The Biblical Concept Of Adultery Part 2
When we approach this word, and the definition thereof, we have two perspectives from which to consider it: The modern or the ancient (biblical). Joshuah’s House, as always, holds God’s Word to be the standard, and so accepts its definition as the final say on the matter, but let’s consider for a moment a more modern definition. For this we will go to the Wiki, although anyone could just as easily define words directly from Google, by entering “define:adultery”.
Adultery is generally defined as consensual sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their lawful spouse. As there is usually an implicit or explicit agreement between spouses to not have sex outside the marriage, the common synonym for adultery is infidelity as well as unfaithfulness or in colloquial speech, cheating. By extension, adultery may also apply to any other sexual activi on. committed outside the marriage.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adultery
So what we find is the more common definition of adultery, one which most people today operate from, and it is noticeably different from the scriptural definition, hence the source of many peoples confusion of Biblical Plural Marriage (a biblical form of marriage) with that of adultery.
We will conclude with offering excerpts from several bible dictionaries, for your consideration.
Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
111.01 A married woman cohabiting with a man not her husband. The prevalent polygamy in patriarchal times rendered it impossible to stigmatize as adultery the cohabitation of a married man with another besides his wife. But as Jesus saith, "from the beginning it was not so," for "He which made male and female said, They twain shall be one flesh.”
Read on here:
The Biblical Concept Of Adultery Part 3
Go back to the beginning here:
