The seventh commandment is: Thou shalt not commit adultery. Adultery is defined in both testaments as the sexual union between a married woman and a man other than her husband: the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband. (Rom 7:2) The law against adultery does not fundamentally prohibit a married man being united with an unmarried woman occasionally. But this is not fair to the unmarried woman, to use her without marrying her.
A husband has a duty to satisfy his wife, as in a sense his body belongs to his wife: the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife (1 Cor 7:4). When Jewish husbands neglected their wives to be with harlots instead, and when their neglected wives turned to adultery, God blamed the husbands more than the wives, saying: I will not punish . . . your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores. (Hosea 4:14) So we see that just as it is important for the wife to refrain from being with another man, so it is also important for the husband not to neglect his wife.
The reason for the command against adultery is that sexual intercourse generates love, respect and dependence in the woman for the man. Adultery therefore diverts these affections of the woman away from her husband and toward another man, thus weakening the marriage bond.
Adultery is a serious sin: whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. (Prov 6:32,33) And God also will judge it: For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. (Prov 5:21)
The sexual union of a married man with another woman also generates affections, but as there is less dependence of the man upon the woman, than the woman upon the man, these additional affections do not interfere with his affections for his wife to the same degree. Therefore, under the moral Law of Moses, which in most respects is still relevant, polygamy is allowed.
The law against adultery does not refer directly to sexual intercourse between the unmarried. Although the King James Version of the bible condemns what it translates as fornication, this is a bad translation. The word rendered ‘fornication’ should really be translated ‘sexual immorality’, as it is a general word referring to all types of sexual immorality. Therefore we must refer to the Law of Moses and the law of Christ to define what is classified as sexual immorality.
When a man and a woman come together to make love, they become: one flesh (1 Cor 6:16). This is, ideally, a permanent union. A survey of university students sleeping together found that 80% of the women hoped to marry the man, although less than 15% of the men hoped to marry the woman. The law to love your neighbour as yourself, teaches that a man should consider his lover's desire for marriage more important than his own desire for freedom. As a woman wants to marry a man because of her emotional vulnerability, her love, and her desire to have his name and shelter under his wings, the man should marry his lover. A man should not worry that he may be able to receive more from another woman, because Jesus said: it is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35) This is God's command. Moses said: if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. (Exod 22:16) The woman does not have to accept the proposal, but the man is bound to propose, if the woman is of good character.
But if they do not marry and the woman eventually woman marries another man, disclosure is required of the woman before marriage, as sleeping with other men before marriage may weaken the marriage bond, as the woman may lose respect for her husband. Her husband may not be special. This is why a woman should treasure her virginity, and why it is good for a woman to refrain.
This is easier when women marry young. Paul, speaking of the minimum age of marriage says: if she pass the flower of her age . . . let them marry. (1 Cor 7:36) With plants, first there is the flower, and then there is the fruit. So the minimum age for marriage should be when the lady can bear fruit, that is, bear children. If the lady’s parents desire her to give her in marriage at such an age, and she also desires to marry, but the law of the land disallows it, perhaps they could travel to another country to get married.
Younger women, especially those who are still living with their parents, should remain virgins, rather than live a life of deceit. The law of Moses condemns any departure from such holiness, saying: she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father's house. (Deut 22:21 NIV) In the case described in this Scripture her guilt was compounded by her failure to disclose it to her husband before marriage.
Women should not be forced into prostitution. 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. (Lev 19:29) A woman who becomes a prostitute: profanes herself. (Lev 21:9) No Christian woman should become a prostitute; better to be a tramp.
But for a Christian man to visit a prostitute is not a sexual sin, unless the prostitute is married. Jesus said that a harlot has more hope of heaven than a Pharisee. Under the Law of Moses, a prostitute was not punished unless she was the daughter of a priest. God forbad temple prostitutes, that is, prostitution to earn money to give to God (Deut 23:17,18). But God did not totally forbid prostitution under the Law of Moses. The two women, between whom the wisdom of Solomon disputed the rightful mother of the baby, were prostitutes.
Although Paul condemns prostitution, he also says that celibacy is good (1 Cor 7:8), thereby contradicting the word God spoke before Eve was created: It is not good for the man to be alone. (Gen 2:18) Paul admitted that some of what he said was not the command of God, but his own judgement or supposition (1 Cor 7:25,26) The celibacy error teaches us that we should not be bound by what he says where it contradicts the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul, being celibate, is probably not a good judge of sexual relationships between men and women.
Paul's letters thus contain the word of God, and new revelation, but are not totally the word of God, as Jesus claimed the Old Testament to be (Luke 24:44). The apostolic letters, whilst claiming to have messages from God, do not claim to have no human opinion. Everyone makes mistakes in what they say, even an apostle, and the fact that it is written does not guarantee infallibility. Some of Paul's letters have been lost. These presumably were not Scripture.
So there is no reason to believe that a word in a letter is inspired, unless it is claimed to be inspired or it is obviously inspired. Paul never claims this when he condemns prostitution. The words translated, God forbid (KJV), should be translated, May it never be (NASB). As such they reflect Paul's personal opinion, and restrict the freedom given in the Law of Moses, given by God, and still relevant. This freedom is necessary to keep men from committing disgusting individual sex acts by themselves in secret. Obviously you are not bound to marry a prostitute you have paid, as this is her choice.
However, when using prostitutes health precautions must be taken to avoid the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases to you and from you. Condoms confer good protection. Although not perfect because they slightly reduce the ability of the man and the woman to sense one another, they are not sinful unless they have features to impart additional pleasures, divorced from the direct interaction of the man and the woman.
Because of mutual interdependence, mutual pleasure, and because when a man and a woman come together they each come into the presence of the emotions of the opposite sex, emotions which they do not possess in isolation, the union of sexual intercourse is an emotional one. A man and a woman complement one another. A man has strength and a woman has tenderness.
Only a sexual experience of mutual pleasure and mutual interdependence is intimate and emotional and can generate love. All other experiences such as oral sex, are effectively individual experiences and breed selfishness rather than love. An individual experience, although preferably not this one, is only permitted for a few moments for the purpose of attaining an erection prior to normal sexual intercourse. Otherwise they must therefore be condemned, along with other individual experiences (Lev 18:23).
They must be condemned because sexual pleasure is meant to be more than just a physical experience. Man was not meant to be an island to himself, satisfying only himself. To the contrary, we must relate to others sexually in the only complementary way allowed by the physical and emotional nature of man and woman, given on the day of creation of Adam and Eve. If pleasure is deficient, suggest tackling the same task from a different angle.
I believe that for indulging in an individual sexual experience, a man can be shut out of the bedroom for a time. How can a woman feel enriched being united to such a man. (But dreams are no one’s fault.)
Interdependence and emotional complementarity is not possible with homosexuality, which is two separate, selfish, individual experiences. Therefore homosexuality is to be condemned. Moses said: Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination. (Lev 18:22)
There is no reason to think that this commandment is no longer relevant. Even before Moses, in the time of Abraham, God destroyed the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah with a volcanic eruption, for practising homosexuality.
That these cities were homosexual is shown by the words of the Sodomites regarding some visitors: Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them (carnally). (Gen 19:5) It is also shown in that Lot’s two married daughters were still virgins.
For the benefit of the dishonest and exceedingly wicked men who claim to be homosexual Christians, the evil of homosexuality is also spelt out in the New Testament. Paul says that a cause of homosexuality is: that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened . . . Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves. (Rom 1:21,24)
By obeying all the words of Jesus Christ, and by worshipping God, a person comes under the influence of God’s Holy Spirit, which empowers them to have victory over all sin, including homosexuality. But by rejecting God, a person comes under the influence of Satan, and it is written of such: For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. (Rom 1:26)
Some of these vile affections are that: even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly. (Rom 1:26,27)
Some do worse than just committing such sins in that they try to promote them and they: knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Rom 1:32) To these God says: despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Where do practicing homosexuals go when they die? They do not go to heaven. Paul says: Be not deceived: neither the sexually immoral . . . nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor sodomites . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor 6:9) That it is possible to gain victory over homosexuality is evident in the past tense of Paul next words: such were some of you. But homosexuality is not as bad a sin as cruelty, for which cause Jesus warned the Pharisees of a worse judgement than Sodom. I believe therefore, that homosexuals simply die, and are not punished after death.