“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness…”
which are:
The Greek indicates that the following list of sins is not exhaustive. If you do not find a specific here, that does not mean that it is not a violation in God’s eyes. These are only suggestive sins. Paul could delineate many other sins. These suggestive sins fall into four categories:
1) sins of sensuality,
2) sins of false doctrine,
3) sins against others and
4) sins of excess.
adultery,
The word “adultery” does not occur in older manuscripts. Neither “adultery” nor “murder” is in this list as they occur in the King James Version.
The sin of adultery was a capital crime in the Old Testament, indicating the seriousness with which God views the violation of the family unit. Adultery is a violation of intimacy.
All absolutes are for our benefit because they give us freedom. By forbidding adultery, the marriage partners have a sense of security in the commitment of their partners toward each other. This protects the stability and set-apartness of the family. Children know their parents. Partners will not carry out vendettas against each other. Fidelity to each other is at the core of marriage vows.
Principle:
Adultery always compromises the integrity of the persons committing adultery.
Application:
Adultery always compromises the integrity of the person who commits this sin. It cheapens personal and sexual intimacy. This always results in the loss of intimacy in marriage.
