adultery – Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: adultery

Romans 13:9 – Living The Second Table

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Will

For, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not bear false witness," "Do not covet," and if there is any other commandment, they are all summed up in this saying, namely, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Truth to Learn

Fully paying our love debt fulfills the second table of the Law.

Behind the Words

“Commit adultery” is from moicheuō, which refers to “sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse.”

The word “murder” is from the Greek word phoneuō, meaning “to intentionally take the life of another person without due process of law.”

“Steal” is from the Greek verb kleptō, which means “to take that which does not rightfully belong to you.” It is the word from which we get our English word kleptomaniac (someone who habitually steals).

“Bear false witness” is translated from pseudomartureō, which is made up of poseudes, meaning “untrue” and martureō, meaning “to give testimony as a witness.”

The word “covet” is translated from epithumeō, meaning “to have an overly strong desire or lust for something.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that we are indebted to each other, a debt that we should always be striving to pay. This debt is a debt of love. He ended the previous verse with, “for the one who loves another has fulfilled the Law.” He now proceeds to explain what he means by that expression. You will notice that the five commandments that Paul refers to in this verse correspond to five of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses. The Ten Commandments are often separated into The First Table (commandments 1 – 4) dealing with our relationship to God and The Second Table (commandments 5-10) dealing with our relationship to others. The commandments that Paul references in the current verse are all from the second table, the commandment to honor our parents having been omitted. These commandments encompass all that is included in our relationship with our fellow man.

Paul’s point is that all of these can be summed up in, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” In fact, when Jesus was challenged by one of the scribes to proclaim which is the greatest commandment in the Law, here’s what He said:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)

Application

If we were constantly paying our debt of love to those around us, then we would be living as God intended all of mankind to live. In doing so we would be fulfilling the second table of the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, as people with a sin nature, we are not able to behave this way all the time. However, that should not stop us from trying to do so.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 2:22 – A Living Example

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Will

You who are saying not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples?

Truth to Learn

Practice what you preach (or teach).

Behind the Words

The word translated “adultery” is moicheuō, which is based on moichos, referring to a man who seeks out a female for sex. This is distinctly different from pornē which refers to a woman who sells herself to a man for sexual pleasure.

“Detest” is translated from bdelussō, which comes from the root bdeō, meaning “to stink.” The word bdelussō means “to turn away from something that stinks” or “to detest something.”

The words, “do you rob temples” come from a single Greek word hierosuleō. This is a compound word made up of hieron, which means “temple” and a form of sulaō, meaning “to rob, to spoil, or to steal.” So, although a literal translation of this word means “you rob temples” it is used to denote someone who uses something that is consecrated to God for his or her own private use.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul chastened the Jewish Christians in Rome for needing the teaching of the Scriptures just as much as those to whom they were teaching it. In this verse he gets even more personal saying, “You who are saying not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery?”

Though many of the readers of this letter would have said, “No, I don’t commit adultery,” as Christ pointed out in His sermon on the mount,

You have heard that it was said to the ancients, “Do not commit adultery.” But I say to you, everyone looking at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27, 28)

So, even though they may not have committed an act of adultery, in God’s book they were guilty of it even if they had thought lustfully about someone of the opposite sex other than the one they are married to.

The second part of today’s verse is a little more difficult. It says, “You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?” According to the Jewish historian Josephus, it was not uncommon for Jews (and Christians) to destroy or desecrate temples of idolatry and then to plunder some of the riches which had been brought by idol worshippers. Even in Acts, when a couple of Paul’s traveling companions were brought before a crowd in Ephesus, it was said in their defense,

For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. (Acts 19:37)

Paul’s message, continued from the previous verse, is that the Roman Christians were quick to tell others what was wrong, but they were just as quick to do that which they told others not to do. Recall what he said about judging, back in verse one? He is saying essentially the same thing here about teaching.

Application

These Roman Christians were apparently fond of saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” However, the proper Christian attitude is, “Learn what is right and wrong by watching me!” I wonder how many of us could say that.

In God's service, for His glory,

James 2:11 – Transgressing the Law

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Will

For He who said, "You shall not commit adultery," also said, "You shall not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

Truth to Learn

In God’s courtroom no sin is greater than any other. Every sin carries the penalty of death, apart from God’s grace.

Behind the Words

The word translated “adultery” is the Greek word moicheuō, which refers to a husband or wife who has sexual relations with anyone other than their legally married spouse.

“Transgressor” is translated from parabatēs. This is a compound word made up of para, meaning “beyond” and a form of bainō, meaning “to go.” Hence, it means “to go beyond,” that is, to cross the line.

Meaning Explained

This verse can easily lose its real meaning when separated from the preceding verses. Remember that James is talking about showing favoritism to rich people and discriminating against poor people. He has also pointed out that the highest law says that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. In the previous verse we saw that if someone were to keep the entire law and yet stumble in but one point, he or she is guilty of every part of the law.

James is now using two of the worst types of offenses against other persons to drive home his point. Both adultery and murder violate the sanctity that God has placed on us; one on life itself, and the other on the marriage relationship (which is a symbol of our relationship with Christ). Keeping one while violating the other is just as bad as violating both of the injunctions.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Why is James making such a big deal about the law? I thought that Christians weren’t under the law, but under grace.” That’s correct. We are not under the Law of Moses and we aren’t under the Ten Commandments, per se. The law was given to the Old Testament Jews as their pattern of righteousness. For Christians, Christ, not the law, is our pattern of righteousness. If you look carefully, you will see that nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament. The only one that isn’t repeated is the third one: Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. We Christians are never told to keep the Sabbath Day (incidentally, the Sabbath is the seventh day, not the first day). And, even when the other nine commandments are given to us in the New Testament Epistles, they are not given as law but as instruction in righteousness.

That doesn’t mean that Christians are free to live any way we want, without repercussions. God does not say to Christians, “If you steal, you are condemned to death.” Or “If you commit adultery, you will lose your salvation.” Rather He says: “I have saved you by My grace. Now I want you to live a holy life out of love for Me.”

As James will show us in the next verse, we are actually under a higher law than the Ten Commandments, the law of liberty.

Application

If you are worried about losing your salvation or missing the rapture because you have committed an intentional act of sin, you can stop worrying. All of our sins, intentional or accidental (even those which we haven’t yet committed) are paid for by the blood of Christ!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 13:9 – Living The Second Table

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Will

Romans 13:9 – Living The Second Table

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Truth to Learn

Fully paying our love debt fulfills the second table of the Law.

Behind the Words

“Commit adultery” is from moicheuō, which refers to “sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse.”

The word “murder” is from the Greek word phoneuō, meaning “to intentionally take the life of another person without due process of law.”

“Bear false witness” is translated from pseudomartureō, which is made up of poseudes, meaning “untrue” and martureō, meaning “to give testimony as a witness.”

The word “covet” is translated from epithumeō, meaning “to have an overly strong desire or lust for something.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that we are indebted to each other, a debt that we should always be striving to pay. This debt is a debt of love. He ended the previous verse with, “for he who loves another has fulfilled the Law.” He now proceeds to explain what he means by that expression. You will notice that the five commandments that Paul refers to in this verse correspond to five of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses. The Ten Commandments are often separated into The First Table (commandments 1 – 4) dealing with our relationship to God and The Second Table (commandments 5-10) dealing with our relationship to others. The commandments that Paul references in the current verse are all from the second table, the commandment to honor our parents having been omitted. These commandments encompass all that is included in our relationship with our fellow man.

Paul’s point is that all of these can be summed up in, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In fact, when Jesus was challenged by one of the scribes to proclaim which is the greatest commandment in the Law, here’s what He said:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Application

If we were constantly paying our debt of love to those around us, then we would be living as God intended all of mankind to live. In doing so we would be fulfilling the second table of the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, as beings with a sin nature, we are not able to behave this way all the time. However, that should not stop us from trying to do so.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 2:22 – A Living Example

Posted on October 4, 2009 by admin

Romans 2:22

You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

Truth to Learn

Practice what you preach (or teach).

Behind the Words

“Abhor” is translated from bdelussō, which comes from the root bdeō, meaning “to stink.” The word bdelussō means “to turn away from something that stinks” or “to detest something.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul chastened the Jewish Christians in Rome for needing the teaching of the Scriptures just as much as those to whom they were teaching it. In this verse he gets even more personal saying, “You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery?”

Though many of the readers of this letter would have said, “No, I don’t commit adultery,” as Christ pointed out in His sermon on the mount,

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27, 28)

So, even though they may not have committed an act of adultery, in God’s book they were guilty of it even if they had thought lustfully about someone of the opposite sex.

For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. (Acts 19:37)

Paul’s message, continued from the previous verse, is that the Roman Christians were quick to tell others what was wrong, but they were just as quick to do that which they told others not to do. Recall what he said about judging back in verse one? He is saying essentially the same thing here about teaching.

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, you can call the church phone (618) 614-3070 and leave a message telling us your name and e-mail address or you can send an e-mail to: