Scriptures on Adultery, King James Version, Galatians 5, Proverbs 6

 

Scriptures on Adultery

 

Though I have never counted them up, there are probably just as many scriptures on adultery as there are on marriage itself. Unfortunately, this does not reveal something good about mankind.

Nevertheless, here are a few important scriptures on adultery and unfaithfulness that should help you in grasping a Biblical view on the subject. These scriptures are from the King James Version of the Bible.

 

Galatians 5:19-20

 

In Galatians 5:19-20, the Bible tells us what the flesh (the sinful part of us) is capable of producing. Here is what Paul wrote:

 

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,”

 

It is interesting to see that the first sin that Paul mentioned was that of adultery. It is also high on Christ’s list as He describes what is in the heart of man in Matthew 15:19:

 

“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:”

 

As you can see, adultery is a sin that God knows is far too prevalent in the heart of man. Consequently, mankind is in dire need of God’s grace, power, and wisdom in order to abstain from the sin of adultery.

 

Exodus 20:14

 

Exodus 20:14 is part of the Ten Commandments or the moral law. It states:

 

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

 

Of course, the law is not made for a righteous man as it is for a man that is in need of God’s grace. This is evident through I Timothy 1:9:

 

“Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,”

 

In I Timothy, Paul is pointing out that the primary purpose of the verse, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”, is to show sinful mankind his need for God’s grace if he has committed such an act.

 

Jeremiah 3:8

 

In Jeremiah 3:8, we find God writing a bill of divorcement to Israel for their sin of spiritual adultery. I believe this verse shows us that hard, unrepentant adultery is certainly what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 5 and 19. Here is Jeremiah 3:8:

 

“And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.”

 

Proverbs 6:32-33

 

In Proverbs 6:32-33, Solomon supplies us with yet another scripture on adultery. Though most of the chapter is dealing with this issue, here is just an excerpt:

 

 

“But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.”

 

As one can see, this passage tells us that a man (or a woman for that matter) that commits adultery lacks understanding. That is, they lack the understanding that adultery causes:

 

1. An immense amount of pain in others
2. It procures the judgment of God
3. It causes one to have a tarnished reputation
4. In the end, it causes spiritual death instead of life