Sexual Morality in the New Testament
Sexual Morality in the New Testament
By Paul Nethercott, June 2022
There are at least 1,000 references in the New Testament to the Ten
Commandments. Nine hundred to them individually like “Thou shat
not kill,” “Thou shall not steal” etc. There are over one hundred references to
them as a whole like “If you love me keep my commandments.”
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Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14
Matthew
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8
Ye have heard
that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not
commit adultery: Matthew 5:27
But I say unto
you, That whosoever looketh
on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his
heart. Matthew 5:28
It hath been
said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give
her a writing of divorcement: Matthew 5:31
But I say unto
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. Matthew 5:32
But he answered
and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to
it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: Matthew 12:39
For John said
unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
Matthew 14:4
For out of the
heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false
witness, blasphemies: Matthew 15:19
A wicked and
adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there
shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. Matthew 16:4
The Pharisees
also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is
it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? Matthew 19:3
And he answered
and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which
made them at the beginning made them male and female, Matthew 19:4
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and
shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Matthew 19:5
Wherefore they
are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let
not man put asunder. Matthew 19:6 They say unto him, Why
did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
Matthew 19:7
He saith unto
them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away
your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. Matthew 19:8
And I say unto
you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be
for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth
adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away
doth commit adultery. Matthew 19:9
His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife,
it is not good to marry. Matthew 19:10 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is
given. Matthew 19:11
For there are some eunuchs, which
were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were
made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs
for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to
receive it, let him receive it. Matthew 19:12
He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery,
Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Matthew 19:18
Mark
For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold
upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's
wife: for he had married her. Mark 6:17
For John had said unto Herod, It
is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Mark 6:18
For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Mark 7:21
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and
of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son
of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy
angels. Mark 8:38
And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
Mark 10:2
And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? Mark 10:3
And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of
divorcement, and to put her away. Mark 10:4
And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the
hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. Mark 10:5
But from the beginning of the creation God made them
male and female. Mark 10:6
For this cause shall a man leave his father and
mother, and cleave to his wife; Mark 10:7
And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. Mark 10:8
What therefore God hath joined together, let not
man put asunder. Mark 10:9
And in the house his disciples asked him again
of the same matter. Mark 10:10
And he saith unto them, Whosoever
shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth
adultery against her. Mark 10:11
And if a woman shall put away her husband, and
be married to another, she committeth adultery. Mark
10:12
Thou knowest the
commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do
not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour
thy father and mother. Mark 10:19
Luke
But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him
for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had
done, Luke 3:19
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew
that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of
ointment, Luke 7:37
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw
it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and
what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for
she is a sinner. Luke 7:39
And he said unto her, Thy
sins are forgiven. Luke 7:48
But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath
devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
Luke 15:30
Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth
adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away
from her husband committeth adultery. Luke 16:18
Thou knowest the
commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do
not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy
father and thy mother. Luke 18:20
John
For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom
thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou
truly. John 4:18
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a
woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, John 8:3
They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken
in adultery, in the very act. John 8:4
Acts
But that we write unto them, that they abstain
from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and
from blood. Acts 15:20
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. Acts 15:29
As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have
written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep
themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled,
and from fornication. Acts 21:25
Romans
For this cause God gave them up unto vile
affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is
against nature: Romans 1:26
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, and receiving in
themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. Romans 1:27
Being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder,
debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Romans 1:29
Thou that sayest a man should not commit
adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest
idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Romans 2:22
For the woman which hath an
husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth;
but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. Romans
7:2
So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called
an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that
she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Romans 7:3
1 Corinthians
It is reported commonly that there is
fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among
the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. 1 Corinthians 5:1
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company
with fornicators: 1 Corinthians 5:9
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not
inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind, 1 Corinthians 6:9
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. 1
Corinthians 6:13
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 an harlot? God forbid. 1 Corinthians 6:15
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one
flesh. 1 Corinthians 6:16
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is
without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto
me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 1 Corinthians 7:1
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every
man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 1 Corinthians
7:2 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 1 Corinthians 7:3
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the
husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power
of his own body, but the wife. 1 Corinthians 7:4
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. 1 Corinthians
7:5
I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. 1 Corinthians
7:8
But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. 1 Corinthians
7:9
And unto the married I command, yet not I, but
the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 1
Corinthians 7:10
But and if she depart,
let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the
husband put away his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:11
For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the
wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your
children unclean; but now are they holy. 1 Corinthians 7:14
For what knowest thou,
O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest
thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? 1 Corinthians 7:16
Now concerning virgins
I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath
obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. 1 Corinthians 7:25
Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art
thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. 1 Corinthians 7:27
But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and
if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I
spare you. 1 Corinthians 7:28
But he that is married careth
for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. 1 Corinthians
7:33
There is difference also between a wife and a
virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of
the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is
married careth for the things of the world, how she
may please her husband. 1 Corinthians 7:34
But if any man think
that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin,
if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he
will, he sinneth not: let them marry. 1 Corinthians
7:36
Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast
in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath
so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. 1 Corinthians
7:37
So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that
giveth her not in marriage doeth better. 1 Corinthians 7:38
The wife is bound by the law as
long as her husband liveth; but if her husband
be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. 1
Corinthians 7:39
Have we not power to lead about a sister, a
wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 1
Corinthians 9:5
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of
them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 1 Corinthians
10:8
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who
will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1
Corinthians 10:13
But I would have you know,
that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and
the head of Christ is God. 1 Corinthians 11:3
For the man is not of the woman;
but the woman of the man. 1 Corinthians 11:8
Neither was the
man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
1 Corinthians 11:9
Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without
the man, in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:11
For as the woman
is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman;
but all things of God. 1 Corinthians 11:12
And if they will
learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home:
for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 1 Corinthians 14:35
For I am jealous
over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I
may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2
And lest, when I
come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which
have sinned already, and have not repented of the
uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. 2
Corinthians 12:21
Galatians
Now the works of
the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, Galatians 5:19
Envyings, murders,
drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which
I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do
such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:21
Ephesians
Who being past
feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness
with greediness. Ephesians 4:19 But fornication, and
all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as
becometh saints; Ephesians 5:3 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor
jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. Ephesians 5:4
For this ye know,
that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous
man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of
God. Ephesians 5:5
Wives, submit
yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Ephesians 5:22
For the husband
is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is
the saviour of the body. Ephesians 5:23
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to
their own husbands in every thing. Ephesians 5:24
Husbands, love
your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Ephesians 5:25
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth
his wife loveth himself. Ephesians 5:28
For this cause
shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and
they two shall be one flesh. Ephesians 5:31
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as
himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Ephesians 5:33
Colossians
Mortify therefore
your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate
affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Colossians
3:5
Wives, submit yourselves
unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Colossians 3:18
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Colossians 3:19
1 Thessalonians
For this is the
will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
1 Thessalonians 4:3 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles
which know not God: 1 Thessalonians 4:5
1 Timothy
For whoremongers, for
them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers,
for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is
contrary to sound doctrine; 1 Timothy 1:10
For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 1 Timothy
2:13
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of
one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given
to hospitality, apt to teach; 1 Timothy 3:2
Even so must their wives be grave, not
slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 1 Timothy 3:11
Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife,
ruling their children and their own houses well. 1 Timothy 3:12
Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain
from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them
which believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:3
Let not a widow be taken into the number under
threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, 1 Timothy 5:9
2 Timothy
For of this sort are they which creep into
houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 2 Timothy 3:6
Titus
If any be blameless, the husband of one wife,
having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. Titus 1:6
That they may teach the young women to be sober,
to love their husbands, to love their children, Titus 2:4
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good,
obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus
2:5
Hebrews
Lest there be any
fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his
birthright. Hebrews 12:16 Marriage is honourable in
all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and
adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4
James
For he that said, Do
not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery,
yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. James 2:11
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that
the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of God. James 4:4
1 Peter
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own
husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won
by the conversation of the wives; 1 Peter 3:1
For after this manner in the old time the holy
women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto
their own husbands: 1 Peter 3:5
Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord:
whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are
not afraid with any amazement. 1 Peter 3:6
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according
to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto
the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your
prayers be not hindered. 1 Peter 3:7
For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the
will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and
abominable idolatries: 1 Peter 4:3
2 Peter
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow,
making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 2 Peter 2:6
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy
conversation of the wicked: 2 Peter 2:7
(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in
seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their
unlawful deeds;) 2 Peter 2:8
Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot
cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart
they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 2 Peter 2:14
Jude
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha,
and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to
fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example,
suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 1:7
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion,
and speak evil of dignities. Jude 1:8
Revelation
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of
Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block
before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to
commit fornication. Revelation 2:14
Notwithstanding I have a few things against
thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel,
which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit
fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Revelation 2:20
And I gave her space to repent of her
fornication; and she repented not. Revelation 2:21
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them
that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of
their deeds. Revelation 2:22
Neither repented they of their murders, nor of
their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. Revelation 9:21
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of
the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our
Lord was crucified. Revelation 11:8
And there followed another angel, saying,
Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations
drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Revelation 14:8
And there came one of the seven angels which had
the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come
hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: Revelation 17:1
With whom the kings of the earth have committed
fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the
wine of her fornication. Revelation 17:2
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a
woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of
names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:3
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and
pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of
her fornication: Revelation 17:4
And upon her forehead was a name written,
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH. Revelation 17:5
And he saith unto me, The
waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues. Revelation 17:15
And the ten horns which thou sawest
upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall
make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Revelation 17:16
And the woman which
thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. Revelation 17:18
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication
with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance
of her delicacies. Revelation 18:3
And the kings of the earth, who have committed
fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for
her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Revelation 18:9
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he
hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the
earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her
hand. Revelation 19:2
Let us be glad and rejoice,
and give honour to him: for the marriage of
the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. Revelation 19:7
And to her was granted that she should be
arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness
of saints. Revelation 19:8
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they
which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. Revelation 19:9
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:2
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and
sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake
which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the
second death. Revelation 21:8
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven
vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Revelation 21:9
For without are dogs, and
sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and
idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Revelation 22:15
Sexual Morality in
the New Testament
