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A Biblical Catechism on Sex and Marriage: Sexual Sins: Premarital Sex

[This post continues a series of posts entitled 'A Biblical Catechism on Sex and Marriage'.  The intention is to provide basic material for further instruction by a trusted teacher of God's Word in a church that is committed to Biblical authority.  The Church’s mission is to invite all people to live under God’s righteous rule.]

 Question 3. What sexual sins are mentioned in the Bible?

Answer: Any sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is sin.


Comment 1: The following sexual sins can be found in the Bible:

[Previous Posts on this question: Adultery, Sexual Immorality, Bestiality, Homosexuality, Transgenderism, Prostitution, Temple Prostitution, Orgies, Incest]

The Only Place for Sex is within Marriage between a Man and a Woman

Hebrews 13:4 Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed [i.e., sex] be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.

1 Corinthians 7:36-38 If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed [Greek: ‘virgin’], if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry - it is no sin.  37 But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well.  38 So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

Premarital, Consensual Sex

Exodus 22:16-17  "If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.  17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.

Deuteronomy 22:20-21  But if the thing is true [that a woman is discovered not to be a virgin on her wedding night], that evidence of virginity was not found in the young woman,  21 then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father's house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.  [Note: Civil punishments, such as this, are no longer followed by the Church, which is not a government to carry out punishments.  This is an important difference between Israel and the Church.]

Premarital, Non-Consensual Sex with a Betrothed or with a Non-Betrothed Woman

Deuteronomy 22:25-27 "But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die.  26 But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no offense punishable by death. For this case is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor,  27 because he met her in the open country, and though the betrothed young woman cried for help there was no one to rescue her.

Deuteronomy 22:28-29  "If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found,  29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.  [Note: This seems to assume willingness on the part of the father to accept a bride price—to allow the man to marry his daughter.]

Consensual Sex with a Woman Betrothed to Another

Deuteronomy 22:23-24  "If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her,  24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor's wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

(Consensual) Sex with a Slave Woman

Leviticus 19:20-21  "If a man lies sexually with a woman who is a slave, assigned to another man and not yet ransomed or given her freedom, a distinction shall be made. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free;  21 but he shall bring his compensation to the LORD, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, a ram for a guilt offering.  [Note: the point is that while property law can be applied in the case of a female slave having, it is implied, consensual sex with a man who is not her master, this is still a sin before God because it is extra- or premarital sex.]


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