Reverend John Wiley Nelson on Fornication

This month's assumption involves translations. Though most of us read the bible in English, it was written originally in Hebrew (Old Testament) and Koine (that is, First Century, not classical or modern) Greek (NewTestament), and there was a Greek translation of the Old Testament called theSeptuagint, since it was put together by 70 scholars. This is not a serious impediment, because lots of scholars have read and continue to read both languages. But scholars are human like you and me, and all languages have nuances, meanings clear in their own time which today are no longer explicitly clear, no matter what translators tell you.

As research into ancient times continues, so translations change. The long-standing original Kings James Version (with all the thees and -iths) gave way this century to the Revised Standard Version (and its more conservative corollary, the New International Version), and that has made way only recently for the New Revised Standard Version. Complicating the situation are the presence of many slightly-differing early manuscripts of the New Testament, some more likely to be accurate than others, and an early Latin standard of the Roman Church called the Vulgate. Additionally, the Dead Sea Scrolls presented new manuscripts of several Old Testament books.

Let me give you a couple of examples. The word "fornication" in Greek is "porneia." Of its 51 or so appearances in the New Testament, only once is it used in a verb form, I Corinthians 10:7, where Paul combines references to the fornication of Israel in Exodus 32:6 and Numbers 25:1: "the people sat down to eat and 'got up to indulge in pagan revelry' (NIV), 'got up to dance' (RSV), or "rose up to play" (KJV, NRSV). Even the Numbers 25:1 passage - where had it been written in Greek the word "porneia" would have been used - is variously translated this way: "While Israel was staying in Shittim, the people began to - 'commit whoredom' (KJV), 'have sexual relations' (NRSV), 'play the harlot' (RSV), 'indulge in sexual immorality' (NIV) - with the women of Moab."

In NewTestament Greek, the word is 'porneia,' but in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 the RSVand NRSV translate "unchastity," while the NIV says "marital unfaithfulness," and the KJV bluntly "fornication." Otherwise, the NIV never uses the word "fornication" to translate "porneia," preferring "sexual immorality," or just "immorality," while the NRSV translates "porneia" over 20 times by "fornication."

In Revelation, the woman representing Babylon is called"whore" in the NRSV and RSV, while the NIV prefers "prostitute," with the KJV splitting between "whore" in verse 1 and "Harlots" in verse 5. The NRSV doesn't shun the word "prostitute," however, translating "porneia" by that term six times (Matt.21:31,32; Luke 15:30; I Corinthians 6:15,16, and Hebrews11:31). There are plenty more examples (just try I Thessalonians 4:3-6 in these four translations, if you think I'm molehilling this into a mountain).

The best course of action: when studying the Scriptures - don't limit yourself to only one translation. Translations express opinions, and not necessarily those of the biblical writers.

There are a number of biblical elephant statements on issues that give the biblical use of the Greek word "porneia" context, for instance, Paul's paradigm statement on the unity of the Body of Christ in I Corinthians 12:12ff, or the definition of sin as arrogance in Jesus's retort to thePharisees in John 9: 40-41, or various Old Testament references to idolatry as faithlessness and the breaking of the covenant relationship. But detailing these would take us too far afield. Limiting ourselves for this purpose to passages in which some form of the word "porneia" is used, I think the following two point in the right direction because they indicate the two significant effects of the act of fornication: that the initiator is self-defiled (Matthew 15:17-19), and tends to victimize the recipient (I Thessalonians 4:3-6; NRSV: "exploit", RSV: "transgress", KJV: "defraud", NIV: "take advantage of") as well.

In the Matthew passage, Jesus makes clear that what defiles the body is not food or drink or anything that comes from without, but rather the intentions of the heart. So you can stop saying that the Devil made you do it. You do very well by yourself. In theThessalonians passage, it is clear that lack of self-control not only damages the holy vessel of God which is your own body, but uses other people like disposable paper plates. To see how the word "porneia" and the biblical concept of fornication fits the theological world view of the Scriptures, read on.

It is time for some definitions. Here are two from modern times that show you how cultural mores (i.e., what people worry about from one decade toanother) change even in one lifetime. From the 1959 edition of The AmericanCollege Dictionary:

"voluntary sexual intercourse on the part of an unmarried person with a person of the opposite sex."

"consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other."

In the Old and New Testaments, fornication refers to all types of sexual intercourse outside of marriage, but, and this is the significant point, because of how the effects of such behavior are perceived. If you step outside the distorted (and heretical) European-Western view of the individual with his/her own individual mind-heart-soul, you will find that the biblical view of human nature is corporate, in terms of which responsibility for the neighbor is not a "good deed" but rather an innate response. Individualism breaks this down and asserts the self against otherselves, especially in judgment (cf. Adam and Eve).

Marriage is in the biblical view a microcosm of Creation, a willing acceptance by humans of the joint covenant given to them by God. Biblical people could not conceive, for instance, of two people living together with the same commitment as married people are ideally supposed to have: a binding relationship that endures through time. In the biblical view, all sex between unmarried people, or between people not married to each other exploits, defrauds, or takes advantage of the other, and does so necessarily.

The truth exists in being true to the covenant with God, in Creation and in the people of God; all attempts by one self to use or control other selves is, therefore, falsehood, or as it is often called in the bible, idolatry. This is true whether in Revelation 22:15, where "dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters" are summed up as "everyone who loves and practices falsehood," or in Colossians 3:5 and Ephesians 5:5, where greed is equated with idolatry.

Occasionally, "porneia" is even used without sexual connotation, as it is when applied to Esau, in Hebrews 12:16, because he "sold his birthright for a single meal." The central symbol of the one who commits "porneia," or fornication, is the prostitute (harlot, whore), or "porne." Prostitution, "porneia," refers to sexual intercourse of any kind "from which ensues no binding or enduring relationship, "being" indiscriminate in nature." The purpose is not sexual passion or children but rather financial gain or cultic satisfaction of a religious nature. In either case, the faith-responsibility for the consideration of others inherent in the covenant relationship of Creation and Call are broken.

In the eschatological (end-time) world of Revelation, this always refers to the followers of seducers like Jezebel, the beast, the anti-Christ, or the false prophet who "corrupt[s] the earth," offers a"cup full of abominations," and who lies, deceives and murders the children of God in Christ. In the meantime, for the Christian who now belongs not only to the corporate body of created humanity but foremost as well has been born once again into a new body, the Body of Christ, "porneia" is a special danger.

In the famous passage in the sixth chapter of First Corinthians, after labeling civil court cases against a fellow church member wrong, a defrauding, and therefore fornication (6:1-9), Paul takes on the assertion that freedom from the law means a person can do whatever they (individually)want. His response: "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial." This is because some things that may be lawful would constitute a break in the corporate fellowship which is the body of Christ. For instance, sexual intercourse with a prostitute.

To use someone for sex,without any thought to the human consequences or any intention to engage the other person's whole life makes you a user of people for your own ends (permanently marks your spirit), and exploits or takes advantage of the other person. This is fornication. Otherwise, the prostitute is still able to be an active part of God's plan (Hebrews 11:31) and may even get into theKingdom of God before exemplary but self-righteous religious types (Matthew 21:31-32).

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