Re: Matt. 5 - porneia

From: Roberto Dam (rad@infonet.com.py)
Date: Thu Oct 02 1997 - 04:15:57 EDT


Williams, Wes wrote:

> From: Graeme Codrington <gj.cod@pixie.co.za>
>
> <<Biblical texts, once again am confused by all the literature on the
> use of the word, porneia in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9's (in)famous
> exception clauses.
>
> Does porneia, NIV = "marital unfaithfulness" refer only to sexual
> adultery (or fornication), or can it refer to other marital
> misconduct. Also, could it have reference to withholding sexual
> intercourse (cf. 1 Cor. 7:5-6 - and if this is so, what is the
> meaning of verse 6?). >>
>
> Graeme,
>
> PORNEIA refers to extra-marital intercourse, whether married or single
>
> persons are involved. I below quote two references in support, TDNT
> and
> Westcott.
>
> TDNT, Vol VI, p.592 comments on Matt 5:32 and 19:9 saying: "PORNEIA
> refers to extra-marital intercourse" On p. 594, it says with reference
>
> to Eph 5:3,5 and 1 Cor. 7: "[Paul] realises that not every one has the
>
> gift of continence, 1 C. 7:7. As a protection against the evil of
> fornication the [single] man who does not have [continence] should
> take
> the divinely prescribed way of a lawful marriage, 1 C. 7:2." Thus,
> PORNEIA also applies to single persons.
>
> Westcott, in Saint Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, 1906, p. 76
> comments
> on the various meanings of PORNEIA and says in a note on Eph 5:3;
> "This is a general term for all unlawful intercourse,
> 1) Adultery: Hos. ii. 2,4 (LXX.); Matt. v. 32; xix. 9;
> 2) Unlawful marriage, I Cor. v. 1;
> 3) Fornication, the common sense as here [Eph 5:3].
>
> I take Westcott's "common sense" as referring to the modern sense of
> sexual relations between unmarried persons, in agreement with TDNT p.
> 594.
>
> Sincerely,
> Wes Williams

   I have researched "porneia" and it comes from the Hebrew in the Tanak
("O.T.") word: ervar davar, literally, "genital matters" occuring in
Dvarim/Words/"Dt." 24:1-2. What ervat davar means is simply ANY genital
problem, such as those mentioned by Wes and others. This is a much
encompassing and biblical answer, I believe, that the Greek porneia.
Hope my two cents worth are worth more than that.
Julio Dam
Messianic Pastor
Beit Shalom Messianic Congregation,
URL:http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7775/BEITSHA2.HTM
email:beitshal(a)hotmail.com



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