship. Further, it, false worship and sexual impurity, comes from the heart of an individual. One cannot separate the cause from the effect.

This is what under the OT instructions and commendations of scripture there was a strict and sincere penalty for a woman who was not a virgin when married. Here it is:

Deut. 22:21 ~ Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.

Folly - disgrace and whore that one had committed. This word is used to indicate fornication.

Now, the atheist claim is that the penalty was too severe for pre-marital sexual relations and was further biased against women. I would agree that there are some culturally relevant concepts and remedies presented in this scripture that are certainly not apropos to modern culture, but the emendation to righteousness and purity is clear and yet remains. Premarital sex was not endorsed among the people of God. It was and has always been a serious issue even if modern culture does not hold it to be so.

I Fornicate But I Am Alright 

Like Deitrick, we now have a generation of people that feel that it is "en vogue" to sleep around or occasionally and have sex with one another outside of marriage. Singers and so called pastors such as LeAndria Johnson have babies out of wedlock without shame and demand to be received by the church under the umbrella of "love" even claiming that she is right while everyone else is wrong:

"But the moment I got pregnant out of wedlock, that was the juicy part and that carried. It's still carrying on. To here different ones say, "She needs to be sat down until she gets this together..." I disagree with all the pastors and bishops that sit their members down for whatever type of behavior they have. Listen, for one, I'm a member of your church, I pay tithing into your church. I sew seed into your ministry. If you're going to silence me, then I feel like you need be silenced as well. If not, you're letting me know you're perfect. I refuse. I'm not the first woman in this industry to be pregnant out of wedlock, I'm not hiding it or condoning. But this is reality. I'm not going to stop because you think I should stop. I don't serve you, I serve God. I'm letting you know that God still blesses and he uses who ever he wants. When people get out of that pointing stage or that judging stage they'll be alright." ~ LeAndria Johnson, Essence Magazine 9/2012

In fact in many cases, men and women, who appear to be married, have nothing but a relationship that involves sex as if they were married. This is a shame and people have lost their identity to such practices and claim that nothing is wrong with their acts.  

However, let's take a look back at what we said of "folly". Interestingly enough the word "Folly" was the same word used to describe the actions of Tamar, Juda's daughter in law, in Genesis 38, when she ONE TIME slept with her father-in-law to maintain her inheritance. In fact v. 38 says that she "played the harlot". Now one could say that she was not a "harlot" by profession or practice, or that she only did this "one time". But that takes nothing away from how God saw her. In short a "harlot" is not only a "harlot" when one continues to be one. This is a defilement that comes from the heart as stated above, one time or not. 

Conclusion

At either rate, to say that God somehow did not view fornication or unmarried and non-committed sexual relations as a corruption especially in light of the Genesis 2:24 plan of TWO becoming ONE flesh is not in accordance with what we know about Jewish ANE culture, and traditions. Sexually immoral sin was always considered unacceptable, disgraceful and shameful in the Jewish culture in which these things were born. Jews were held to a higher standard because of the God with whom they had a relationship.

As SAINTS we are held to a higher standard in dealing and in relationships. We cannot find excuse in the weak and erroneous acts of others. Simply because they (whoever they are) appear to have gotten away or behaved badly does not exempt the true believer from acting right and producing the right fruit within our lives. When we stand before God, we will not be able to be justified based on standards of comparative righteousness. In other words doing "less sin" than someone else does not save, nor does it exempt us from living holy and godly. We will pay the penalty for sin.   

The fact is that we prove what we believe and who we love by our actions. If we deliver the defiled fruit of sexual immorality, by virtue of that we also prove that our hearts have not been or are not purified. In addition, as we have discovered, we also tell God that we worship ourselves more than we worship HIM. That idolatry violates the whole of any service to the Lord.

For those who have committed themselves and are awaiting a God given spouse, keep yourself pure. You will be blessed. It is you that exemplify the true and real blessings of the Lord and I believe that those blessings will abundantly be give to and made available to you. 

Jude 24-25 ~ 24-Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25-To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Blessed!