The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: The Family

4 Sanctification & Sexual Purity

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Family Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2007-10-22

Synopsis: John Weaver continues his exposition of 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, focusing on the phrase 'that you abstain from fornication.' He argues that the biblical term 'fornication' (porneia) is far broader than adultery, encompassing all forms of sexual impurity, uncleanness, lasciviousness, pornography, premarital sex, incest, and even stubbornness and rebellion within marriage. Through a survey of Scripture, he demonstrates that fornication is distinct from adultery and includes any illicit sexual relationship or attitude that undermines the family, church, and society. The will of God for believers is sanctification, which requires abstaining from all such impurity.

[John Weaver] I have been dealing with this passage for the last several weeks, and hopefully we'll finish it up in the next couple of weeks. But let's begin reading with verse 1. 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 1. Paul writes, Furthermore then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us, how you ought to walk and to please God, so that you would abound more and more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who knew not God.

[John Weaver] That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we have also forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given us his Holy Spirit." I've been teaching along the general theme of sanctification and sexual purity, but notice if you would please in verse 1, which is the first message we covered, and that is an exhortation. In that exhortation, there is first of all a practical necessity when Paul writes,"...for you have received thus how you ought to walk." and to please God. The practical necessity is that we must be taught. Secondly, there was a personal application, because he said how you ought to walk and to please God.

[John Weaver] So while any preacher may teach you the Word of God, he cannot personally apply the Word of God for you. You must do that. And then thirdly, there was in verse 1 a progressive reality. He said, so you would abound more and more. So there is to be no regression. There is to be no neutrality. We are to be going from faith to faith and from glory to glory. And then secondly in verse 2 was the explanation.

[John Weaver] He says, for you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. In other words, this is how they knew how they were to walk and to please God by following the commandments, by following the teaching of the Word of God. And then last week, we began in verse 3, the exposition where he says, for this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication. Now, under verse 3, we have first of all an affirmation. This is the will of God.

[John Weaver] I pointed out that this phrase is used numerous times in Scripture. There are several specific areas that are very, very plain. For instance, if you will look in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 18, he says, In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. So there are some areas that you and I may be you know, really not totally aware of what exactly the will of God is, but there are some areas that are very specific. And 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 3 is one of those, when he says, for this is the will of God.

[John Weaver] So you have an affirmation. Secondly, in verse 3, you have an explanation where he says, this is the will of God, even your sanctification. And then last week I told you what sanctification consists of. First of all, it means holy. It means worthy of veneration. It means to be set apart exclusively for the use of God. It means to be prepared for God. And then fourthly, it means to be holy, to be upright, to be pure, and to be sinless. So he says very plainly in verse 3, this is the will of God, even your sanctification.

[John Weaver] Now today we come to this last phrase in verse 3, and I'm going to say here is a negation that you abstain from fornication. In other words, abstaining from fornication is part and parcel then of our sanctification. After he tells us what we are to be, that is sanctified, he tells us one area which we are to abstain or stay away from. if we're going to be sanctified, and that is fornication. Now, very obviously, before anyone can abstain from fornication, he must know exactly what fornication is.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask this question, and don't answer it out loud, but you answer this in your mind. What is fornication? Just give an answer in your own mind. What do you actually think fornication is? Well, let me give you several answers that are the general answers that I have heard all of my life, and which I might add both are untrue. But the first answer would go something like this. Well, adultery is between married people and fornication is between unmarried people, and that's how they Or they may say something like this, fornication is sexual impurity before marriage, and adultery is sexual impurity after marriage. And so they try to just give a very general term like that. But let me just tell you something, fornication is a term that is far broader than the word adultery. It includes adultery, but fornication is far broader than just simply adultery. Let me say it like this. Fornication and adultery are not synonymous terms.

[John Weaver] They do not mean exactly the same thing. For instance, the Greek word for fornication is the word pornea. It is where we get our English word pornography. Pornia, graphe. Pornia is the word fornication, graphe is the Greek word I write or I draw. So pornography, basically speaking, is fornication writing or fornication drawing. The word for adultery is moitia. So you have two totally different words. You have the word adultery, moikia, and the word fornication, pornea.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to hold 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, but look back in your Bibles, if you would please, to Matthew chapter 19 and Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 19 and Matthew chapter 5. In Matthew 19 and verse 9, I want you to note what our Lord said, and I want you to look closely at this verse. He says in verse 9, And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery. Whosoever shall marry another, who is put away, doth commit adultery. Now I want you to note, He is not saying that fornication and adultery are the same. He said,"...whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery." So fornication and adultery are not synonymous. If you look in Matthew 5, verse 32, he says this,"...but I say to you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, calls it her to commit adultery. And whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committed adultery."

[John Weaver] So once again, it should be very clear that fornication and adultery are two totally different things. Now, it is not said that fornication is adultery. But it is said that marrying a woman divorced for grounds other than fornication is adultery.

[John Weaver] Now, the message that I'm going to teach today is not intended to be a dissertation on marriage and divorce. That is not the intent of this message at all. The intent of this message is to show you what fornication actually is.

[John Weaver] Now, when someone comes along and says then, well, adultery and fornication, are exactly the same, then what they are doing is confusing the words of our Lord in Matthew chapter 19 and Matthew chapter 5, and they are actually confounding two things that are absolutely totally different. Now, let me just try to explain before we get into some scriptures today what I'm talking about. Let's say that here is a married woman and she is unfaithful to her husband with another man. Everyone says, well, that's adultery. We recognize that as adultery. It is sexual impurity. Well, let me ask you a question. Suppose this woman is unfaithful to her husband with her own son or with her nephew. What is it then? It's more than adultery. It's adultery, but now it's incest. Let's suppose this woman is unfaithful to her husband, not with another man, but with another woman. Now, you see, it's sick, it's sin, but you see what I'm saying. So there has to be a word that is broader than just simply the word adultery.

[John Weaver] In other words, every act of sexual intercourse by a woman with a man other than her husband is indeed adultery. But there are instances and situations that go far beyond that.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand that Scripture always uses words purposefully and deliberately. For instance, look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 3. The book of Galatians chapter 3. And note, if you would please, verse 16, I believe it is. Galatians 3. Yes, verse 16. Now I want you to note how careful scripture is with words. In Galatians 3 verse 16, Now to Abraham and his seed, singular, were the promises made. He saith not unto seeds as of many, but as of one, and of thy seed which is Christ. So Paul is emphasizing that the Scripture says the promises were made to Abraham's seed. Well, who is that seed? Well, look in verse 29. He said, If you then be Christ, then are you Abraham's seed, and it is according to promise. So the seed that the promises were made to was none other than Jesus Christ. It was not necessarily made to all of his physical descendants. It was made to Jesus Christ, who is the true seed of Abraham. Now, if you look at your Bibles very quickly to Matthew chapter 22.

[John Weaver] Matthew chapter 22. And let me show you how precise Scripture is. Matthew chapter 22. And let's begin reading there with verse 23. Matthew 22, verse 23. The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection, and asked him, saying, Master, Moses said if a man die having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother. This was the Levirate marriage.

[John Weaver] Now there was with us seven brethren. And the first, when he had married a wife, deceased and having no issue, left his wife into his brother. Likewise, the second also, and the third into the seventh. And last of all, the woman died also. By the way, if I'd been that fifth or sixth or seventh brother, I don't think I'd have been interested in marrying that woman. Everybody married her or died. So, but anyhow. So they said, so seven husbands had her, and last of all she died. Verse 28, therefore the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven, for they all had her.

[John Weaver] Oh, they've got him tricked. Jesus answered and said unto them, You do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am?" the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

[John Weaver] What is our Lord doing? He is here teaching a doctrine based upon the tense of a verb. I am the God. Not I was. Not that these people are now dead. No, I am. They are alive. So that's how precise Scripture is. So Christ then is teaching the doctrine of the bodily resurrection and of the resurrection of the dead based upon the tense of a verb. So when Scripture then mentions the word fornication and mentions the word adultery, if Christ had meant that they were one and the same, he could have used the same word twice.

[John Weaver] But very clearly, he did not. Now, I want us to examine the scriptures this morning. I hope this won't take too long, but I want to just show you the breadth of the word fornication. And by the time we get through, then you will know whether or not the answer that you gave to yourself in your mind is scriptural or not. So let's look in our Bibles back to Matthew 15 and verse 19. Matthew 15 and verse 19.

[John Weaver] Now, you'll also find this same passage in Mark 7. We're not going to turn there. But let's begin reading there with verse 17. Christ is given a parable. And he's explaining to his disciples, and he says, Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in the mouth goeth in the belly, and is cast out in the draw. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. Now watch. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications. Thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Now, when someone says, well, adultery and fornication are the same, then you've got our Lord saying, for out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, and adulteries.

[John Weaver] No, there's something totally different because He distinguishes between them. Now, you're going to find that the word fornication, in a very broad sense, refers to all illicit intercourse, generally speaking. all unlawful, unbiblical, illegal, ungodly, and also lewdness as well, and sometimes the word even is used to refer to whoredom. Let me just show you. First of all, we'll begin with the general. Let's go to the book of Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1 and verse 29. Here the term is used very generally. Romans chapter 1. Notice, if you would please, verse 29. Romans 1, verse 29. He says, being filled, talking about, well, let's read verse 8 so you can get the context. He said, verse 28 it is, and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which were not convenient.

[John Weaver] being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy and murder, debate, deceit, malignancy, whispers, and he goes on about. But I want you to know he does not mention adultery in that passage. Why? Because the word fornication is very broad, and he's talking about sexual sins in general. He does not necessarily mention what you and I would refer to as sodomy, except maybe down in verse 31 without natural affection, but then that could also refer to attitudes toward parents as well. So the point I'm making is here, the word fornication then is a general term that would refer to lewdness in their morality in a very real sense and in a very broad sense.

[John Weaver] Now look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And here in this passage, fornication is a term that is used for a relationship with a prostitute. He says in verse 13, meats for the belly and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them.

[John Weaver] Now the body is not for fornication, there's our word, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God had both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot?"

[John Weaver] Now remember, he's talking about a relationship with a harlot or a prostitute. God forbid! What? "...know you not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For to Seth he shall be one flesh. He that is joined in the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication!" Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committed fornication sinneth against his own body." And then of course he goes on to say that our body is the temple of God. So here the word fornication refers specifically then to a relationship with what you and I would call a prostitute or a harlot.

[John Weaver] Now it had referred to illicit sexual relationships in general back in Romans chapter 1, but now specifically. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 7, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Watch this, isn't this interesting?

[John Weaver] Now concerning the things whereof you wrote unto me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. Now, what does that mean? Does that mean that I can't shake Janet's hand? Or I can't put my arm around Susie's shoulder? No. That's not what he's talking about. It means that you're touching someone with a sexual intent or with a lust or with some bad, wicked motive.

[John Weaver] Now, look what he says. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wine. And every woman have her own husband. Now God says to avoid all immorality, you have your own wife, you have your own husband.

[John Weaver] Now, let's go a little further. Verse 3, let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence. He's talking about physically now. And likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife is to take care of the husband, the husband take care of the wife.

[John Weaver] Now watch, the wife hath not power of her own body. but the husband. And likewise, also the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife."

[John Weaver] Now, here's a very interesting verse. "'Defraud you not one the other except it be with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.'

[John Weaver] Now look what he's saying. He's saying the ideal thing is this. Every man is to have his own wife. Every woman is to have her own husband. And when there is abstinence in the marriage, it has to be with consent. And usually, he is saying, the only lawful reason, outside of physical conditions, is that you give yourself to fasting and prayer. And he said, don't make that too long, lest Satan tempt you for your incompetency.

[John Weaver] But here the term fornication is used in 1 Corinthians 7, he says, to avoid it. Let every man have his own wife, every woman her own husband. Now look at 2 Corinthians 12, verse 21. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 21. And here in this passage, fornication is associated with, but it is distinct from, uncleanness. He says,"...unless when I come again my God will humble me among you, and then I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed." So here it is associated with uncleanness and lasciviousness, but it is distinct from those. Look in your Bibles now to the book of Galatians, chapter 5. Here's a passage that everyone is probably familiar with, Galatians 5. Let's begin reading there with verse 19. He says, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness. And once again, here fornication is distinct from adultery, and at the same time it's distinct from uncleanness and lasciviousness, but although uncleanness and lasciviousness and adultery can fit under fornication, but still they're mentioned distinctly.

[John Weaver] In verse 21, he goes on to say,"...in beings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of which I tell you and have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." So he's talking about all these works of the flesh that are mentioned here.

[John Weaver] Now look in the book of Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5, just running down the list. Here in Ephesians 5, Here is fornication which is not to be once named among the saints. He says, but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becoming saints.

[John Weaver] Now remember the word saint means to be holy. It means to be set apart exclusively for the use of God. The word saint, by the way, I hope you realize that you don't become saints when you die. According to some folks, you might become a haint, but you don't become a saint. No, you don't become a haint either.

[John Weaver] Now, that's a term for a ghost or a spirit. But saints are living people. Paul wrote to the saints that are at heart, to the saints that are at Ephesus, to the saints that are in Galatia, you see. So, he says, that must not be what's named among the saints. Look in the book of Galatians, chapter 4. Not Galatians, but Colossians, I'm sorry. Colossians, chapter 4, and verse 5.

[John Weaver] Here's one of the things that is to be mortified. He says, the book of Colossians, chapter 3 it should be, chapter 3, not 4, but chapter 3. He says, mortify, by the way that's where we get the word mortician from, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry." So here is something that is to be mortified or to be put to death. Now look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 9.

[John Weaver] We're going to come back to 1 Thessalonians in a little bit. But look in Revelation chapter 9 verse 21. Here are the unconverted And look what is said of these unconverted. Paul has just said in Galatians chapter 5, a fornicator is not going to inherit the kingdom of God. But in verse 21 of Revelation 9, he says, neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. So once again, the word fornication here would be inclusive of all sexual sins. Now, look back in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 8. Here is an interesting verse.

[John Weaver] In fact, this is an accusation that the Pharisees are making against Christ. And here the word fornication has a very interesting meaning. Here it would either refer to adultery, or it would refer to an illicit immoral relationship which culminated in an illegitimate birth. Look what they say after Christ rebukes and gets on to these Pharisees. They say in verse 41, he tells them, you do the deeds of your father. Then they say to him, we'd be not born of fornication. What are they implying? They're implying that Christ is an illegitimate child. Why? Because of the virgin birth. Because Joseph was not the father of Jesus Christ, God the Father was the father of Jesus Christ. And so they are implying then that anyone who produces a child, either through adultery or an illegitimate, unlawful sexual intercourse, is a fornicator, or is fornication, for they say, we be not born of fornication. This word is also used specifically to refer to incest in the Bible. Look in your Bibles. Well, let's go back. Let's go back, first of all, to the book of Leviticus.

[John Weaver] Then we'll go to 1 Corinthians. Remember the Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, okay? The Leviticus chapter 18 verse 8. The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover, it is thy father's nakedness. Look in Leviticus chapter 20 and verse 11. Leviticus 20 verse 11. And the man that lied with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness, both of them shall surely be put dead, their blood shall be upon them.

[John Weaver] So this is what you and I would refer to as incest. If you will look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5, there was a problem with that in the Corinthian church. In all probability, this was the man's stepmother, not his real mother. But look what is said in 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 1. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife. So here was a son who had taken his father, quite probably, his stepmother.

[John Weaver] I don't know that for sure. That's what most of the commentators say. But anyhow, Paul says in verse 5 that such a woman is to be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, etc. But I want you to note that this incestuous relationship is referred to then as for an occasion.

[John Weaver] Now look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 15. Acts chapter 15, here's the Jerusalem council and here's what they're saying. Acts 15, note if you would please verse 20. He says, but that we write unto them, that is these people who were Not there in Jerusalem, these were outside of Jerusalem, but that we write unto them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. Then verse 29, They said again, that you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication, from which if you keep yourselves, you shall do well fare you well. So once again, it is referred to as fornication. Now, there's another incident. I want you to look in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 2. I want you to see what is referred to as fornication here. Of course, I hope that you know that in the Old Testament, especially those of you who were here when I preached through Hosea, I preached 75 messages out of the book of Hosea, taking it chapter by chapter and verse by verse.

[John Weaver] But I want you to remember that God called Israel's unfaithfulness to Him spiritual adultery. Do you remember that?

[John Weaver] Now, look in the book of Revelation chapter 2 and verse 20. God says, notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. So here, evidently, false teaching, rebellion against God, And false worship is classified as fornication. So Jezebel then was teaching this wrong, erroneous, heterodox doctrine that was contrary to the Word of God. And God calls it fornication. So just like unfaithfulness to truth in the Old Testament is idolatry, So, unfaithfulness to truth in the New Testament is fornication.

[John Weaver] It's a broader term, but it's there. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Judges chapter 19. This one ought to take the cake for you. Judges chapter 19.

[John Weaver] Now, so far, everyone knows The fornication refers to sexual impurity in general. It can include adultery. It can include many things as well as uncleanness, lasciviousness, wickedness. I really ought to read the entire account, but I'm not going to be able to. But there was a Levite out of Bethlehem, Judah. whose wife left him. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 1. It came to pass in those days when there was no king in Israel that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of Mount Ephraim who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem, Judah. Now watch. Took him a concubine. I realize she's called a concubine there, but later on she's called his wife. Verse 2, note this phrase,"...and his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him into her father's house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there four whole months."

[John Weaver] And her husband arose, and went after her to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses. And she brought him into her father's house, and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he abode with him three days, so they did eat and drink and lodge there." So here he's called, her husband, here he's called the father-in-law, and we'll come back to that in just a moment.

[John Weaver] So they leave to go home, and they get to a city of Benjamin, and because the Levite is not going to camp out in a city of the heathen, so let's begin reading with verse 11. And when they were by Jeebus, the day was far spent, and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn into the city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside thither into the city of a stranger that is not of the children of Israel.

[John Weaver] We will pass over to Gibeah. And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge on by in Gibeah or in Ramah. And they passed on their way, and went their way, and the sun went down upon them when they were in Gibeah, which belonged to Benjamin. And they turned aside to go in and lodge in Gibeah. And when he went in, he set him down in the street of the city, for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge in. And behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at Even, which was also Mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah.

[John Weaver] And the men of the place were Benjamites. And when he lifted up his eyes and saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city, the old man said, Whence goest thou? Whence comest thou? And he said, We are passing from Bethlehem Judah toward the side of Mount Ephraim, from thence am I. And I went to Bethlehem, Judah, and am now going to the house of the Lord, and there is no man that receiveth me to house.

[John Weaver] Yet there is both straw and preventer for our asses, and there is bread and wine also for me and my handmaid. And for the young man which is thy servant, there is no one of anything." In other words, no one has put us up, and yet we've got all the food we need. All we need is a place to sleep. And the old man said,"'Peace be on thee, house of her. Let all thy wants lie upon me. I'll feed you. I'll take care of you.

[John Weaver] Only lodge not in the street.'" Now, I hope you know the story from here. When the man gets in, the men of the city come out and say, send the man out that we may know him. And he says, no. Yeah, the Benjamites. And he says, no, he says, don't do that. Look in verse 23. The master of the house went out on them, said, Nay, my brother, nay, I pray you do not so wickedly seem to this man is coming to my house. Do not this folly.

[John Weaver] Behold, here is my daughter, a maiden. Now that's hard for me to comprehend. And his concubine, then will I bring you out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you. But unto this man do not so vile a thing.

[John Weaver] Now watch, but the men would not hearken him. So the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them. And they knew her, and abused her all the night into the morning. And when the day began to spring, they let her go. Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house. where her Lord was till it was light. And the Lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went on to go in his way. And behold, the woman is talking about his falling out of the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

[John Weaver] And he said, Up, let us be going, but none answered. Then the man took her up. She was dead. They had killed her. They took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up and got him to his place. And here's something a little gross and gruesome, but it happened. And when he was coming to his house, he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and divided her together with her bones into twelve pieces and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm not going to get into the battle of the Sudo. What he was doing was, this is what my people, the Benjamites, this is what our people did to us. Here's what they did to my wife. Oh, that's just an interesting passage. Israel comes and fights against them, but here's what I want you to look at. Let's go back to verse 2. And his concubine, that is his wife, played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house of Bethlehem Judah, and there arose of their vote four months. Now, in the Septuagint, the phrase, played the whore against him, is translated, she fornicated against him.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. First of all, was this woman having a sexual relationship with her father? What's the answer? No. No. That would have been incest. That would have been certain and sure death. Moreover, if this had been the case, no Levite, no Israelite, but especially a Levite, would have ever deigned to go and retrieve her. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles. Hold Judges 19. But look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus, chapter 19 and verse 29. Chapter 19, verse 29.

[John Weaver] I want you to watch very quickly. Leviticus 19, verse 29. God says, do not prostitute thy daughter to cause her to be a whore, lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness. Now, for a man's daughter to be such was great infamy and great wickedness in the land. Look in Deuteronomy 23, verse 17. Deuteronomy 23, verse 17. Deuteronomy 23, verse 17.

[John Weaver] Deuteronomy 23, verse 17, God says, There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus. Go back to Leviticus chapter 21, and look, if you would please, at verse 7. Leviticus 21. And verse 7, we're talking about the Levites, we're talking about the priests. They shall not take a wife that is a whore or profane, neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband, for he is holy unto the Lord. God absolutely forbade a Levite or a priest to marry a whore or profane woman or a woman that's been put away. Why? Because the Levite is holy. Now, the Levite went to get his wife back.

[John Weaver] Had she been what you and I would call sexually impure, he would have never gone after her. Remember, adultery in the Old Testament, and in the New by the way, merited the death penalty. Incest merited the death penalty. If this woman had been impure, The Levite would have never gone after her, and had she been involved in incest, he certainly would not have ever gone after her. It was forbidden for him by God to have such a woman. Well, the question has got to be asked, why then is this woman called a whore, or why is she called a fornicator when she was not involved physically with any other man?

[John Weaver] Let me tell you why. Because fornication is also rebellion and stubbornness. What did this woman do? She would not submit to her husband's authority. She didn't like being submissive. And so what did she do? She ran away to her father's house. Not that she was sexually impure. Not that she had committed what you and I would call a sexual act against her. She was just stubborn. She was just revenged. She left him and God calls it fornication. Isn't that interesting? So a person can be a fornicator and never commit a sexually impure act because that person can be stubborn and rebellious like this woman. So fornication here is stubbornness and rebellion.

[John Weaver] Now, let me begin to try to tie some things together for you, okay? Fornication, according to all the scriptures that we've looked at, is any and all kinds of uncleanness, lasciviousness, pornography, impure thoughts. premarital sex of any kind, unfaithfulness to one's spouse of any kind whatsoever. Doesn't matter if it's a man, woman, boy, girl, whatever. All of that is fornication, and fornication that includes stubbornness and rebellion and contempt and irreverence.

[John Weaver] One of these days I'm going to bring a message just upon this thought. I want you to see it. Look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 5. Watch this. Look in Ephesians 5 verse 33. Look what Christ says. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself. Now what is my requirement from God that I love my wife even as I love myself? What is God's requirement for my wife? Look at it. and the wife see that she reverence her husband. To honor. Not to be sarcastic with, not to hold in contempt or disgust, but to honor her husband. Now, when the wife dishonors and treats with contempt and in reverence, and is stubborn and rebellious, it is called fornication in the scripture. So fornication, then, is a very, very broad word.

[John Weaver] It covers all impurity whatsoever. If I had time today, I'd take you back through Proverbs. I want you, when you get home, if you would, to take the time to read Proverbs 5, 6, and 7. You will find that the Word of God forbids All impurity in every area of our life.

[John Weaver] Now listen to what our Lord says. This is the will of God. Don't have to guess about it. This is the will of God, even your sanctification. That is your holiness. You're being set apart exclusively for God's use. You're being prepared for God and for His work. You being upright, this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you abstain from fornication. All impurity, all uncleanness, all perverseness, all stubbornness, all rebellion, all irreverence.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make an application to tie it together. Why is he specifying fornication? Because the Bible created what you and I would know as a family society, or a society based upon the family, a familistic society. The family is the very center of society. Without the family, you can't have a church. Without the family, you can't have a government. The family is absolutely fundamental to life. Now listen to me.

[John Weaver] Let's take the wife first. On the part of the wife. If she is unfaithful, what is she doing? First of all, she is introducing an alien loyalty to the home. If she conceives, she's introducing an alien seed on the part of the husband. On his part, it is also treason and disloyalty. But it also undermines his moral authority. Let me go further. It undermines his headship. A morally clean husband, a morally pure husband, can exercise headship with authority and confidence. But a husband that has been compromised through sexual impurity.

[John Weaver] He is either arbitrary or weak. He is willing to give in to account for his sins. He has no confidence and he cannot exercise his authority. So fornication and everything that falls under the umbrella of fornication It's destructive of the home. It's destructive of the family. It's destructive of society. It's destructive of the church. It's destructive of the nation. And if you don't believe that, look at the White House. Look at Congress.

[John Weaver] And you know why Clinton's approval rating is still high? Because the majority of the people in this country do the same thing he does, and it excuses their rebellion and their sin. And God says, this is my will for you, that you abstain from fornication.

[John Weaver] Now next week we're going to get into verse 4. That's a clarification. that every one of you know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ for your love and for your mercy in our lives. We do pray, Father, that you would indeed make us holy and godly, sanctify us, set us apart exclusively for yourself and for your use. May we love Thee with all of our hearts and souls, in Christ's name, Amen.

4 Sanctification & Sexual Purity

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1022071350404
Subject	Family Government
Course	The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: The Family
Genre	Sermon
Date	2007-10-22
Dictation Name
Book	Book 027: The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order — Chapter 6
Source Timed Segments	73

Formatted Transcript

Review of Previous Messages

Weaver recaps the first three messages on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3, covering the exhortation to walk and please God, the explanation of commandments, and the affirmation that sanctification is God's will.

I have been dealing with this passage for the last several weeks, and hopefully we'll finish it up in the next couple of weeks. But let's begin reading with verse 1. 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 1. Paul writes,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

"Furthermore then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us, how you ought to walk and to please God, so that you would abound more and more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who knew not God." "That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we have also forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given us his Holy Spirit."

I've been teaching along the general theme of sanctification and sexual purity, but notice if you would please in verse 1, which is the first message we covered, and that is an exhortation. In that exhortation, there is first of all a practical necessity when Paul writes,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

"...for you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God."

The practical necessity is that we must be taught. Secondly, there was a personal application, because he said how you ought to walk and to please God.

So while any preacher may teach you the Word of God, he cannot personally apply the Word of God for you. You must do that. And then thirdly, there was in verse 1 a progressive reality. He said, so you would abound more and more. So there is to be no regression. There is to be no neutrality. We are to be going from faith to faith and from glory to glory. And then secondly in verse 2 was the explanation.

He says, for you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. In other words, this is how they knew how they were to walk and to please God: by following the commandments, by following the teaching of the Word of God. And then last week, we began in verse 3, the exposition where he says, for this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication. Now, under verse 3, we have first of all an affirmation. This is the will of God. I pointed out that this phrase is used numerous times in Scripture. There are several specific areas that are very, very plain. For instance, if you will look in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 18, he says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

So there are some areas that you and I may be, you know, really not totally aware of what exactly the will of God is, but there are some areas that are very specific. And 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 3 is one of those, when he says, for this is the will of God.

So you have an affirmation. Secondly, in verse 3, you have an explanation where he says, this is the will of God, even your sanctification. And then last week I told you what sanctification consists of. First of all, it means holy. It means worthy of veneration. It means to be set apart exclusively for the use of God. It means to be prepared for God. And then fourthly, it means to be holy, to be upright, to be pure, and to be sinless. So he says very plainly in verse 3, this is the will of God, even your sanctification.

Introduction to the Negation: Abstain from Fornication

The sermon introduces the phrase 'that you abstain from fornication' as a negation that is part of sanctification, emphasizing the need to understand what fornication means.

Now today we come to this last phrase in verse 3, and I'm going to say here is a negation: that you abstain from fornication. In other words, abstaining from fornication is part and parcel then of our sanctification. After he tells us what we are to be, that is sanctified, he tells us one area which we are to abstain or stay away from if we're going to be sanctified, and that is fornication. Now, very obviously, before anyone can abstain from fornication, he must know exactly what fornication is.

Now, let me ask this question, and don't answer it out loud, but you answer this in your mind. What is fornication? Just give an answer in your own mind. What do you actually think fornication is? Well, let me give you several answers that are the general answers that I have heard all of my life, and which I might add both are untrue. But the first answer would go something like this: Well, adultery is between married people and fornication is between unmarried people, and that's how they... Or they may say something like this: fornication is sexual impurity before marriage, and adultery is sexual impurity after marriage. And so they try to just give a very general term like that. But let me just tell you something: fornication is a term that is far broader than the word adultery. It includes adultery, but fornication is far broader than just simply adultery. Let me say it like this: fornication and adultery are not synonymous terms.

Fornication is Not Synonymous with Adultery

Weaver refutes the common misconception that fornication only refers to premarital sex and adultery to postmarital sex, showing from Matthew 19:9 and 5:32 that the two terms are distinct.

They do not mean exactly the same thing. For instance, the Greek word for fornication is the word porneia. It is where we get our English word pornography. Porneia, graphe. Porneia is the word fornication, graphe is the Greek word "I write" or "I draw." So pornography, basically speaking, is fornication writing or fornication drawing. The word for adultery is moicheia. So you have two totally different words. You have the word adultery, moicheia, and the word fornication, porneia.

Now, I want you to hold 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, but look back in your Bibles, if you would please, to Matthew chapter 19 and Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 19 and Matthew chapter 5. In Matthew 19 and verse 9, I want you to note what our Lord said, and I want you to look closely at this verse. He says in verse 9,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 19:9

"And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery. Whosoever shall marry another, who is put away, doth commit adultery."

Now I want you to note, He is not saying that fornication and adultery are the same. He said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 19:9

"...whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery."

So fornication and adultery are not synonymous. If you look in Matthew 5, verse 32, he says this,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 19:9

"...but I say to you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery. And whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery."

So once again, it should be very clear that fornication and adultery are two totally different things. Now, it is not said that fornication is adultery. But it is said that marrying a woman divorced for grounds other than fornication is adultery.

The Breadth of Fornication in Scripture

A survey of New Testament passages demonstrates that porneia includes general sexual impurity, relations with prostitutes, incest, and even spiritual unfaithfulness.

Now, the message that I'm going to teach today is not intended to be a dissertation on marriage and divorce. That is not the intent of this message at all. The intent of this message is to show you what fornication actually is. Now, when someone comes along and says then, well, adultery and fornication are exactly the same, then what they are doing is confusing the words of our Lord in Matthew chapter 19 and Matthew chapter 5, and they are actually confounding two things that are absolutely totally different. Now, let me just try to explain before we get into some scriptures today what I'm talking about. Let's say that here is a married woman and she is unfaithful to her husband with another man. Everyone says, well, that's adultery. We recognize that as adultery. It is sexual impurity. Well, let me ask you a question. Suppose this woman is unfaithful to her husband with her own son or with her nephew. What is it then? It's more than adultery. It's adultery, but now it's incest. Let's suppose this woman is unfaithful to her husband, not with another man, but with another woman. Now, you see, it's sick, it's sin, but you see what I'm saying. So there has to be a word that is broader than just simply the word adultery.

In other words, every act of sexual intercourse by a woman with a man other than her husband is indeed adultery. But there are instances and situations that go far beyond that. Now, I want you to understand that Scripture always uses words purposefully and deliberately. For instance, look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 3. The book of Galatians chapter 3. And note, if you would please, verse 16, I believe it is. Galatians 3. Yes, verse 16. Now I want you to note how careful scripture is with words. In Galatians 3 verse 16,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 3:16, 29

"Now to Abraham and his seed, singular, were the promises made. He saith not unto seeds as of many, but as of one, and of thy seed which is Christ."

So Paul is emphasizing that the Scripture says the promises were made to Abraham's seed. Well, who is that seed? Well, look in verse 29. He said, "If ye then be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." So the seed that the promises were made to was none other than Jesus Christ. It was not necessarily made to all of his physical descendants. It was made to Jesus Christ, who is the true seed of Abraham. Now, if you look at your Bibles very quickly to Matthew chapter 22.

Matthew chapter 22. And let me show you how precise Scripture is. Matthew chapter 22. And let's begin reading there with verse 23. Matthew 22, verse 23. "The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection, and asked him, saying, Master, Moses said if a man die having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother." This was the Levirate marriage. "Now there was with us seven brethren. And the first, when he had married a wife, deceased and having no issue, left his wife unto his brother. Likewise, the second also, and the third unto the seventh. And last of all, the woman died also." By the way, if I'd been that fifth or sixth or seventh brother, I don't think I'd have been interested in marrying that woman. Everybody married her or died. So, but anyhow. So they said, "So seven husbands had her, and last of all she died." Verse 28, "Therefore in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven, for they all had her."

Oh, they've got him tricked. "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." What is our Lord doing? He is here teaching a doctrine based upon the tense of a verb. "I am the God." Not "I was." Not that these people are now dead. No, "I am." They are alive. So that's how precise Scripture is. So Christ then is teaching the doctrine of the bodily resurrection and of the resurrection of the dead based upon the tense of a verb. So when Scripture then mentions the word fornication and mentions the word adultery, if Christ had meant that they were one and the same, he could have used the same word twice.

But very clearly, he did not. Now, I want us to examine the scriptures this morning. I hope this won't take too long, but I want to just show you the breadth of the word fornication. And by the time we get through, then you will know whether or not the answer that you gave to yourself in your mind is scriptural or not. So let's look in our Bibles back to Matthew 15 and verse 19. Matthew 15 and verse 19.

Now, you'll also find this same passage in Mark 7. We're not going to turn there. But let's begin reading there with verse 17. Christ is given a parable. And he's explaining to his disciples, and he says, "Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in the mouth goeth in the belly, and is cast out in the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. Now watch. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Now, when someone says, well, adultery and fornication are the same, then you've got our Lord saying, for out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, and adulteries.

No, there's something totally different because He distinguishes between them. Now, you're going to find that the word fornication, in a very broad sense, refers to all illicit intercourse, generally speaking, all unlawful, unbiblical, illegal, ungodly, and also lewdness as well, and sometimes the word even is used to refer to whoredom. Let me just show you. First of all, we'll begin with the general. Let's go to the book of Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1 and verse 29. Here the term is used very generally. Romans chapter 1. Notice, if you would please, verse 29. Romans 1, verse 29. He says, "being filled," talking about, well, let's read verse 28 so you can get the context. He said, verse 28 it is, "and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which were not convenient."

"Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy and murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers," and he goes on about. But I want you to know he does not mention adultery in that passage. Why? Because the word fornication is very broad, and he's talking about sexual sins in general. He does not necessarily mention what you and I would refer to as sodomy, except maybe down in verse 31 "without natural affection," but then that could also refer to attitudes toward parents as well. So the point I'm making is here, the word fornication then is a general term that would refer to lewdness in their morality in a very real sense and in a very broad sense.

Now look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And here in this passage, fornication is a term that is used for a relationship with a prostitute. He says in verse 13,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:13-18

"Meats for the belly and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them." "Now the body is not for fornication,"

there's our word,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:13-18

"but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot?"

Now remember, he's talking about a relationship with a harlot or a prostitute. "God forbid! What? Know ye not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh. He that is joined in the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication! Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." And then of course he goes on to say that our body is the temple of God. So here the word fornication refers specifically then to a relationship with what you and I would call a prostitute or a harlot.

Now it had referred to illicit sexual relationships in general back in Romans chapter 1, but now specifically. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 7, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Watch this, isn't this interesting?

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 7:1-5

"Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman."

Now, what does that mean? Does that mean that I can't shake Janet's hand? Or I can't put my arm around Susie's shoulder? No. That's not what he's talking about. It means that you're touching someone with a sexual intent or with a lust or with some bad, wicked motive.

Now, look what he says. "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and every woman have her own husband." Now God says to avoid all immorality, you have your own wife, you have your own husband. Now, let's go a little further. Verse 3, "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence." He's talking about physically now. "And likewise also the wife unto the husband." The wife is to take care of the husband, the husband take care of the wife.

Now watch, "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband. And likewise, also the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife." Now, here's a very interesting verse. "Defraud ye not one the other except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."

Now look what he's saying. He's saying the ideal thing is this: Every man is to have his own wife. Every woman is to have her own husband. And when there is abstinence in the marriage, it has to be with consent. And usually, he is saying, the only lawful reason, outside of physical conditions, is that you give yourself to fasting and prayer. And he said, don't make that too long, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.

But here the term fornication is used in 1 Corinthians 7, he says, to avoid it. Let every man have his own wife, every woman her own husband. Now look at 2 Corinthians 12, verse 21. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 21. And here in this passage, fornication is associated with, but it is distinct from, uncleanness. He says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 12:21

"...lest when I come again my God will humble me among you, and then I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed."

So here it is associated with uncleanness and lasciviousness, but it is distinct from those. Look in your Bibles now to the book of Galatians, chapter 5. Here's a passage that everyone is probably familiar with, Galatians 5. Let's begin reading there with verse 19. He says, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness." And once again, here fornication is distinct from adultery, and at the same time it's distinct from uncleanness and lasciviousness, but although uncleanness and lasciviousness and adultery can fit under fornication, but still they're mentioned distinctly.

In verse 21, he goes on to say,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:19-21

"...envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like, of the which I tell you and have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

So he's talking about all these works of the flesh that are mentioned here. Now look in the book of Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5, just running down the list. Here in Ephesians 5, here is fornication which is not to be once named among the saints. He says, "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh saints."

Now remember the word saint means to be holy. It means to be set apart exclusively for the use of God. The word saint, by the way, I hope you realize that you don't become saints when you die. According to some folks, you might become a haint, but you don't become a saint. No, you don't become a haint either.

Now, that's a term for a ghost or a spirit. But saints are living people. Paul wrote to the saints that are at Rome, to the saints that are at Ephesus, to the saints that are in Galatia, you see. So, he says, that must not be once named among the saints. Look in the book of Colossians, chapter 3, and verse 5. Here's one of the things that is to be mortified. He says, the book of Colossians, chapter 3 it should be, chapter 3, not 4, but chapter 3. He says, "Mortify," by the way that's where we get the word mortician from,

Scripture Reading — Colossians 3:5

"mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry."

So here is something that is to be mortified or to be put to death. Now look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 9.

We're going to come back to 1 Thessalonians in a little bit. But look in Revelation chapter 9 verse 21. Here are the unconverted. And look what is said of these unconverted. Paul has just said in Galatians chapter 5, a fornicator is not going to inherit the kingdom of God. But in verse 21 of Revelation 9, he says,

Scripture Reading — Revelation 9:21

"Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts."

So once again, the word fornication here would be inclusive of all sexual sins. Now, look back in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 8. Here is an interesting verse.

In fact, this is an accusation that the Pharisees are making against Christ. And here the word fornication has a very interesting meaning. Here it would either refer to adultery, or it would refer to an illicit immoral relationship which culminated in an illegitimate birth. Look what they say after Christ rebukes and gets on to these Pharisees. They say in verse 41, he tells them, "Ye do the deeds of your father." Then they say to him, "We be not born of fornication." What are they implying? They're implying that Christ is an illegitimate child. Why? Because of the virgin birth. Because Joseph was not the father of Jesus Christ, God the Father was the father of Jesus Christ. And so they are implying then that anyone who produces a child, either through adultery or an illegitimate, unlawful sexual intercourse, is a fornicator, or is fornication, for they say, "We be not born of fornication." This word is also used specifically to refer to incest in the Bible. Look in your Bibles. Well, let's go back. Let's go back, first of all, to the book of Leviticus.

Then we'll go to 1 Corinthians. Remember the Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, okay? The Leviticus chapter 18 verse 8.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 18:8; 20:11

"The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover, it is thy father's nakedness."

Look in Leviticus chapter 20 and verse 11. Leviticus 20 verse 11. "And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness, both of them shall surely be put to death, their blood shall be upon them."

So this is what you and I would refer to as incest. If you will look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5, there was a problem with that in the Corinthian church. In all probability, this was the man's stepmother, not his real mother. But look what is said in 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 1. "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife." So here was a son who had taken his father's, quite probably, his stepmother. I don't know that for sure. That's what most of the commentators say. But anyhow, Paul says in verse 5 that such a one is to be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, etc. But I want you to note that this incestuous relationship is referred to then as fornication.

Now look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 15. Acts chapter 15, here's the Jerusalem council and here's what they're saying. Acts 15, note if you would please verse 20. He says,

Scripture Reading — Acts 15:20, 29

"But that we write unto them,"

that is these people who were not there in Jerusalem, these were outside of Jerusalem,

Scripture Reading — Acts 15:20, 29

"but that we write unto them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood."

Then verse 29, they said again,

Scripture Reading — Acts 15:20, 29

"that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication, from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well."

So once again, it is referred to as fornication. Now, there's another incident. I want you to look in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 2. I want you to see what is referred to as fornication here. Of course, I hope that you know that in the Old Testament, especially those of you who were here when I preached through Hosea, I preached 75 messages out of the book of Hosea, taking it chapter by chapter and verse by verse.

But I want you to remember that God called Israel's unfaithfulness to Him spiritual adultery. Do you remember that? Now, look in the book of Revelation chapter 2 and verse 20. God says,

Scripture Reading — Revelation 2:20-21

"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not."

So here, evidently, false teaching, rebellion against God, and false worship is classified as fornication. So Jezebel then was teaching this wrong, erroneous, heterodox doctrine that was contrary to the Word of God. And God calls it fornication. So just like unfaithfulness to truth in the Old Testament is idolatry, so unfaithfulness to truth in the New Testament is fornication.

It's a broader term, but it's there. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Judges chapter 19. This one ought to take the cake for you. Judges chapter 19.

Now, so far, everyone knows the fornication refers to sexual impurity in general. It can include adultery. It can include many things as well as uncleanness, lasciviousness, wickedness. I really ought to read the entire account, but I'm not going to be able to. But there was a Levite out of Bethlehem, Judah, whose wife left him. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 1. "It came to pass in those days when there was no king in Israel that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of Mount Ephraim who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem, Judah." Now watch. Took him a concubine. I realize she's called a concubine there, but later on she's called his wife. Verse 2, note this phrase, "...and his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him into her father's house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there four whole months."

Fornication as Rebellion: The Levite's Concubine

Using Judges 19, Weaver argues that the concubine's 'playing the whore' was not physical adultery but stubbornness and rebellion against her husband, showing that fornication includes irreverence and contempt.

It's a broader term, but it's there. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Judges chapter 19. This one ought to take the cake for you. Judges chapter 19.

"And her husband arose, and went after her to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses. And she brought him into her father's house, and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he abode with him three days, so they did eat and drink and lodge there." So here he's called her husband, here he's called the father-in-law, and we'll come back to that in just a moment. So they leave to go home, and they get to a city of Benjamin, and because the Levite is not going to camp out in a city of the heathen, so let's begin reading with verse 11. "And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent, and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn into the city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside thither into the city of a stranger that is not of the children of Israel."

"We will pass over to Gibeah. And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night in Gibeah or in Ramah. And they passed on their way, and went their way, and the sun went down upon them when they were in Gibeah, which belonged to Benjamin. And they turned aside to go in and lodge in Gibeah. And when he went in, he set him down in the street of the city, for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge in. And behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at Even, which was also Mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah." "And the men of the place were Benjamites. And when he lifted up his eyes and saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city, the old man said, Whither goest thou? Whence comest thou? And he said, We are passing from Bethlehem Judah toward the side of Mount Ephraim, from thence am I. And I went to Bethlehem, Judah, and am now going to the house of the Lord, and there is no man that receiveth me to house."

"Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses, and there is bread and wine also for me and my handmaid. And for the young man which is thy servant, there is no want of anything." In other words, no one has put us up, and yet we've got all the food we need. All we need is a place to sleep. And the old man said, "Peace be on thee, howsoever. Let all thy wants lie upon me. I'll feed you. I'll take care of you."

"Only lodge not in the street." Now, I hope you know the story from here. When the man gets in, the men of the city come out and say, "Send the man out that we may know him." And he says, "No." Yeah, the Benjamites. And he says, "No," he says, "don't do that." Look in verse 23. "The master of the house went out on them, said, Nay, my brother, nay, I pray you do not so wickedly seeing this man is come into my house. Do not this folly." "Behold, here is my daughter, a maiden." Now that's hard for me to comprehend. "And his concubine, then will I bring you out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you. But unto this man do not so vile a thing."

Now watch, "But the men would not hearken him. So the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them. And they knew her, and abused her all the night into the morning. And when the day began to spring, they let her go. Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was till it was light. And her lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go in his way. And behold, the woman," talking about his, "falling out of the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold."

"And he said, Up, let us be going, but none answered. Then the man took her up." She was dead. They had killed her. "They took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up and got him to his place. And here's something a little gross and gruesome, but it happened. And when he was coming to his house, he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and divided her together with her bones into twelve pieces and sent her into all the coasts of Israel."

Now, I'm not going to get into the battle of the issue. What he was doing was, this is what my people, the Benjamites, this is what our people did to us. Here's what they did to my wife. Oh, that's just an interesting passage. Israel comes and fights against them, but here's what I want you to look at. Let's go back to verse 2. "And his concubine," that is his wife, "played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house of Bethlehem Judah, and there abode four whole months." Now, in the Septuagint, the phrase "played the whore against him" is translated "she fornicated against him."

Now let me ask you a question. First of all, was this woman having a sexual relationship with her father? What's the answer? No. No. That would have been incest. That would have been certain and sure death. Moreover, if this had been the case, no Levite, no Israelite, but especially a Levite, would have ever deigned to go and retrieve her. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles. Hold Judges 19. But look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus, chapter 19 and verse 29. Chapter 19, verse 29.

I want you to watch very quickly. Leviticus 19, verse 29. God says, "Do not prostitute thy daughter to cause her to be a whore, lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness." Now, for a man's daughter to be such was great infamy and great wickedness in the land. Look in Deuteronomy 23, verse 17. Deuteronomy 23, verse 17.

Deuteronomy 23, verse 17, God says, "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel." Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus. Go back to Leviticus chapter 21, and look, if you would please, at verse 7. Leviticus 21. And verse 7, we're talking about the Levites, we're talking about the priests. "They shall not take a wife that is a whore or profane, neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband, for he is holy unto the Lord." God absolutely forbade a Levite or a priest to marry a whore or profane woman or a woman that's been put away. Why? Because the Levite is holy. Now, the Levite went to get his wife back.

Had she been what you and I would call sexually impure, he would have never gone after her. Remember, adultery in the Old Testament, and in the New by the way, merited the death penalty. Incest merited the death penalty. If this woman had been impure, the Levite would have never gone after her, and had she been involved in incest, he certainly would not have ever gone after her. It was forbidden for him by God to have such a woman. Well, the question has got to be asked, why then is this woman called a whore, or why is she called a fornicator when she was not involved physically with any other man? Let me tell you why. Because fornication is also rebellion and stubbornness. What did this woman do? She would not submit to her husband's authority. She didn't like being submissive. And so what did she do? She ran away to her father's house. Not that she was sexually impure. Not that she had committed what you and I would call a sexual act against her. She was just stubborn. She was just rebellious. She left him and God calls it fornication. Isn't that interesting? So a person can be a fornicator and never commit a sexually impure act because that person can be stubborn and rebellious like this woman. So fornication here is stubbornness and rebellion.

Now, let me begin to try to tie some things together for you, okay? Fornication, according to all the scriptures that we've looked at, is any and all kinds of uncleanness, lasciviousness, pornography, impure thoughts, premarital sex of any kind, unfaithfulness to one's spouse of any kind whatsoever. Doesn't matter if it's a man, woman, boy, girl, whatever. All of that is fornication, and fornication that includes stubbornness and rebellion and contempt and irreverence.

Application: The Destructive Nature of Fornication

Fornication undermines the family, church, and society by introducing disloyalty, alien seed, and moral compromise, destroying a husband's authority and a wife's reverence.

One of these days I'm going to bring a message just upon this thought. I want you to see it. Look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 5. Watch this. Look in Ephesians 5 verse 33. Look what Christ says. "Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself." Now what is my requirement from God? That I love my wife even as I love myself. What is God's requirement for my wife? Look at it. "And the wife see that she reverence her husband." To honor. Not to be sarcastic with, not to hold in contempt or disgust, but to honor her husband. Now, when the wife dishonors and treats with contempt and irreverence, and is stubborn and rebellious, it is called fornication in the scripture. So fornication, then, is a very, very broad word.

It covers all impurity whatsoever. If I had time today, I'd take you back through Proverbs. I want you, when you get home, if you would, to take the time to read Proverbs 5, 6, and 7. You will find that the Word of God forbids all impurity in every area of our life.

Now listen to what our Lord says. This is the will of God. Don't have to guess about it. This is the will of God, even your sanctification. That is your holiness. You're being set apart exclusively for God's use. You're being prepared for God and for His work. You being upright, this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you abstain from fornication. All impurity, all uncleanness, all perverseness, all stubbornness, all rebellion, all irreverence.

Now, let me make an application to tie it together. Why is he specifying fornication? Because the Bible created what you and I would know as a family society, or a society based upon the family, a familistic society. The family is the very center of society. Without the family, you can't have a church. Without the family, you can't have a government. The family is absolutely fundamental to life. Now listen to me.

Let's take the wife first. On the part of the wife, if she is unfaithful, what is she doing? First of all, she is introducing an alien loyalty to the home. If she conceives, she's introducing an alien seed. On the part of the husband, on his part, it is also treason and disloyalty. But it also undermines his moral authority. Let me go further. It undermines his headship. A morally clean husband, a morally pure husband, can exercise headship with authority and confidence. But a husband that has been compromised through sexual impurity...

He is either arbitrary or weak. He is willing to give in to account for his sins. He has no confidence and he cannot exercise his authority. So fornication and everything that falls under the umbrella of fornication, it's destructive of the home. It's destructive of the family. It's destructive of society. It's destructive of the church. It's destructive of the nation. And if you don't believe that, look at the White House. Look at Congress.

And you know why Clinton's approval rating is still high? Because the majority of the people in this country do the same thing he does, and it excuses their rebellion and their sin. And God says, this is my will for you, that you abstain from fornication.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Sanctification as God's Will

Summary: God's will for believers is their sanctification, which involves being set apart for God, holy, and pure.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'This is the will of God, even your sanctification' (1 Thessalonians 4:3) and explains that sanctification means to be holy, set apart, prepared for God, and sinless.

The Broad Definition of Fornication

Summary: Fornication (porneia) encompasses all forms of sexual impurity, not just adultery, including uncleanness, lasciviousness, pornography, premarital sex, incest, and even rebellion.

Evidence: Weaver surveys multiple scriptures (Matthew 15:19, Romans 1:29, 1 Corinthians 6:13-18, etc.) to show that porneia is a broad term distinct from moicheia (adultery).

The Destructive Impact of Sexual Sin

Summary: Fornication destroys the family, church, and society by undermining moral authority, introducing disloyalty, and corrupting the home.

Evidence: Weaver explains that a husband's impurity makes him arbitrary or weak, and a wife's unfaithfulness introduces alien loyalty; he cites the White House and Congress as examples of societal decay.

The Necessity of Abstinence

Summary: Believers are commanded to abstain from all forms of fornication as part of their sanctification.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes the command 'that you abstain from fornication' and applies it to all impurity, stubbornness, and rebellion.

Key Arguments

Fornication and adultery are distinct terms

Summary: The Greek words porneia and moicheia are different, and Jesus distinguishes them in Matthew 19:9 and 5:32, proving they are not synonymous.

Evidence: Weaver points out that in Matthew 19:9, Jesus says 'except it be for fornication' and then 'committeth adultery,' showing two different concepts.

Fornication includes all illicit sexual intercourse

Summary: Scripture uses porneia for general sexual sins (Romans 1:29), relations with prostitutes (1 Corinthians 6:13-18), and incest (1 Corinthians 5:1).

Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 1:29 where fornication is listed among general sins, and 1 Corinthians 5:1 where an incestuous relationship is called fornication.

Fornication can be non-sexual rebellion

Summary: In Judges 19, the Levite's concubine 'played the whore' by leaving her husband in stubbornness, not by physical adultery, showing that fornication includes rebellion and irreverence.

Evidence: Weaver argues that the concubine's act was not sexual impurity but rebellion, and the Septuagint translates it as 'she fornicated against him.'

Sexual purity is essential for moral authority

Summary: A husband's impurity undermines his headship and confidence, making him arbitrary or weak, while a wife's reverence is commanded.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'A morally clean husband... can exercise headship with authority and confidence. But a husband that has been compromised... is either arbitrary or weak.'

Scripture References

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Context: The primary passage being expounded, emphasizing sanctification and abstaining from fornication.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Context: Cited as another example of a specific statement of God's will: 'In everything give thanks.'

Matthew 19:9

Context: Used to show that Jesus distinguishes between fornication and adultery.

Matthew 5:32

Context: Further evidence that fornication and adultery are not synonymous.

Galatians 3:16, 29

Context: Illustrates the precision of Scripture in using singular 'seed' to refer to Christ.

Matthew 22:23-33

Context: Shows Jesus teaching the resurrection based on the tense of a verb ('I am'), demonstrating scriptural precision.

Matthew 15:19

Context: Lists 'adulteries' and 'fornications' separately, indicating they are distinct.

Romans 1:28-29

Context: Fornication used as a general term for sexual sins.

1 Corinthians 6:13-18

Context: Fornication specifically refers to relations with a harlot/prostitute.

1 Corinthians 7:1-5

Context: Marriage is given to avoid fornication; mutual consent for abstinence.

2 Corinthians 12:21

Context: Fornication associated with but distinct from uncleanness and lasciviousness.

Galatians 5:19-21

Context: Lists adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness as separate works of the flesh.

Ephesians 5:3

Context: Fornication not to be once named among saints.

Colossians 3:5

Context: Fornication is to be mortified (put to death).

Revelation 9:21

Context: The unconverted did not repent of their fornication.

John 8:41

Context: Pharisees imply Jesus was born of fornication, meaning illegitimate birth.

Leviticus 18:8; 20:11

Context: Incest with father's wife is forbidden; death penalty.

1 Corinthians 5:1

Context: Incestuous relationship in Corinth called fornication.

Acts 15:20, 29

Context: Gentile believers instructed to abstain from fornication.

Revelation 2:20-21

Context: Jezebel's false teaching and seduction called fornication.

Historical References

Clinton's approval rating

Context: Weaver references President Clinton's high approval rating despite sexual scandal, attributing it to widespread similar sin in the nation.

Important Quotes

Fornication is a term that is far broader than the word adultery. It includes adultery, but fornication is far broader than just simply adultery.

Significance: Establishes the central thesis that fornication encompasses more than adultery, setting the stage for the scriptural survey.

This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you abstain from fornication. All impurity, all uncleanness, all perverseness, all stubbornness, all rebellion, all irreverence.

Significance: Summarizes the comprehensive application of the command to abstain from fornication, including non-sexual rebellion.

So a person can be a fornicator and never commit a sexually impure act because that person can be stubborn and rebellious like this woman.

Significance: The provocative conclusion from Judges 19 that fornication includes rebellion, expanding the moral scope of the term.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding the broad biblical definition of fornication change your view of sexual purity?

Context: Weaver argues that fornication includes all impurity, not just physical acts.

In what ways can stubbornness and rebellion in marriage be considered a form of fornication?

Context: Based on the example of the Levite's concubine in Judges 19.

Why is sexual purity essential for exercising godly authority in the home?

Context: Weaver explains that impurity undermines a husband's confidence and headship.

How does the distinction between fornication and adultery affect our understanding of Jesus' teaching on divorce?

Context: Weaver uses Matthew 19:9 to show the terms are not synonymous.

What practical steps can believers take to 'abstain from fornication' in a culture that normalizes impurity?

Context: Application of 1 Thessalonians 4:3 in light of the broad definition.

Applications

Pursue personal sanctification

Summary: Believers must actively seek holiness and purity in all areas of life, recognizing this as God's explicit will.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes, 'This is the will of God, even your sanctification' and calls for abounding more and more.

Abstain from all forms of sexual impurity

Summary: Avoid not only physical adultery but also pornography, lustful thoughts, and any illicit sexual behavior.

Evidence: Weaver lists 'pornography, impure thoughts, premarital sex of any kind' as included in fornication.

Cultivate reverence and submission in marriage

Summary: Wives should reverence their husbands, and husbands should love their wives, avoiding stubbornness and rebellion which God calls fornication.

Evidence: Weaver cites Ephesians 5:33 and the example of the Levite's concubine to show that irreverence is fornication.

Guard moral authority through purity

Summary: Husbands must maintain sexual purity to lead with confidence and authority, not weakness or arbitrariness.

Evidence: Weaver states that a compromised husband 'is either arbitrary or weak' and cannot exercise headship.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T12:29:43Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T21:09:22Z

Clean Transcript

4 Sanctification & Sexual Purity

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

I have been dealing with this passage for the last several weeks, and hopefully we'll finish it up in the next couple of weeks. But let's begin reading with verse 1. 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 1. Paul writes, "Furthermore then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us, how you ought to walk and to please God, so that you would abound more and more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who knew not God."
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"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we have also forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given us his Holy Spirit." I've been teaching along the general theme of sanctification and sexual purity, but notice if you would please in verse 1, which is the first message we covered, and that is an exhortation. In that exhortation, there is first of all a practical necessity when Paul writes, "...for you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God." The practical necessity is that we must be taught. Secondly, there was a personal application, because he said how you ought to walk and to please God.
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So while any preacher may teach you the Word of God, he cannot personally apply the Word of God for you. You must do that. And then thirdly, there was in verse 1 a progressive reality. He said, so you would abound more and more. So there is to be no regression. There is to be no neutrality. We are to be going from faith to faith and from glory to glory. And then secondly in verse 2 was the explanation.
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He says, for you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. In other words, this is how they knew how they were to walk and to please God: by following the commandments, by following the teaching of the Word of God. And then last week, we began in verse 3, the exposition where he says, for this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication. Now, under verse 3, we have first of all an affirmation. This is the will of God.
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I pointed out that this phrase is used numerous times in Scripture. There are several specific areas that are very, very plain. For instance, if you will look in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 18, he says, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." So there are some areas that you and I may be, you know, really not totally aware of what exactly the will of God is, but there are some areas that are very specific. And 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 3 is one of those, when he says, for this is the will of God.
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So you have an affirmation. Secondly, in verse 3, you have an explanation where he says, this is the will of God, even your sanctification. And then last week I told you what sanctification consists of. First of all, it means holy. It means worthy of veneration. It means to be set apart exclusively for the use of God. It means to be prepared for God. And then fourthly, it means to be holy, to be upright, to be pure, and to be sinless. So he says very plainly in verse 3, this is the will of God, even your sanctification.
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Now today we come to this last phrase in verse 3, and I'm going to say here is a negation: that you abstain from fornication. In other words, abstaining from fornication is part and parcel then of our sanctification. After he tells us what we are to be, that is sanctified, he tells us one area which we are to abstain or stay away from if we're going to be sanctified, and that is fornication. Now, very obviously, before anyone can abstain from fornication, he must know exactly what fornication is.
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Now, let me ask this question, and don't answer it out loud, but you answer this in your mind. What is fornication? Just give an answer in your own mind. What do you actually think fornication is? Well, let me give you several answers that are the general answers that I have heard all of my life, and which I might add both are untrue. But the first answer would go something like this: Well, adultery is between married people and fornication is between unmarried people, and that's how they... Or they may say something like this: fornication is sexual impurity before marriage, and adultery is sexual impurity after marriage. And so they try to just give a very general term like that. But let me just tell you something: fornication is a term that is far broader than the word adultery. It includes adultery, but fornication is far broader than just simply adultery. Let me say it like this: fornication and adultery are not synonymous terms.
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They do not mean exactly the same thing. For instance, the Greek word for fornication is the word porneia. It is where we get our English word pornography. Porneia, graphe. Porneia is the word fornication, graphe is the Greek word "I write" or "I draw." So pornography, basically speaking, is fornication writing or fornication drawing. The word for adultery is moicheia. So you have two totally different words. You have the word adultery, moicheia, and the word fornication, porneia.
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Now, I want you to hold 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, but look back in your Bibles, if you would please, to Matthew chapter 19 and Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 19 and Matthew chapter 5. In Matthew 19 and verse 9, I want you to note what our Lord said, and I want you to look closely at this verse. He says in verse 9, "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery. Whosoever shall marry another, who is put away, doth commit adultery." Now I want you to note, He is not saying that fornication and adultery are the same. He said, "...whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery." So fornication and adultery are not synonymous. If you look in Matthew 5, verse 32, he says this, "...but I say to you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery. And whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery."
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So once again, it should be very clear that fornication and adultery are two totally different things. Now, it is not said that fornication is adultery. But it is said that marrying a woman divorced for grounds other than fornication is adultery.
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Now, the message that I'm going to teach today is not intended to be a dissertation on marriage and divorce. That is not the intent of this message at all. The intent of this message is to show you what fornication actually is.
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Now, when someone comes along and says then, well, adultery and fornication are exactly the same, then what they are doing is confusing the words of our Lord in Matthew chapter 19 and Matthew chapter 5, and they are actually confounding two things that are absolutely totally different. Now, let me just try to explain before we get into some scriptures today what I'm talking about. Let's say that here is a married woman and she is unfaithful to her husband with another man. Everyone says, well, that's adultery. We recognize that as adultery. It is sexual impurity. Well, let me ask you a question. Suppose this woman is unfaithful to her husband with her own son or with her nephew. What is it then? It's more than adultery. It's adultery, but now it's incest. Let's suppose this woman is unfaithful to her husband, not with another man, but with another woman. Now, you see, it's sick, it's sin, but you see what I'm saying. So there has to be a word that is broader than just simply the word adultery.
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In other words, every act of sexual intercourse by a woman with a man other than her husband is indeed adultery. But there are instances and situations that go far beyond that.
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Now, I want you to understand that Scripture always uses words purposefully and deliberately. For instance, look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 3. The book of Galatians chapter 3. And note, if you would please, verse 16, I believe it is. Galatians 3. Yes, verse 16. Now I want you to note how careful scripture is with words. In Galatians 3 verse 16, "Now to Abraham and his seed, singular, were the promises made. He saith not unto seeds as of many, but as of one, and of thy seed which is Christ." So Paul is emphasizing that the Scripture says the promises were made to Abraham's seed. Well, who is that seed? Well, look in verse 29. He said, "If ye then be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." So the seed that the promises were made to was none other than Jesus Christ. It was not necessarily made to all of his physical descendants. It was made to Jesus Christ, who is the true seed of Abraham. Now, if you look at your Bibles very quickly to Matthew chapter 22.
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Matthew chapter 22. And let me show you how precise Scripture is. Matthew chapter 22. And let's begin reading there with verse 23. Matthew 22, verse 23. "The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection, and asked him, saying, Master, Moses said if a man die having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother." This was the Levirate marriage.
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"Now there was with us seven brethren. And the first, when he had married a wife, deceased and having no issue, left his wife unto his brother. Likewise, the second also, and the third unto the seventh. And last of all, the woman died also." By the way, if I'd been that fifth or sixth or seventh brother, I don't think I'd have been interested in marrying that woman. Everybody married her or died. So, but anyhow. So they said, "So seven husbands had her, and last of all she died." Verse 28, "Therefore in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven, for they all had her."
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Oh, they've got him tricked. "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
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What is our Lord doing? He is here teaching a doctrine based upon the tense of a verb. "I am the God." Not "I was." Not that these people are now dead. No, "I am." They are alive. So that's how precise Scripture is. So Christ then is teaching the doctrine of the bodily resurrection and of the resurrection of the dead based upon the tense of a verb. So when Scripture then mentions the word fornication and mentions the word adultery, if Christ had meant that they were one and the same, he could have used the same word twice.
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But very clearly, he did not. Now, I want us to examine the scriptures this morning. I hope this won't take too long, but I want to just show you the breadth of the word fornication. And by the time we get through, then you will know whether or not the answer that you gave to yourself in your mind is scriptural or not. So let's look in our Bibles back to Matthew 15 and verse 19. Matthew 15 and verse 19.
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Now, you'll also find this same passage in Mark 7. We're not going to turn there. But let's begin reading there with verse 17. Christ is given a parable. And he's explaining to his disciples, and he says, "Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in the mouth goeth in the belly, and is cast out in the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. Now watch. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Now, when someone says, well, adultery and fornication are the same, then you've got our Lord saying, for out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, and adulteries.
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No, there's something totally different because He distinguishes between them. Now, you're going to find that the word fornication, in a very broad sense, refers to all illicit intercourse, generally speaking, all unlawful, unbiblical, illegal, ungodly, and also lewdness as well, and sometimes the word even is used to refer to whoredom. Let me just show you. First of all, we'll begin with the general. Let's go to the book of Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1 and verse 29. Here the term is used very generally. Romans chapter 1. Notice, if you would please, verse 29. Romans 1, verse 29. He says, "being filled," talking about, well, let's read verse 28 so you can get the context. He said, verse 28 it is, "and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which were not convenient."
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"Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy and murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers," and he goes on about. But I want you to know he does not mention adultery in that passage. Why? Because the word fornication is very broad, and he's talking about sexual sins in general. He does not necessarily mention what you and I would refer to as sodomy, except maybe down in verse 31 "without natural affection," but then that could also refer to attitudes toward parents as well. So the point I'm making is here, the word fornication then is a general term that would refer to lewdness in their morality in a very real sense and in a very broad sense.
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Now look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And here in this passage, fornication is a term that is used for a relationship with a prostitute. He says in verse 13, "Meats for the belly and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them."
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"Now the body is not for fornication," there's our word, "but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot?"
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Now remember, he's talking about a relationship with a harlot or a prostitute. "God forbid! What? Know ye not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh. He that is joined in the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication! Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." And then of course he goes on to say that our body is the temple of God. So here the word fornication refers specifically then to a relationship with what you and I would call a prostitute or a harlot.
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Now it had referred to illicit sexual relationships in general back in Romans chapter 1, but now specifically. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 7, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Watch this, isn't this interesting?
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"Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman." Now, what does that mean? Does that mean that I can't shake Janet's hand? Or I can't put my arm around Susie's shoulder? No. That's not what he's talking about. It means that you're touching someone with a sexual intent or with a lust or with some bad, wicked motive.
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Now, look what he says. "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and every woman have her own husband." Now God says to avoid all immorality, you have your own wife, you have your own husband.
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Now, let's go a little further. Verse 3, "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence." He's talking about physically now. "And likewise also the wife unto the husband." The wife is to take care of the husband, the husband take care of the wife.
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Now watch, "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband. And likewise, also the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife."
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Now, here's a very interesting verse. "Defraud ye not one the other except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."
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Now look what he's saying. He's saying the ideal thing is this: Every man is to have his own wife. Every woman is to have her own husband. And when there is abstinence in the marriage, it has to be with consent. And usually, he is saying, the only lawful reason, outside of physical conditions, is that you give yourself to fasting and prayer. And he said, don't make that too long, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency.
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But here the term fornication is used in 1 Corinthians 7, he says, to avoid it. Let every man have his own wife, every woman her own husband. Now look at 2 Corinthians 12, verse 21. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 21. And here in this passage, fornication is associated with, but it is distinct from, uncleanness. He says, "...lest when I come again my God will humble me among you, and then I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed." So here it is associated with uncleanness and lasciviousness, but it is distinct from those. Look in your Bibles now to the book of Galatians, chapter 5. Here's a passage that everyone is probably familiar with, Galatians 5. Let's begin reading there with verse 19. He says, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness." And once again, here fornication is distinct from adultery, and at the same time it's distinct from uncleanness and lasciviousness, but although uncleanness and lasciviousness and adultery can fit under fornication, but still they're mentioned distinctly.
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In verse 21, he goes on to say, "...envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like, of the which I tell you and have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." So he's talking about all these works of the flesh that are mentioned here.
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Now look in the book of Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5, just running down the list. Here in Ephesians 5, here is fornication which is not to be once named among the saints. He says, "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh saints."
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Now remember the word saint means to be holy. It means to be set apart exclusively for the use of God. The word saint, by the way, I hope you realize that you don't become saints when you die. According to some folks, you might become a haint, but you don't become a saint. No, you don't become a haint either.
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Now, that's a term for a ghost or a spirit. But saints are living people. Paul wrote to the saints that are at Rome, to the saints that are at Ephesus, to the saints that are in Galatia, you see. So, he says, that must not be once named among the saints. Look in the book of Colossians, chapter 3, and verse 5.
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Here's one of the things that is to be mortified. He says, the book of Colossians, chapter 3 it should be, chapter 3, not 4, but chapter 3. He says, "Mortify," by the way that's where we get the word mortician from, "mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry." So here is something that is to be mortified or to be put to death. Now look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 9.
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We're going to come back to 1 Thessalonians in a little bit. But look in Revelation chapter 9 verse 21. Here are the unconverted. And look what is said of these unconverted. Paul has just said in Galatians chapter 5, a fornicator is not going to inherit the kingdom of God. But in verse 21 of Revelation 9, he says, "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." So once again, the word fornication here would be inclusive of all sexual sins. Now, look back in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 8. Here is an interesting verse.
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In fact, this is an accusation that the Pharisees are making against Christ. And here the word fornication has a very interesting meaning. Here it would either refer to adultery, or it would refer to an illicit immoral relationship which culminated in an illegitimate birth. Look what they say after Christ rebukes and gets on to these Pharisees. They say in verse 41, he tells them, "Ye do the deeds of your father." Then they say to him, "We be not born of fornication." What are they implying? They're implying that Christ is an illegitimate child. Why? Because of the virgin birth. Because Joseph was not the father of Jesus Christ, God the Father was the father of Jesus Christ. And so they are implying then that anyone who produces a child, either through adultery or an illegitimate, unlawful sexual intercourse, is a fornicator, or is fornication, for they say, "We be not born of fornication." This word is also used specifically to refer to incest in the Bible. Look in your Bibles. Well, let's go back. Let's go back, first of all, to the book of Leviticus.
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Then we'll go to 1 Corinthians. Remember the Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, okay? The Leviticus chapter 18 verse 8. "The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover, it is thy father's nakedness." Look in Leviticus chapter 20 and verse 11. Leviticus 20 verse 11. "And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness, both of them shall surely be put to death, their blood shall be upon them."
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So this is what you and I would refer to as incest. If you will look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5, there was a problem with that in the Corinthian church. In all probability, this was the man's stepmother, not his real mother. But look what is said in 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 1. "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife." So here was a son who had taken his father's, quite probably, his stepmother.
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I don't know that for sure. That's what most of the commentators say. But anyhow, Paul says in verse 5 that such a one is to be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, etc. But I want you to note that this incestuous relationship is referred to then as fornication.
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Now look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 15. Acts chapter 15, here's the Jerusalem council and here's what they're saying. Acts 15, note if you would please verse 20. He says, "But that we write unto them," that is these people who were not there in Jerusalem, these were outside of Jerusalem, "but that we write unto them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood." Then verse 29, they said again, "that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication, from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." So once again, it is referred to as fornication. Now, there's another incident. I want you to look in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 2. I want you to see what is referred to as fornication here. Of course, I hope that you know that in the Old Testament, especially those of you who were here when I preached through Hosea, I preached 75 messages out of the book of Hosea, taking it chapter by chapter and verse by verse.
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But I want you to remember that God called Israel's unfaithfulness to Him spiritual adultery. Do you remember that?
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Now, look in the book of Revelation chapter 2 and verse 20. God says, "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not." So here, evidently, false teaching, rebellion against God, and false worship is classified as fornication. So Jezebel then was teaching this wrong, erroneous, heterodox doctrine that was contrary to the Word of God. And God calls it fornication. So just like unfaithfulness to truth in the Old Testament is idolatry, so unfaithfulness to truth in the New Testament is fornication.
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It's a broader term, but it's there. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Judges chapter 19. This one ought to take the cake for you. Judges chapter 19.
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Now, so far, everyone knows the fornication refers to sexual impurity in general. It can include adultery. It can include many things as well as uncleanness, lasciviousness, wickedness. I really ought to read the entire account, but I'm not going to be able to. But there was a Levite out of Bethlehem, Judah, whose wife left him. In fact, let's begin reading with verse 1. "It came to pass in those days when there was no king in Israel that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of Mount Ephraim who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem, Judah." Now watch. Took him a concubine. I realize she's called a concubine there, but later on she's called his wife. Verse 2, note this phrase, "...and his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him into her father's house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there four whole months."
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"And her husband arose, and went after her to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses. And she brought him into her father's house, and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, retained him, and he abode with him three days, so they did eat and drink and lodge there." So here he's called her husband, here he's called the father-in-law, and we'll come back to that in just a moment.
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So they leave to go home, and they get to a city of Benjamin, and because the Levite is not going to camp out in a city of the heathen, so let's begin reading with verse 11. "And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent, and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn into the city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside thither into the city of a stranger that is not of the children of Israel."
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"We will pass over to Gibeah. And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night in Gibeah or in Ramah. And they passed on their way, and went their way, and the sun went down upon them when they were in Gibeah, which belonged to Benjamin. And they turned aside to go in and lodge in Gibeah. And when he went in, he set him down in the street of the city, for there was no man that took them into his house to lodge in. And behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at Even, which was also Mount Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah."
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"And the men of the place were Benjamites. And when he lifted up his eyes and saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city, the old man said, Whither goest thou? Whence comest thou? And he said, We are passing from Bethlehem Judah toward the side of Mount Ephraim, from thence am I. And I went to Bethlehem, Judah, and am now going to the house of the Lord, and there is no man that receiveth me to house."
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"Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses, and there is bread and wine also for me and my handmaid. And for the young man which is thy servant, there is no want of anything." In other words, no one has put us up, and yet we've got all the food we need. All we need is a place to sleep. And the old man said, "Peace be on thee, howsoever. Let all thy wants lie upon me. I'll feed you. I'll take care of you."
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"Only lodge not in the street." Now, I hope you know the story from here. When the man gets in, the men of the city come out and say, "Send the man out that we may know him." And he says, "No." Yeah, the Benjamites. And he says, "No," he says, "don't do that." Look in verse 23. "The master of the house went out on them, said, Nay, my brother, nay, I pray you do not so wickedly seeing this man is come into my house. Do not this folly."
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"Behold, here is my daughter, a maiden." Now that's hard for me to comprehend. "And his concubine, then will I bring you out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you. But unto this man do not so vile a thing."
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Now watch, "But the men would not hearken him. So the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them. And they knew her, and abused her all the night into the morning. And when the day began to spring, they let her go. Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was till it was light. And her lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go in his way. And behold, the woman," talking about his, "falling out of the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold."
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"And he said, Up, let us be going, but none answered. Then the man took her up." She was dead. They had killed her. "They took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up and got him to his place. And here's something a little gross and gruesome, but it happened. And when he was coming to his house, he took a knife and laid hold of his concubine and divided her together with her bones into twelve pieces and sent her into all the coasts of Israel."
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Now, I'm not going to get into the battle of the issue. What he was doing was, this is what my people, the Benjamites, this is what our people did to us. Here's what they did to my wife. Oh, that's just an interesting passage. Israel comes and fights against them, but here's what I want you to look at. Let's go back to verse 2. "And his concubine," that is his wife, "played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house of Bethlehem Judah, and there abode four whole months." Now, in the Septuagint, the phrase "played the whore against him" is translated "she fornicated against him."
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Now let me ask you a question. First of all, was this woman having a sexual relationship with her father? What's the answer? No. No. That would have been incest. That would have been certain and sure death. Moreover, if this had been the case, no Levite, no Israelite, but especially a Levite, would have ever deigned to go and retrieve her. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles. Hold Judges 19. But look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus, chapter 19 and verse 29. Chapter 19, verse 29.
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I want you to watch very quickly. Leviticus 19, verse 29. God says, "Do not prostitute thy daughter to cause her to be a whore, lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness." Now, for a man's daughter to be such was great infamy and great wickedness in the land. Look in Deuteronomy 23, verse 17. Deuteronomy 23, verse 17.
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Deuteronomy 23, verse 17, God says, "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel." Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus. Go back to Leviticus chapter 21, and look, if you would please, at verse 7. Leviticus 21. And verse 7, we're talking about the Levites, we're talking about the priests. "They shall not take a wife that is a whore or profane, neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband, for he is holy unto the Lord." God absolutely forbade a Levite or a priest to marry a whore or profane woman or a woman that's been put away. Why? Because the Levite is holy. Now, the Levite went to get his wife back.
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Had she been what you and I would call sexually impure, he would have never gone after her. Remember, adultery in the Old Testament, and in the New by the way, merited the death penalty. Incest merited the death penalty. If this woman had been impure, the Levite would have never gone after her, and had she been involved in incest, he certainly would not have ever gone after her. It was forbidden for him by God to have such a woman. Well, the question has got to be asked, why then is this woman called a whore, or why is she called a fornicator when she was not involved physically with any other man?
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Let me tell you why. Because fornication is also rebellion and stubbornness. What did this woman do? She would not submit to her husband's authority. She didn't like being submissive. And so what did she do? She ran away to her father's house. Not that she was sexually impure. Not that she had committed what you and I would call a sexual act against her. She was just stubborn. She was just rebellious. She left him and God calls it fornication. Isn't that interesting? So a person can be a fornicator and never commit a sexually impure act because that person can be stubborn and rebellious like this woman. So fornication here is stubbornness and rebellion.
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Now, let me begin to try to tie some things together for you, okay? Fornication, according to all the scriptures that we've looked at, is any and all kinds of uncleanness, lasciviousness, pornography, impure thoughts, premarital sex of any kind, unfaithfulness to one's spouse of any kind whatsoever. Doesn't matter if it's a man, woman, boy, girl, whatever. All of that is fornication, and fornication that includes stubbornness and rebellion and contempt and irreverence.
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One of these days I'm going to bring a message just upon this thought. I want you to see it. Look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 5. Watch this. Look in Ephesians 5 verse 33. Look what Christ says. "Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself." Now what is my requirement from God? That I love my wife even as I love myself. What is God's requirement for my wife? Look at it. "And the wife see that she reverence her husband." To honor. Not to be sarcastic with, not to hold in contempt or disgust, but to honor her husband. Now, when the wife dishonors and treats with contempt and irreverence, and is stubborn and rebellious, it is called fornication in the scripture. So fornication, then, is a very, very broad word.
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It covers all impurity whatsoever. If I had time today, I'd take you back through Proverbs. I want you, when you get home, if you would, to take the time to read Proverbs 5, 6, and 7. You will find that the Word of God forbids all impurity in every area of our life.
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Now listen to what our Lord says. This is the will of God. Don't have to guess about it. This is the will of God, even your sanctification. That is your holiness. You're being set apart exclusively for God's use. You're being prepared for God and for His work. You being upright, this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you abstain from fornication. All impurity, all uncleanness, all perverseness, all stubbornness, all rebellion, all irreverence.
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Now, let me make an application to tie it together. Why is he specifying fornication? Because the Bible created what you and I would know as a family society, or a society based upon the family, a familistic society. The family is the very center of society. Without the family, you can't have a church. Without the family, you can't have a government. The family is absolutely fundamental to life. Now listen to me.
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Let's take the wife first. On the part of the wife, if she is unfaithful, what is she doing? First of all, she is introducing an alien loyalty to the home. If she conceives, she's introducing an alien seed. On the part of the husband, on his part, it is also treason and disloyalty. But it also undermines his moral authority. Let me go further. It undermines his headship. A morally clean husband, a morally pure husband, can exercise headship with authority and confidence. But a husband that has been compromised through sexual impurity...
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He is either arbitrary or weak. He is willing to give in to account for his sins. He has no confidence and he cannot exercise his authority. So fornication and everything that falls under the umbrella of fornication, it's destructive of the home. It's destructive of the family. It's destructive of society. It's destructive of the church. It's destructive of the nation. And if you don't believe that, look at the White House. Look at Congress.
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And you know why Clinton's approval rating is still high? Because the majority of the people in this country do the same thing he does, and it excuses their rebellion and their sin. And God says, this is my will for you, that you abstain from fornication.
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Now next week we're going to get into verse 4. That's a clarification: that every one of you know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor. Let's pray. Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ for your love and for your mercy in our lives. We do pray, Father, that you would indeed make us holy and godly, sanctify us, set us apart exclusively for yourself and for your use. May we love Thee with all of our hearts and souls, in Christ's name, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T12:29:43Z

4 Sanctification & Sexual Purity

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver continues his exposition of 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, focusing on the phrase 'that you abstain from fornication.' He argues that the biblical term 'fornication' (porneia) is far broader than adultery, encompassing all forms of sexual impurity, uncleanness, lasciviousness, pornography, premarital sex, incest, and even stubbornness and rebellion within marriage. Through a survey of Scripture, he demonstrates that fornication is distinct from adultery and includes any illicit sexual relationship or attitude that undermines the family, church, and society. The will of God for believers is sanctification, which requires abstaining from all such impurity.

Review of Previous Messages

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

"Furthermore then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us, how you ought to walk and to please God, so that you would abound more and more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who knew not God." "That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we have also forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given us his Holy Spirit."

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

"...for you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God."

The practical necessity is that we must be taught. Secondly, there was a personal application, because he said how you ought to walk and to please God.

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Introduction to the Negation: Abstain from Fornication

The sermon introduces the phrase 'that you abstain from fornication' as a negation that is part of sanctification, emphasizing the need to understand what fornication means.

Fornication is Not Synonymous with Adultery

Weaver refutes the common misconception that fornication only refers to premarital sex and adultery to postmarital sex, showing from Matthew 19:9 and 5:32 that the two terms are distinct.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 19:9

"And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery. Whosoever shall marry another, who is put away, doth commit adultery."

Now I want you to note, He is not saying that fornication and adultery are the same. He said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 19:9

"...whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery."

So fornication and adultery are not synonymous. If you look in Matthew 5, verse 32, he says this,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 19:9

"...but I say to you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery. And whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery."

The Breadth of Fornication in Scripture

A survey of New Testament passages demonstrates that porneia includes general sexual impurity, relations with prostitutes, incest, and even spiritual unfaithfulness.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 3:16, 29

"Now to Abraham and his seed, singular, were the promises made. He saith not unto seeds as of many, but as of one, and of thy seed which is Christ."

Now look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And here in this passage, fornication is a term that is used for a relationship with a prostitute. He says in verse 13,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:13-18

"Meats for the belly and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them." "Now the body is not for fornication,"

there's our word,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:13-18

"but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot?"

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 7:1-5

"Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman."

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 12:21

"...lest when I come again my God will humble me among you, and then I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed."

In verse 21, he goes on to say,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:19-21

"...envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like, of the which I tell you and have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Scripture Reading — Colossians 3:5

"mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry."

So here is something that is to be mortified or to be put to death. Now look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 9.

Scripture Reading — Revelation 9:21

"Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts."

So once again, the word fornication here would be inclusive of all sexual sins. Now, look back in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 8. Here is an interesting verse.

Then we'll go to 1 Corinthians. Remember the Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, okay? The Leviticus chapter 18 verse 8.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 18:8; 20:11

"The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover, it is thy father's nakedness."

Now look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 15. Acts chapter 15, here's the Jerusalem council and here's what they're saying. Acts 15, note if you would please verse 20. He says,

Scripture Reading — Acts 15:20, 29

"But that we write unto them,"

that is these people who were not there in Jerusalem, these were outside of Jerusalem,

Scripture Reading — Acts 15:20, 29

"but that we write unto them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood."

Then verse 29, they said again,

Scripture Reading — Acts 15:20, 29

"that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication, from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well."

But I want you to remember that God called Israel's unfaithfulness to Him spiritual adultery. Do you remember that? Now, look in the book of Revelation chapter 2 and verse 20. God says,

Scripture Reading — Revelation 2:20-21

"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not."

It's a broader term, but it's there. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Judges chapter 19. This one ought to take the cake for you. Judges chapter 19.

Fornication as Rebellion: The Levite's Concubine

It's a broader term, but it's there. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Judges chapter 19. This one ought to take the cake for you. Judges chapter 19.

Application: The Destructive Nature of Fornication

Fornication undermines the family, church, and society by introducing disloyalty, alien seed, and moral compromise, destroying a husband's authority and a wife's reverence.

4 Sanctification & Sexual Purity

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1022071350404
Subject	Family Government
Course	The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: The Family
Genre	Sermon
Date	2007-10-22
Dictation Name
Book	Book 027: The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order — Chapter 6
Source Timed Segments	73

Lecture Guide

Outline

Review of Previous Messages: Weaver recaps the first three messages on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3, covering the exhortation to walk and please God, the explanation of commandments, and the affirmation that sanctification is God's will.
Introduction to the Negation: Abstain from Fornication: The sermon introduces the phrase 'that you abstain from fornication' as a negation that is part of sanctification, emphasizing the need to understand what fornication means.
Fornication is Not Synonymous with Adultery: Weaver refutes the common misconception that fornication only refers to premarital sex and adultery to postmarital sex, showing from Matthew 19:9 and 5:32 that the two terms are distinct.
The Breadth of Fornication in Scripture: A survey of New Testament passages demonstrates that porneia includes general sexual impurity, relations with prostitutes, incest, and even spiritual unfaithfulness.
Fornication as Rebellion: The Levite's Concubine: Using Judges 19, Weaver argues that the concubine's 'playing the whore' was not physical adultery but stubbornness and rebellion against her husband, showing that fornication includes irreverence and contempt.
Application: The Destructive Nature of Fornication: Fornication undermines the family, church, and society by introducing disloyalty, alien seed, and moral compromise, destroying a husband's authority and a wife's reverence.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Fornication and adultery are distinct terms

The Greek words porneia and moicheia are different, and Jesus distinguishes them in Matthew 19:9 and 5:32, proving they are not synonymous.

Weaver points out that in Matthew 19:9, Jesus says 'except it be for fornication' and then 'committeth adultery,' showing two different concepts.

Fornication includes all illicit sexual intercourse

Scripture uses porneia for general sexual sins (Romans 1:29), relations with prostitutes (1 Corinthians 6:13-18), and incest (1 Corinthians 5:1).

Weaver cites Romans 1:29 where fornication is listed among general sins, and 1 Corinthians 5:1 where an incestuous relationship is called fornication.

Fornication can be non-sexual rebellion

In Judges 19, the Levite's concubine 'played the whore' by leaving her husband in stubbornness, not by physical adultery, showing that fornication includes rebellion and irreverence.

Weaver argues that the concubine's act was not sexual impurity but rebellion, and the Septuagint translates it as 'she fornicated against him.'

Sexual purity is essential for moral authority

A husband's impurity undermines his headship and confidence, making him arbitrary or weak, while a wife's reverence is commanded.

Weaver states, 'A morally clean husband... can exercise headship with authority and confidence. But a husband that has been compromised... is either arbitrary or weak.'

Scripture References

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8: The primary passage being expounded, emphasizing sanctification and abstaining from fornication.
1 Thessalonians 5:18: Cited as another example of a specific statement of God's will: 'In everything give thanks.'
Matthew 19:9: Used to show that Jesus distinguishes between fornication and adultery.
Matthew 5:32: Further evidence that fornication and adultery are not synonymous.
Galatians 3:16, 29: Illustrates the precision of Scripture in using singular 'seed' to refer to Christ.
Matthew 22:23-33: Shows Jesus teaching the resurrection based on the tense of a verb ('I am'), demonstrating scriptural precision.
Matthew 15:19: Lists 'adulteries' and 'fornications' separately, indicating they are distinct.
Romans 1:28-29: Fornication used as a general term for sexual sins.
1 Corinthians 6:13-18: Fornication specifically refers to relations with a harlot/prostitute.
1 Corinthians 7:1-5: Marriage is given to avoid fornication; mutual consent for abstinence.
2 Corinthians 12:21: Fornication associated with but distinct from uncleanness and lasciviousness.
Galatians 5:19-21: Lists adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness as separate works of the flesh.
Ephesians 5:3: Fornication not to be once named among saints.
Colossians 3:5: Fornication is to be mortified (put to death).
Revelation 9:21: The unconverted did not repent of their fornication.
John 8:41: Pharisees imply Jesus was born of fornication, meaning illegitimate birth.
Leviticus 18:8; 20:11: Incest with father's wife is forbidden; death penalty.
1 Corinthians 5:1: Incestuous relationship in Corinth called fornication.
Acts 15:20, 29: Gentile believers instructed to abstain from fornication.
Revelation 2:20-21: Jezebel's false teaching and seduction called fornication.

Historical References

Clinton's approval rating: Weaver references President Clinton's high approval rating despite sexual scandal, attributing it to widespread similar sin in the nation.

Important Quotes

Fornication is a term that is far broader than the word adultery. It includes adultery, but fornication is far broader than just simply adultery.

Establishes the central thesis that fornication encompasses more than adultery, setting the stage for the scriptural survey.

This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you abstain from fornication. All impurity, all uncleanness, all perverseness, all stubbornness, all rebellion, all irreverence.

Summarizes the comprehensive application of the command to abstain from fornication, including non-sexual rebellion.

So a person can be a fornicator and never commit a sexually impure act because that person can be stubborn and rebellious like this woman.

The provocative conclusion from Judges 19 that fornication includes rebellion, expanding the moral scope of the term.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding the broad biblical definition of fornication change your view of sexual purity?

[Context]

Weaver argues that fornication includes all impurity, not just physical acts.

[Question]

In what ways can stubbornness and rebellion in marriage be considered a form of fornication?

[Context]

Based on the example of the Levite's concubine in Judges 19.

[Question]

Why is sexual purity essential for exercising godly authority in the home?

[Context]

Weaver explains that impurity undermines a husband's confidence and headship.

[Question]

How does the distinction between fornication and adultery affect our understanding of Jesus' teaching on divorce?

[Context]

Weaver uses Matthew 19:9 to show the terms are not synonymous.

[Question]

What practical steps can believers take to 'abstain from fornication' in a culture that normalizes impurity?

[Context]

Application of 1 Thessalonians 4:3 in light of the broad definition.

Applications

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