Fornication, Pornography, and Homosexuality – Biblically Defined

     The noun pórnos (lit. a male prostitute) is employed in the New Testament of anyone engaging in illicit sex, i.e., a fornicator (1 Cor. 5:9, 10, 11; 6:9; Eph. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 12:16; 13:4; Rev. 21:8; 22:15). The noun porneía applies to any type of illicit sexual intercourse, i.e., fornication (Matt. 5:32; 15:19; 19:9; Mark 7:21; John 8:41; Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25; 1 Cor. 5:1 [x2]; 6:13, 18; 7:2; 2 Cor. 12:21; Gal. 5:19; Eph. 5:3; Col. 3:5; 1 Thess. 4:3; Rev. 2:21; 9:21; 14:8; 17:2, 4; 18:3; 19:2). In its singular form porneía refers to the specific sex act, and under this broad umbrella term would be various types of porneía, such as adultery, incest, homosexuality, pedophilia, bestiality, etc. Porneía is any kind of sexual intercourse that is not within the context of a divinely approved marriage (cf. Heb. 13:4).

     While the English word “pornography” is derived from this Greek term, porneía does not mean the same thing as the English word, and vice versa. The English translation “sexual immorality” is somewhat vague, thus contributing to common misunderstandings. Although pornography is not “fornication,” it is still sinful, not only because of its addictiveness and the other immoral thoughts and behaviors it inevitably leads to (Rom. 6:19; Jas. 1:14-15; 2 Pet. 2:18-19), but its inherently selfish, lustful, lewd, degrading, objectifying nature is utterly contrary to the mental and moral purity that God expects of his children (Matt. 5:28; Gal. 5:16-17; Eph. 4:17-20; 1 Thess. 5:22; 2 Tim. 2:19-22; 1 John 2:15-17). Nevertheless, while the English word “pornography” is derived from the Greek porneía, viewing pornographic images does not constitute the sexual intercourse that is required for porneía to have occurred.

     The Greek malakoí (plural of malakós) in 1 Cor. 6:9 essentially means “soft,” and precedes arsenokoítai (see also 1 Tim. 1:10), a combination of arsēn (“male”) and koitē (“bed”). These are sexual terms descriptive of homosexual behavior (ASV, ESV, ERV, HCSB, ISB, NASB, NIV, N/KJV, NRSV, etc.).¹ Malakoí describes men who submit to dominant homosexual partners, and the compound arsenokoítai applies to men who actively engage in sodomy. The words arsēn (“male”) and koitē (“bed”) appear together six times in the LXX (Greek translation of the OT, the version Paul extensively quotes in 1 Corinthians), four times referring to men lying with women (Num. 31:17, 18; Judg. 21:11, 12) and twice in reference to men lying with men (Lev. 18:22; 20:13).² Dionysius of Halicarnassus (ca. 60-7 BC), in his Roman Antiquities, describes a man named Aristodemus, who was called malakos or “effeminate,” and one reason for the nickname was the presumed effeminacy of his youth, allowing himself “to be treated as a woman” (7.2.4).

     Irrespective of how these terms and concepts might be viewed in secular societies, to understand God’s revealed will on these matters we must define biblical terms biblically and then live and teach accordingly. 

-- Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Variously rendered “homosexuals” (NKJV), “effeminate” [by perversion] (NASB), “catamites” [those submitting to homosexuals] (NKJV mg) – descriptive of passive homosexual partners; and “sodomites” [male homosexuals] (NKJV), “homosexuals” (NASB), descriptive of active homosexual partners. The ESV combines these two words: “men who practice homosexuality.”

     ² See also Lev. 15:18, 24; 18:20; 19:20; Num. 5:13, 20. 

Related Posts: Biblical Doctrine of Divorce & Remarriage Part 1; Postmodernism & Homosexual Christian Part 2 

Related Articles: Mike Benson, Does Lust Equal Adultery?. Wayne Jackson, Is Lust Fornication?, Cindy Colley, Porneia in Matt 19:9

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Confronting Porn Addiction with the Sword of the Spirit

“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:14-24).

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:13-15).

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

“So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him” (2 Corinthians 5:9); “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him …” (Colossians 1:10).

“Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:22-23).

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Galatians 5:16-17).

“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).

“Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil” (Isaiah 1:16).

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

“Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression” (Psalm 19:13).

*All scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version.

--Kevin L. Moore

Related Posts: Are You Listening to the Holy Spirit?

Related articles: Jack Dodgen's Porn Myths, Scotty Sparks' What Young People Need to Know; John Stonestreet's Latest numbers on porn; Jason Hardin's Fight for Mental Purity; Sam Guzman's Lust Won: How Porn Destroyed My Marriage, Mike Benson's Does Lust Equal Adultery? 

Porn Addiction Resources: Focus Press

Related Podcast: Joe Wells, Hope at the End of the Tunnel - Pornography

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