Topical Encyclopedia
Immorality, as understood within the biblical context, refers to behavior that is contrary to the moral laws and principles established by God. It encompasses a range of actions and attitudes that deviate from the standards of holiness and righteousness as outlined in Scripture. The Bible addresses immorality in various forms, often highlighting its destructive nature and the need for repentance and redemption.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, immorality is frequently associated with idolatry and the abandonment of God's commandments. The Israelites were repeatedly warned against adopting the immoral practices of surrounding nations.
Leviticus 18 provides a detailed list of prohibited sexual behaviors, emphasizing the importance of maintaining purity and holiness: "You must not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices" (
Leviticus 18:3).
The prophets often condemned immorality as a sign of Israel's unfaithfulness to God. For instance, the prophet Hosea used the metaphor of adultery to describe Israel's spiritual infidelity: "The land is committing blatant acts of immorality by forsaking the LORD" (
Hosea 1:2).
New Testament TeachingsIn the New Testament, immorality is addressed with a focus on personal conduct and the transformation brought about by faith in Christ. The Apostle Paul frequently warned against sexual immorality, urging believers to live in a manner worthy of their calling. In
1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Paul writes: "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body" .
Paul's letters often list immorality among the "works of the flesh," contrasting them with the "fruit of the Spirit" (
Galatians 5:19-23). He emphasizes that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God, underscoring the seriousness of immorality in the life of a believer.
Moral and Spiritual ImplicationsImmorality is not limited to sexual misconduct but includes any behavior that violates God's moral order. This encompasses deceit, theft, greed, and other actions that harm individuals and communities. Jesus expanded the understanding of immorality by addressing the heart's intentions, teaching that even lustful thoughts are tantamount to adultery (
Matthew 5:27-28).
The Bible consistently calls for repentance and a return to God's ways as the remedy for immorality. Believers are encouraged to seek forgiveness and strive for holiness, relying on the Holy Spirit's power to overcome sinful desires. The transformative work of Christ enables individuals to live in accordance with God's will, reflecting His character in their actions and relationships.
ConclusionWhile the Bible acknowledges the pervasive nature of immorality in human society, it also offers hope through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. By turning away from immoral behavior and embracing a life of righteousness, believers can experience the fullness of life that God intends for His people.
Topical Bible Verses
1 Corinthians 6:18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.
Topicalbible.orgEphesians 5:3-5
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints;
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1 Corinthians 6:13
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
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2 Corinthians 12:21
And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall mourn many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.
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1 Peter 2:11
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
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1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication:
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Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
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Matthew 19:9
And I say to you, Whoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery: and whoever marries her which is put away does commit adultery.
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1 Corinthians 7:2
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
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Revelation 22:15
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie.
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Revelation 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
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Mark 7:20-23
And he said, That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The state or quality of being immoral; vice.
2. (n.) An immoral act or practice.
Greek
4203. porneuo -- to commit fornication... Cognate: 4203 -- commit fornication (sexual
immorality); (figuratively) to be
unfaithful to Christ, while as His true follower. See 4202 ().
...3436. molusmos -- defilement
... filthiness,immorality. From moluno; a stain; ie (figuratively)immorality --
filthiness. see GREEK moluno. (molusmou) -- 1 Occurrence. 3435, 3436....
1608. ekporneuo -- mid. to give oneself up to fornication
... Word Origin from ek and porneuo Definition mid. to give oneself up to fornication
NASB Word Usage grossimmorality (1), indulged in grossimmorality (1)....
4202. porneia -- fornication
... Word Origin from porneuo Definition fornication NASB Word Usage fornication (4),
fornications (2), immoralities (1),immorality (16), sexualimmorality (1...
4205. pornos -- a fornicator
... 4205 (from , "to sell off") -- properly, a male prostitute. 4205 () is ", 'a male
prostitute' (so Xen., etc.); , " ie anyone engaging in sexualimmorality....
2970. komos -- a village festival, revel
... that took place at the gathering of the grapes, Souter) -- a riotous party (drunken
feast) which hosted unbridled sexualimmorality; hence, (debauched "partying...
Strong's Hebrew
2154. zimmah -- a plan, device, wickedness... Origin from zamam Definition a plan, device, wickedness NASB Word Usage acts of
lewdness (1), crime (1), devising (1), evil intent (1),
immorality (2), lewd (3
...Library
Idolatry Led to allImmorality.
... Book IV. Chapter XXXI."Idolatry Led to AllImmorality. "For whereas at first,
men worshipping a righteous and all-seeing God, neither...
That the Roman Gods Never Took any Steps to Prevent the Republic...
... Book II. Chapter 22."That the Roman Gods Never Took Any Steps to Prevent
the Republic from Being Ruined byImmorality. But what...
Indignant Irony Exposing the Valentinian Fable About the Judicial...
... Chapter XXXII."Indignant Irony Exposing the Valentinian Fable About the Judicial
Treatment of Mankind at the Last Judgment. TheImmorality of the Doctrine....
Simon Interprets his System by the Mythological Representation of...
... Interprets His System by the Mythological Representation of Helen of Troy; Gives
an Account of Himself in Connection with the Trojan Heroine;Immorality of His...
Crimes of the Manich??ans.
... are always to be persecuted, even to the end of the world, there will be no end
to this laxity, and to the unchecked spread of all thisimmorality, from your...
The Epistle of Judas
... persons have slipped in by stealth (their doom has been predicted long ago), impious
creatures who pervert the grace of our God intoimmorality and disown our...
The Analogy Between the Two Advents of Christ.
... The utter failure of Pagan religion from itsimmorality, and of pagan philosophy
from its impotency to cure thatimmorality and the misery which accompanied it...
Jew and Gentile
... evil practices. The Jewish Christians could not tolerate theimmorality
that was not even regarded as criminal by the heathen. The...
The Carrion and the Vultures
... Look around us"drunkenness, sensualimmorality, commercial dishonesty, senseless
luxury amongst the rich, heartless indifference to the wail of the poor...
The Royal Jubilee
... Think of the nameless scandals, the hideousimmorality of the reigns that preceded
hers, and you will not wonder that every decent man and every modest woman...
Thesaurus
Immorality (38 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Immorality (38 Occurrences).
... John 8:41 You do the works
of your father." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual
immorality.
...Adulteries (10 Occurrences)
... angel, followed, saying, "Babylon the great has fallen, which has made all the nations
to drink of the wine of the wrath of her sexualimmorality." (See NIV)....
Sexual (59 Occurrences)
... Matthew 5:32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause
of sexualimmorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when...
Unchastity (5 Occurrences)
... Matthew 5:32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause
of sexualimmorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when...
Idols (186 Occurrences)
... Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols,
from sexualimmorality, from what is strangled, and from blood....
Commit (142 Occurrences)
... Matthew 5:32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause
of sexualimmorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when...
Drunk (84 Occurrences)
... Revelation 17:2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexualimmorality, and
those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual...
Commits (39 Occurrences)
... Matthew 5:32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause
of sexualimmorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when...
Committed (201 Occurrences)
... (KJV WBS NIV). 1 Corinthians 10:8 Neither let us commit sexualimmorality, as some
of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell....
Adultery (49 Occurrences)
... Matthew 5:32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause
of sexualimmorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when...
Resources
What is sexual immorality? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a whoremonger in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgIs it wrong for a couple to live together before marriage? | GotQuestions.orgImmorality: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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