In the Old Testament men were allowed to have more than one wife. Surely things are not stricter in the "Grace Administration" than they were under the Law. God must allow men to have intercourse with other women besides their wives, especially single women.
Answer:
Men were allowed to have more than one wife in the Old Testament (Exodus 21:10 and Deuteronomy 21:15). That is not the case in the Grace Administration as Corinthians, Timothy, and Titus make clear. Timothy and Titus are specifically addressed to leaders in the church. According to I Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6, a "bishop" (episkopos), i.e., one who is a ruling elder, an overseer, in the church, must be the "husband of one wife." According to I timothy 3:12, the "deacons" (diakonos), i.e., one who serves in the Body of Christ, are also to be the "husband of one wife". Thus the Word of God clearly states that any man who serves in the Body of Christ must only have one wife. More than that, however, the Word of God declares that every Christian man should have just one wife and every Christian woman should have just one husband.
Corinthians, which is addressed to every believer, addresses the one-husband, one-wife issue. Corinthians says "Let every man have his own wife and every woman have her own husband" (I Corinthians 7:2). This verse clearly sets the monogamous Christian marriage. If the wife is sharing her husband with other wives, then the husband is not "her own," but is shared property. Similarly, a woman is not to have more than one husband, for then she would not be "his own." Thus although the Old Testament Law allowed for more than one wife, the New Testament does not.
Believers in the Grace Administration are not allowed to have more than one wife, and they are not allowed to "sleep around" either.
I Corinthians 7:1:
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
The essential meaning of the word "touch" in this context is "touch as if the woman were your wife." Bauer’s lexicon handles the word "touch" as sexual intercourse with a woman. In the Grace Administration, the wife is to meet the sexual needs of the husband and vice-versa.
Even though the Old Testament Law made provision for a man to have more than one wife, there were laws governing people’s sexual behavior. Each wife was to be well taken care of, having food, raiment and sexual companionship.
Deuteronomy 21:10
If he take him another wife, her food her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
Adultery was forbidden in the ten commandments and was punishable by death (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10).
Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that shall lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.
If a man had sexual intercourse with a free woman who was betrothed, that was also considered either adultery or rape. If the act occurred in the city, the act was considered to be adultery and the man and the woman were stoned to death. If the act occurred out in the countryside, the act was considered rape and only the man was killed (Deuteronomy 22:23-27). Thus, whether the betrothed woman was willing or not, if a man had intercourse with a betrothed free woman, he was killed. If a man had sexual intercourse with a slave who was betrothed, there were still consequences, but they were less severe. The woman was scourged (whipped) and the man fined.
Leviticus 19:20-22
And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering.
And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.
It is noteworthy that even though the consequences for adultery with a betrothed slave girl were less severe, the act itself was called a "sin" twice in verse 22.
If a man had sexual intercourse with a single woman, he had to marry her.
Exodus 22:16
And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
The one exception to this occurred if the girl’s father absolutely refused to let the man marry his daughter. In that case, the man was required to pay a fine equal to the "the dowry of virgins" (Exodus 22:17).
Even if a man found a single woman and raped her, he had to marry her.
Deuteronomy 22:28 and 29
If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away (i.e. divorce her) all his days.
These two verses refer to rape, according to the context. Verses 26 and 27, just prior to these, refer to rape, and the words "lay hold on her" in verse 28 indicate rape. The New International Version translates Deuteronomy 22:28 and 29 as follows:
"If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.*
One reason the Law of Moses specified that single girls marry the man who seduced or raped them was that if a girl was not a virgin on her wedding night she could be stoned to death.
Deuteronomy 22:10-21
But if this thing (the woman’s not being a virgin) be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:
Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.
From the above information it can be seen that Israel under the Law was not a sexual panacea, where men had the sexual affections of women freely available to them. If they had more than one wife, they had to make sure that each was well taken care of. If he seduced or raped a married or betrothed woman, he was stoned to death. If he seduced or raped a single woman, he was forced to marry her.
People have tried to say that the Old Testament Law does not forbid a man to visit a prostitute or have intercourse with his slave girls. Although it is true that in practice men did visit prostitutes and take advantage of their slave girls, had the Law been properly applied, this would not have happened. Thus, if the Law was carried out, the master would have married his slave girl, and the prostitute would have married her first customer.**
From the above evidence it can be seen that the men of the Old Testament did not live in a society where they had vast sexual freedom. Yes, they could have more than one wife, while we today in the Grace Administration cannot. Although the reasons why God allowed more than one wife in the Old Testament but only allows one wife today may not be clear, one thing is clear: The Word of God does say that today, in the Grace Administration, marriage is to be monogamous. Having sexual intercourse with a woman who is not your wife is a sin.
Appendix B
Reason:
The sin that David committed and which God was really angry about was the murder of a faithful believer, not adultery.
Answer:
Murder and adultery are both specifically mentioned in the ten commandments, and both were capital crimes, carrying the death penalty. You may say that David’s adultery was not a sin or not that big a sin, but David did not feel that way. He knew what he did was wrong and tried to cover it up. When his initial scheme to cover his sin of adultery by getting Uriah to have sexual intercourse with Bathsheba did not work, he finally covered it by committing the sin of murder.
God is no respecter of persons. To say that it was all right with God for a king to commit adultery because he was king is to say that God elevates the position of king above His Word. That is patently false. In God’s sight, it is a sin to break any commandment. If it was all right with God for David to break God’s commandment and commit adultery because he was the king, then it would have been all right for David to break any other commandment because he was king, including the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" (Heb. ratsach = "murder"). Then Nathan could not have reproved David at all. In fact, when Nathan did reprove David, he mentioned both sins: adultery and murder - each mentioned twice. In II Samuel 12:9, Uriah’s murder is mentioned twice and David’s adultery once, and then in verse 10, David’s adultery is mentioned a second time. If David’s adultery was not an issue with God, then why was it brought up at all? The adultery was a sin in God’s eyes.
There are three kings mentioned in the Word of God who unknowingly placed themselves in the position of committing adultery: Pharaoh (Genesis 12), Abimelech (Genesis 20), and a different Abimelech more than 60 years later (Genesis 26). "Abimelech" was an official title for the kings of Gerar, just as "Pharaoh" was the official title for the kings of Egypt.
In Genesis 12 Abraham went to Egypt because there was a famine in the land of Israel. He told Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister, and did not let Pharaoh know that Sarah was also his wife, because he was afraid (Genesis 12:11-13). Pharaoh, thinking Sarah was unmarried, took Sarah to his house (Genesis 12:15). When Pharaoh found out that Sarah was Abraham’s wife, he was upset with Abraham (verses 18 and 19), and he was upset that he might have had intercourse with Sarah (verse 19). Pharaoh then sent both Abraham and Sarah out of his kingdom (verses 19 and 20). Pharaoh knew adultery was wrong and was upset that Abraham had placed him in a position of unknowingly committing adultery.
Abraham journeyed into Gerar in Genesis chapter 20. Abraham told Abimelech, the king of Gerar, the same thing he told Pharaoh - years earlier - that Sarah was his sister, not mentioning that she was also his wife. Like Pharaoh, Abimelech took Sarah. God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him "Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife." Abimelech was the king. If the king was above the law, then Abimelech could have taken Sarah and had no problem with God or man. The word of God clearly indicates that it was not all right with God. He revealed to Abimelech that Sarah was another man’s wife, and it was not all right to take her. This was true even though Abimelech was a king and lived before the Mosaic law.
Abimelech was upset when he found out he had unknowingly taken another man’s wife. He answered God and said, "Said he (Abraham) not unto me, She is my sister? and she (Sarah) even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this." Abimelech did not know that Sarah was already married, and he obviously did not think he had any right to another man’s wife. Abimelech was very upset with Abraham and confronted him.
Genesis 20:9
Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, "What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done."
It is noteworthy that even though Abimelech had never had sexual intercourse with Sarah (Genesis 20:4), he considered the fact that he had even taken her into his house (20:2) a "great sin" both "on me" and "on my kingdom" (20:9).
Abraham was not the only patriarch to spend time in Gerar. Isaac went to Gerar and, being afraid for his life, lied to the people, telling them Rebekah was his sister.
Genesis 26:7
And the men of the place (Gerar) asked him of his wife; and he said "She is my sister," for he feared to say "She was my wife;" "Lest," said he "The men of this place should kill me for Rebekah;" for she was fair to look upon.
Isaac’s lie was discovered by the king when he looked out a window and saw Isaac "sporting with," i.e., sexually caressing, his wife (Genesis 25:8). Abimelech called Isaac and reproved him because if one of his people had had intercourse with Rebekah "Thou should have brought guiltiness upon us." Thus Abimelech clearly recognized that adultery was a sin and that it made people guilty. Abimelech then gave a command, saying, "He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death."
It is obvious from the fact that David tried so hard to cover his adultery that he considered it a sin. It is also obvious that other kings thought that adultery was a sin, both for them and for their people. The evidence is thus conclusive: adultery was a sin, no matter what "position" or "title" a person held.*
Appendix C
Reason:
In I kings 17, Elijah traveled to Syria where he stayed "many days" with a widow woman. Surely they had a sexual relationship. Yet Elijah was one of the greatest prophets that ever walked through Israel.
Answer:
There is not one speck of evidence in the Word of God that Elijah had sexual intercourse with the widow woman with whom he lived. There was a loft in the woman’s house where "he" (not "they") lived, and he had "his own bed." The loft called a "chamber" in I Kings 17:23, was separate from the house so there was privacy for both him and the woman and her son (verse 23).
If Elijah did have a sexual relationship with the widow woman (and I repeat: there is no evidence for that), then he would have been required to marry her and take her back to Israel with him as a wife.
Appendix D
Reason:
Jesus Christ and Paul both traveled with women. They must have provided sexual companionship as well as taking care of other physical needs.
Answer:
The verses referred to about Jesus Christ and Paul are in the gospel of Mark and in I Corinthians.
Mark 15:40-41
There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome.
(Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
I Corinthians 9:5
Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
There is absolutely not one shred of evidence that Jesus Christ ever had sexual intercourse with a woman. If he had, he would have been required to obey the Mosaic Law on the subject and marry her (of course, if the woman were married, then his intercourse would have broken the Law and Jesus could not have been our redeemer). There is also no evidence for the Apostle Paul’s ever having intercourse with a woman.
The biblical culture, both Judean and Greco-Roman, kept woman and men more separated than our twentieth-century culture does. In many cases, only a woman would be allowed to get close enough to another woman to minister to her effectively. Also, the Biblical culture generally had much stricter norms concerning the separation of labor between men and women. Women would minister to Jesus, Paul, and others by doing jobs that would have degraded the men in the eyes of people to whom they taught God’s Word.
Appendix E
Reason:
The last verses of Romans 14 clearly indicate that for people who can so believe, their actions are not sin.
Romans 14:21-23
It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
If I am not causing my brother to stumble and I am believing God to stay in fellowship, my adultery is not sin.
Answer:
The context of the whole chapter of Romans 14 is food, not sex. Although the principles in the chapter can be applied to other areas of life, the principles must be examined carefully so that they are not applied in error. A major key in Romans 14 regarding food is in verse 20. "For meat destroy not the work of God. All things are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense." "All things are pure...." All what things are pure? Is this verse saying that everything in the wide world is pure? Of course not. The context is food. All food is pure.
If all food is pure, how could eating food possibly be a sin? It is a sin when it is eaten in such a way that it causes a brother in Christ to stumble, or if it is eaten with doubt and not believing. Of course, if the food is eaten with believing it is not sin.
The point of Romans 14 is that doing something that God says is okay to do can be a sin if there is doubt and fear involved. Thus, an ex-Judean can eat pork, which is okay with God to do, but still be sinning in doing it because he has doubt, fear, and condemnation in his life from eating it. This principle can be applied outside the food category. Smoking a cigarette is not a sin. Yet it would be if it were done with doubt, fear, and condemnation instead of believing.
The premise in Romans 14 that governs verses 21-23 is that "All things (food) indeed are pure." There is absolutely nothing in Romans 14 about taking something that God calls impure in His Word and purifying it by believing. No homosexual can "believe" to make homosexuality not a sin. God calls it a sin. It is not "pure" in God’s sight, and man cannot make it pure by believing.
In one sense, the principles of Romans 14 do apply to the sexual field. My having sexual intercourse with my wife is pure in God’s sight. Yet I can take that "pure" act and make it a sin by having sexual intercourse in the aisle of the local grocery store. Yes, it is possible to make something that is pure in God’s sight a sin by doing it with doubt and fear, or by doing it in such a manner that a brother in Christ stumbles. It is not available to "purify" an act that God says is a sin by "believing" it is not a sin.
Appendix F
Reason:
We live in the Grace Administration and are not bound by hard-and-fast laws. I Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23 both say "All things are lawful for me."
Answer:
The born-again believer has eternal life. He has the seed of Christ, and spiritually, he cannot sin (I John 3:9). He is heaven bound and all hell cannot stop him. Yet every believer sins. In fact, if we say we do not sin, we are liars (I John 1:8-10). Sin is broken fellowship with God, and the only way we can know whether our behavior is acceptable to God is by studying God’s Word. We know idolatry is a sin because the Word of God says so. A born-again believer can worship idols and still go to heaven. We know that homosexuality is a sin because the Word of God says so. A homosexual that is a born-again believer will still go to heaven. Experience is never a guarantee of Truth. The fact that a believer does not "feel" worse off for his sinful behavior does not mean he was not sinning. The only guidebook to what is and what is not sin is the Word of God. If the Word of God says something is a sin, then that thing is a sin. The believer must strive to line up his walk with the written Word. In the case of adultery, the written Word is clear - it is a sin and thus a behavior to be avoided. You can commit adultery and still go to heaven just as you can steal, or murder, or worship idols and still go to heaven. Nevertheless, the only way we can know God’s will is through His Word. If God has not said what he meant concerning adultery - and there are many verses that show adultery is wrong - then how can we ever know what God does mean? If adultery is not a sin because "all things are lawful for me," then murder is not a sin either. After all, murder is only mentioned twice in the Church epistles, while adultery is mentioned six times.
The phrase "all things are lawful for me" is not the same thing as "nothing is a sin for me". The Word of God says we all sin (I John 1:8-10). All things are lawful because whether you sin or not you are going to heaven. But if you want to walk in fellowship with God, you must learn from His Word what things are sins - and His Word is clear concerning adultery. It is a sin.
Appendix G
Reason:
According to I Corinthians, chapter 7, the marriage relationship is one of permission, not law. I am not breaking any of God’s laws by getting my sexual needs met outside as well as inside my marriage.
Answer:
I Corinthians 7:6 says, "But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment." This verse means that what the Apostle Paul was writing was God’s Word, but he was writing by God’s permission, not because God had commanded him to write. Just because Paul was writing by permission does not mean that marriage was any less binding. No one has to get married. God does not force anyone to get married, but once two believers make a freewill decision to get married, then they are bound by what the Word of God says about the marriage relationship. The Word of God says that once you are married you are not to commit adultery.
Appendix H
Reason:
Colossians 2:20 and 21 say that people are no longer to be subject to ordinances like "touch not; taste not; handle not." "Do not commit adultery" is just another "not" that was done away with when we got born again.
Answer:
Colossians 2:20 and 21 are only part of the context of this section of scripture. When more of the context is quoted, these verses are clear.
Colossians 2:20-22
Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
(Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Notice that "Touch not; taste not; handle not;" is part of an epitrechon. An epitrechon is a figure of speech. It is a parenthetical addition "rapidly thrown in as an explanatory remark."* What is the epitrechon explaining? It is explaining the word "ordinances" which are "after the commandments and doctrines of men." There are many ordinances, rules, regulations, and laws that are "after the commandments and doctrines of men," i.e., man made. However, there are rules that are "God made."
Colossians is not saying that believers are not subject to the ordinances of God. What Colossians is saying is that the believer is not to be subject to man’s ordinances, man’s commandments, and man’s doctrines. That we should not commit adultery is a doctrine of God. It is clearly stated in the Word of God that adultery is a sin. To say that Colossians 2:20-22 applies to adultery would mean that it applies to every other doctrine given by God. In that case, God should not have bothered to tell us in His Word what to do and what not to do, since we would not be subject to those ordinances anyway.
Appendix I
Reason:
Whenever the word "adultery" is used in the Word of God, the term applies to spiritual adultery, not physical adultery.
Answer:
Some people erroneously believe that the words "adultery" and "fornication" in the Word of God do not refer to the physical act of sexual intercourse, but refer instead to spiritual unfaithfulness to God. It is correct that the terms "adultery" and "fornication" sometimes do refer to spiritual unfaithfulness. It is also correct that they do refer to the actual physical acts of fornication and adultery. In fact, the terms "fornication" and "adultery" were used of spiritual unfaithfulness because physical unfaithfulness was so clearly understood and known to be a sin against God. Spiritual unfaithfulness is called "adultery" and "fornication" because those words communicate how grave the sin of idolatry is in the sight of God. Of course, God does set forth His position on idolatry in literal terms also (Compare Exodus 20:1-6, the first two of the ten commandments). Idolatry, like adultery, was a capital crime (cp. Exodus 22:20; Deuteronomy 13:1-11; Deuteronomy 17:2-5).
Another reason that "adultery" and "fornication" were used of the spiritual sin, as well as the physical sin, was that the parallels were so close. A person who committed adultery broke a covenant (Malachi 2:14). Well, God had made a covenant with Israel at the base of Mt. Sinai. Israel had promised to be faithful (Exodus 24:3-8). When Israel broke the covenant and was unfaithful, God called their action "adultery." People were aware that physical adultery was a sin and carried the death penalty. Thus by calling idolatry "adultery" the seriousness of the sin of idolatry could be effectively communicated. Besides the parallel of the broken covenant, there are other parallels between an unfaithful wife and a man who is unfaithful to God. A person can be "seduced" into an adulterous relationship either physically or spiritually. On the other hand, a person can enter into an adulterous relationship (physically or spiritually) with full awareness and a hardened and lustful heart.
The point is that physical adultery and fornication were understood by the people and known to be a sin against God. God took advantage of the close parallels between the physical and spiritual, and called spiritual unfaithfulness by the terms "adultery" and "fornication." To say that the words "adultery" and "fornication" only to the spiritual act of unfaithfulness to God misses the point and robs the words of their full impact.
Another reason that God ties together physical adultery and spiritual adultery in His Word is that they were so associated with pagan worship. Sexual intercourse was an actual part of many pagan rituals, especially fertility rituals. There are specific terms in the Old Testament for men and women who were temple prostitutes. Qedesheh refers to a woman and Qadesh refers to men who were "set apart" for sacred prostitution in pagan religion. The Hebrew root word is qadash, which is translated "be holy," "be sanctified," "hallowed," etc. Qedesheh referring to the female temple prostitute, is translated "harlot(s)" in Genesis 38:21 twice, in Genesis 38:22 once, Hosea 4:14 once, and as "whore" in Deuteronomy 23:17. Qadesh, referring to the male temple prostitutes, is translated as "sodomite(s)" in Deuteronomy 23:17; I Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:46; II Kings 23:7, and as the "unclean" in Job 36:14.* Israelites were specifically forbidden to be temple prostitutes. "There shall be no whore (qedesheh = temple prostitute) of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite (qadesh = temple prostitute) of the sons of Israel (Deuteronomy 23:17). Not only were there to be no temple prostitutes in Israel, but the wages of a male or female temple prostitute were not acceptable to be used as money for a vow. "Thou shall not bring the hire of a whore (qedesheh = female temple prostitute) or the price of a dog** into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow" (Deuteronomy 23:18).
These are verses in the Word of God that clearly show beyond a shadow of a doubt that the word "adultery" is applied to physical unfaithfulness. Each of the verses below clearly show adultery between a man and a woman.
Leviticus 20:10
And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Proverbs 6:32
But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
Jeremiah 29:23
Because they have committeth villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord.
Ezekiel 16:32
But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!
Ezekiel, chapter 18 contains a verse of scripture showing not only the physical side of adultery, but also showing that it is "unlawful," and not "just" or "right." Adultery is indicated by the phrase "defiled his neighbour’s wife."
Ezekiel 18:5-6
But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstrous woman,
In the Gospels Jesus Christ obviously understood the commandment "Thou shalt not commit adultery" to apply to physical adultery with a woman.
Matthew 5:27-28
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery:
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
When Christ said, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart," he was not inventing a new sin. He was simply applying one of the Old Testament commandments. As well as forbidding the act of adultery, the ten commandments had forbidden coveting another man’s wife: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife" (Exodus 20:17).
It has been clearly demonstrated that the word "adultery" can and does refer to the actual physical act. The examples used were taken from the Law Administration and the Christ Administration. Examples from the Patriarchal and Grace Administrations can be found in the thesis section of this paper. In summary, the reason that the term "adultery" was used by God to indicate spiritual unfaithfulness was that there were so many parallels between spiritual and physical unfaithfulness, and that the seriousness and the wrong of physical unfaithfulness was so clearly understood.
Appendix J
Reason:
I married a woman with a very weak sexual drive, and I have a very strong sexual drive. I am always "horny." I know that God meets needs, and I believe He meets my needs through other women who are willing to have intercourse with me.
Answer:
You are correct that God meets needs, but He does not meet them in ways that flow at cross purposes with His Word. There are probably very few marriages where the sexual drives of both partners are the same. Part of the joy and privilege of working together as a Christian husband and wife is to work out differences using the Word of God as a standard. The reason the needs exist is that you and your wife have not gone honestly and lovingly to the Word of God. I Corinthians 7:3 and 4 apply to your situation.
I Corinthians 7:3-4
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his body, but the wife.
The word "render" in verse 3 is apodidomi, and in the context of I Corinthians 7 it means "to pay off what is due" (Thayer). It carries a sense of obligation (Bullinger). The words "due benevolence" are the Greek words ten opheilen and mean "the debt," or "that which is due." This phrase is a euphemism for marital duties (Bauer).
The use of the words "render" and "due benevolence" are clear. The wife is to meet the sexual needs of her husband, and vice versa. Neither the husband nor the wife has the right to refuse to meet the sexual needs of the spouse. They have a "debt" to each other, as verse 4 makes clear: "The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband; and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife." There may be times when one partner may not "feel" like having sexual intercourse. If the husband and wife wait until they both "feel like it" to have sexual intercourse, God would not have written I Corinthians 7:3 and 4. Believing men and women are to love God enough that they work with their minds and bodies to obey God. Believers work with their minds and bodies in many other categories and try to "put on the new man" (Colossians 3:10), so there is no reason for believers not to obey God in the sexual field.
If the husband and wife will walk in the love of God and genuinely obey the written Word of God from their hearts, they will find that they can work out their sexual differences. The richness of the relationship as a husband and wife standing together on the Word of God will be one of the greatest blessings of life.
Appendix K
Reason:
My job and responsibility takes me away from my wife for long periods of time, and I need to have sexual intercourse regularly. I know that God always meets the need of His people. Having sexual intercourse with other women while I am away from my wife meets that need in my life.
Answer:
This "reason" for committing adultery is not an honest one. A husband disobeys the Word of God by leaving his wife for a longer period of time than his body and mind can handle. Thus he made his own need, which would never have existed at all had he obeyed the Word of God. Then he sinned by adultery to meet the need he himself made by his disobedience. Of course, the same could be true of women who leave their husbands.
The Word of God is very explicit about husbands and wives staying together.
I Corinthians 7:5
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, That ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, That Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
The word "defraud" is unclear because it is King James English. A better translation would be "deprive." God’s Word says the husband and wife are not to deprive each other sexually except: 1) it be with mutual consent, 2) it be for a specific time and, 3) that it be for the couple to give themselves to fasting and prayer. The reason the couple is not to deprive each other is that "Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."
If a husband is going to leave his wife at all, there is to be mutual consent about the separation. He probably has not agreed with his wife to have other women have sexual intercourse with him while he is away. Even if she did agree to it, that would not make adultery all right with God. God specifically says that the time a husband and wife are to be apart is to be limited, so that Satan cannot tempt them because of their "incontinency," i.e., lack of self control. If a husband and wife are allowing themselves to be away from each other for a longer period of time than either of them can sexually handle, they are already off the Word. In those times their "need" is to get back together, not to commit adultery.
Appendix L
Reason:
Flesh is flesh and spirit is spirit. When you look at sex objectively, the penis and vagina are simply flesh of the human body. In that respect there is no difference between a man and woman holding hands and a man and woman having sexual intercourse.
Answer:
Human logic is only "logical" if it lines up with the written Word of God. The Word of God does not forbid holding hands but does forbid adultery. If the fact that the human body is only flesh made adultery okay, why wouldn’t homosexuality be okay? Two men may shake hands, or even hug each other. Yet there is a big difference between that and a homosexual experience. The Word of God openly condemns the homosexual/lesbian lifestyle. But psychologists today say that homosexual/lesbian relations are simply an "alternative lifestyle," citing for "logical proof" that they are mature adults, have good jobs, make significant contributions in the field of art, education, etc., and have no discernible psychological abnormalities or deficiencies. The student of the Bible knows that homosexuality is a sin because the Word of God says it is a sin. What the psychologists say, or how the homosexuals feel makes no difference to God. The Word of God is the truth on the subject.
The flesh of two homosexuals or two lesbians is no different than the flesh of two people who commit adultery, because flesh is flesh. What is done in the flesh is a sin if and when God says it is a sin. Holding hands or kissing did not carry a death penalty in the Old Testament Law. Homosexuality and adultery did carry a death penalty. Surely the testimony of the Word of God is that there is a vast difference between holding hands and committing adultery.
Appendix M
Reason:
Adultery is so commonly practiced it has actually become part of the culture. There are cases where the Word of God flexes with the culture. A good example is in I Corinthians 11:5 and 6 where it says that every woman ought to either wear a hat or shave her head when she prays. Yet we do not enforce that today because we accept the cultural norm that women do not wear hats. Wouldn’t adultery fall in the same category as a rule that can bend with the culture?
Answer:
One reason that apparel and dress codes come up so often in the New Testament is due to the many cultures that were coming in contact with one another. Corinth was a case in point. Corinth was one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the Roman world. It controlled much of the sea trade going east and west and controlled land trade going north and south between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese. The city was populated with people from all over the Mediterranean world and parts of Africa and Asia. The advice in I Corinthians, chapter 11 pertaining to dress was to help bring some unity to the fellowship. I call it advice because of verse 16, "But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." In other words, if somebody wants to fight and argue, they can wear what they want.
Thus the reason the dress code in the New Testament bends with the culture is because God specifically stated that it would bend. This is not true of murder, stealing, adultery, etc. The believer is not to steal because everyone else is stealing, lie because everyone else is lying, or commit adultery because everyone else is committing adultery. The believer is not to be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2). The believer is not to walk "as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having their understanding darkened" (Ephesians 4:17-18). The believer is to put off the old man and his behavior, and put away lying and other sins (Ephesians 4:22-31). Believers are to be the ones who have "obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you" (Romans 6:17). If the believer wants to obey God in the field of adultery, his action is simple: do not do it.
Appendix N
Reason:
I am completely wrapped up in adultery. Between the various women who pressure me or expect me to spend time with them, the friends that I hang out with who are into adultery, and the lies that I have told to my wife, children and others, I cannot stop now. My marriage and my public life would be destroyed.
Answer:
This situation is the result of unchecked sin. Adultery is a sin and part of the "snare of the devil" (II Timothy 2:26) and can have very serious consequences.
Proverbs 5:3-4
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
Proverbs 6:32-33
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.
This problem developed because of disobedience to God’s Word, and the answers and deliverance will come from God. Although it may seem impossible to get out of the situation, it is possible with God. Believers should not want to continue in sin. Besides the broken fellowship and loss of eternal rewards, the situation on earth will only get worse. Since each individual case is different, there are no "pat answers" for deliverance from the snare of the Devil. Seeking the aid of a person or persons capable of helping through God’s Word, believing, prayer, and wise counsel may be necessary. Always remember that with men things may seem impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Additional comments made by John Schoenheit on WayDale's Forums in May 2000:
My paper is quite accurately presented here in WayDale. I wrote in through the summer of 1986 and handed it in to the research department in September of 1986. As it is here in WayDale it is missing the preface and the footnotes. The preface gives some of the history of the paper and how it came to be. The footnotes are for the most part acedemic and not substantive. If anyone wants a copy of the paper in the form I origianlly handed it in they can e-mail me. I have always given it to anyone who asked me for a copy. The thesis is pretty simple: adultery is a sin. As someone in this string has said, you should be able to see that for yourself in the Word. Unfortunately, and history bears this out, some pretty high-powered churchmen throught the years have not really gotten the impact of what the Bible plainly says, and in this case the research seemed necessary. John Schoenheit
------------------
My story (short version): In the spring of 1986 a girl came to me and said she had had sexual intercourse with Dr. Wierwille. I had no reason to doubt her as we were friends and she "had her head on her shoulders" in life. I started asking around to girls I knew always got to ride on the motor coach, fly on Ambassador 1, get "back room" duty instead of housekeeping or grounds, etc. Lo and behold, I talked to many women that were very candid about their sexual relations with leadership.
Perhaps the most disturbing thing about those months was the developing picture was that this was not just practical sin based on lust but rather was sin based on wrong doctrine--many of the people involved thought it was okay with God. In fact, all of the "reasons" that I wrote about in my appendix came out of the mouths of women I talked to. I would ask them why they thought it was okay or why they were told it was okay and those were the reasons I got, so that is why I answered those specific questions.
In the midst of interviewing the women I suspected might have had sexual relations with leadership, I had three different women tell me I would be killed if I tried to stop it. The first time I thought it was a totally stupid thing, but by the third one I really stopped and thought about it. David had Uriah killed for the same reason. To protect my work I sent it to about 7 people I knew and trusted (I do not remember the exact number or all the people now) sealed in an envelope inside an envelope with instructions to "go public" if I ended up dead. I told them that the paper was going to be sent up proper channels, and not to share the work with others. As you know, The Way had strict guidelines for handling research, and at that time I had been in the Research Dept. for six years, loved my job and believed in the system even though I was beginning to have doubts about the integrity of the leadership. I handed the paper in to Walter Cummins in late September. It just sat on his desk. One of the people I had given a copy to had been hurt by the sex stuff and really wanted it to "make an impact." She went to Ralph, who, of course, knew nothing of the paper (like I said, I had not gone public). Ralph talked with somebody (who?) and the next thing I knew there were all kinds of meetings about the paper and all kinds of untrue things being said about me.
On October 23d I was "released" from The Way by order of Chris Geer. It was a Friday. I had a lot of friends at HQ still. On Monday at noon Walter got up in front of the staff and told some made-up lie about me violating department procedures and thus being let go. A friend snuck out of lunch and called me to let me know what was said (I did not ask for that but he did it anyway). I got right on the phone with Walter and told him what he did was wrong and that he should not lie about a brother to all those other Christians. I asked to meet with him face to face but he refused. After that there was a huge witch-hunt and more lies were told about me than you can possibly imagine. Even really weird stuff like I believed in the Trinity and the dead being alive.
Because I still had friends around the country, I got some requests for my paper. Since I was no longer on staff, and since my "belief in the system" had really taken a blow, I mailed it to anyone who asked. By that time the Trustees and Corps Coordinators were starting a rumor that the paper personally attacked Dr. Wierwille and taught all kinds of false doctrine. Corps going home for "ho-ho relo" were told if they read my paper not to come back in residence. It was also stated that the paper had devil spirits and anyone who read it became possessed. Well, that all backfired because as people read it they could tell that what was said about it was lies. And so there was an escalation of people challenging the leadership and leaving The Way.
In time I hooked up with Ralph Dubofsky, Tom Reheard, John Lynn, Mark Graeser, Robert Belt, and some others and CES was born. It took awhile for the smoke to clear, but when it did all that was left of us was John Lynn, Mark Graeser and myself, and we have been together ever since. The Lord has been leading us, and now I think we are turning out some really first-class stuff.
Perhaps a quick note on John Lynn. I do not think I have ever met a man that has had so many lies and false accusations leveled against him. I travel once or twice a month, and the things that people "out there" say they have heard about him blow my mind. There are not many people on the planet that know John better than I, and he is a first-class servant of Jesus Christ.
Hope you did not find this boring. By the way, the carbon is going to the Home Office so I can save it. Please do not think I am mailing this around to anyone. On the other hand, the facts are as true as I remember after 14 years, and I am not ashamed of them. I do not try to hide them, it is just that it has not been that profitable to share them. People are still so angry and hurt over things that happened years ago. We all need to come to Christ, and let him teach us how to get healed and move on. There is a world out there that needs the Truth. The Way International and Dr. Wierwille did a lot for me, and I will always be thankful for that. Yes, they caused me some pain and heartache, but the foundation of the Word that was built in my life in The Way has an inestimable value.
Write again if I can help, and please check out the stuff CES has available.
"Like their leader VP, men (and some women) used those reasons above to get what they wanted leaving behind darkness and brokenness. "
Now, now, "credit" where "credit" is due. (Or, possibly give "the devil" his due.)
That sounded almost coincidental that vpw and some of his cadre likewise did those evil deeds. Let's be more specific, and more honest, about it. vpw was the originator. He set about to commit such sinful, criminal, and evil actions. Although it's possible that someone may have been interested in the cadre because of that, more likely they were all brought in the way lcm was brought in.
vpw groomed lcm to commit those kinds of things. He told him all kinds of things, some of which we've heard. He told him- on the subject of fidelity in marriage- that the married lcm "was going to have to loosen up on those sorts of things if he wants to lead God's people." Since vpw had previously convinced lcm that vpw had an inside track on what God Almighty thought and wanted, that left lcm trying to accept that God Almighty wanted him to cheat on his own wife. And so on.
vpw set up his network to target women, and when he set up that network, he groomed a number of people around him to accept or embrace that kind of thinking. That's why they were willing to help vpw rape and molest and drug the women that he did those things to. I mean, it wasn't a one-night, one conversation thing, he spent months carefully grooming and indoctrinating his inner circle so that there was a network of people close to him that would accept that and help him.
Not everyone was indoctrinated this way. vpw worked hard at this, possibly harder than at anything else he did. He would find a moment to talk to only one person. He would make a small comment to them, and monitor their reaction. If they reacted in a godly fashion, he backed off and didn't bring it up again. We saw that with J1m D00p. When vpw spoke to him alone in a car, vpw tried to tell him that God Almighty was fine with orgies. J1m was resistant and revolted by the suggestion, and later convinced himself that, somehow, he misunderstood what happened, that he couldn't possibly have heard vpw say what he had heard vpw say. After that, vpw fine-tuned his approach. That was too heavy-handed and abrupt. So, he made smaller comments, less abrupt. He changed the "temperature" around him, so that discussions about sex weren't quite so out of place. Then he could make a single comment and dismiss it later as a misunderstanding if it went awry. AFAIK, Ralph D never recounted such an incident... and I doubt he was left out. I think he was approached like everyone else, but when vpw baited the hook, RD didn't take the bait- he wasn't immoral and wasn't going to be. So, vpw just dropped a passing comment and went about his business- but made a mental note to keep RD well away from the thick of things, and not to approach RD again. Over time, vpw had a list of people around him who were receptive and groomed- every time, a little further, a little further. He also had a list of people to keep clear of his sex maniac operation- people who could spoil things and ruin his well-organized sin machine after all the trouble he went through to set it up. But they had their uses also- mainly, their clean-cut natures were "evidence" that nothing untoward could be happening around vpw. After all, in public, he said nothing in favor of it, and there were moral, godly people around him, so they would have blown the whistle on him.
So, yes, the comments in the appendices started with vpw. As with anything else in twi, some people just parroted his phrases without ever stopping to question whether or not they were correct, godly or right- or to think at all, for that matter. Whenever we saw multiple people parroting the same error-ridden sentences, it was as good as having vpw's initials or signature on the phrase, endorsing and recommending it all around.
"Like their leader VP, men (and some women) used those reasons above to get what they wanted leaving behind darkness and brokenness. "
Now, now, "credit" where "credit" is due. (Or, possibly give "the devil" his due.)
That sounded almost coincidental that vpw and some of his cadre likewise did those evil deeds. Let's be more specific, and more honest, about it. vpw was the originator. He set about to commit such sinful, criminal, and evil actions. Although it's possible that someone may have been interested in the cadre because of that, more likely they were all brought in the way lcm was brought in.
vpw groomed lcm to commit those kinds of things. He told him all kinds of things, some of which we've heard. He told him- on the subject of fidelity in marriage- that the married lcm "was going to have to loosen up on those sorts of things if he wants to lead God's people." Since vpw had previously convinced lcm that vpw had an inside track on what God Almighty thought and wanted, that left lcm trying to accept that God Almighty wanted him to cheat on his own wife. And so on.
vpw set up his network to target women, and when he set up that network, he groomed a number of people around him to accept or embrace that kind of thinking. That's why they were willing to help vpw rape and molest and drug the women that he did those things to. I mean, it wasn't a one-night, one conversation thing, he spent months carefully grooming and indoctrinating his inner circle so that there was a network of people close to him that would accept that and help him.
Not everyone was indoctrinated this way. vpw worked hard at this, possibly harder than at anything else he did. He would find a moment to talk to only one person. He would make a small comment to them, and monitor their reaction. If they reacted in a godly fashion, he backed off and didn't bring it up again. We saw that with J1m D00p. When vpw spoke to him alone in a car, vlpw tried to tell him that God Almighty was fine with orgies. J1m was resistant and revolted by the suggestion, and later convinced himself that, somehow, he misunderstood what happened, that he couldn't possibly have heard vpw say what he had heard vpw say. After that, vpw fine-tuned his approach. That was too heavy-handed and abrupt. So, he made smaller comments, less abrupt. He changed the "temperature" around him, so that discussions about sex weren't quite so out of place. Then he could make a single comment and dismiss it later as a misunderstanding if it went awry. AFAIK, Ralph D never recounted such an incident... and I doubt he was left out. I think he was approached like everyone else, but when vpw baited the hook, RD didn't take the bait- he wasn't immoral and wasn't going to be. So, vpw just dropped a passing comment and went about his business- but made a mental note to keep RD well away from the thick of things, and not to approach RD again. Over time, vpw had a list of people around him who were receptive and groomed- every time, a little further, a little further. He also had a list of people to keep clear of his sex maniac operation- people who could spoil things and ruin his well-organized sin machine after all the trouble he went through to set it up. But they had their uses also- mainly, their clean-cut natures were "evidence" that nothing untoward could be happening around vpw. After all, in public, he said nothing in favor of it, and there were moral, godly people around him, so they would have blown the whistle on him.
So, yes, the comments in the appendices started with vpw. As with anything else in twi, some people just parroted his phrases without ever stopping to question whether or not they were correct, godly or right- or to think at all, for that matter. Whenever we saw multiple people parroting the same error-ridden sentences, it was as good as having vpw's initials or signature on the phrase, endorsing and recommending it all around.
I completely agree that the grooming done and advances made on believers were fruit of vp's rotten tree which was rooted in his deviant interpretation of verses he'd cherry picked. I know of a top twi leader who had stopped abusing one female by saying he wasn't sure that what "they" were doing was biblically correct solely as an excuse so he could start up with another female.
In an attempt to normalize his lax/corrupted views on things as you mentioned above, I remember reading from a poster here how vp would have pajama gatherings where teens were present and his behavior at times became inappropriate. I'll try to find the post.
Hi Mike – perhaps someday you’ll understand how one’s perception of wierwille was shaped by how much of a composite image is formed from seeing his different sides.
It is not just his public persona but how he behaved in unguarded moments and further if one has had the unfortunate experience of being sexually molested by him.
I’ve learned in life we are initially known by our words, but over time our deeds either support our words - or they nullify our words and sabotage our efforts to influence others.
Just wanted to explain this to you over the times you go on and on how we’re all sinners - and I agree!
but you also talk about folks on Grease Spot being too harsh on wierwille- maybe without realizing there's a whole other side - a darker side of wierwille that you were not aware of.
That being said – since you have not been through the corps program you have never witnessed wierwille in unguarded moments – instances of wierwille doing and saying stuff that would indicate bad judgement on his part – stuff that, to the uninitiated would surely offend , horrify, or even shock them that the teacher of PFAL would behave this way .
For example, the pajama party with wierwille at Rome City showing a porn video to the corps under the pretext of preparing us to counsel anyone even those who work in the porn industry or are into watching porn...
On 2/26/2023 at 1:46 PM, T-Bone said:
I wonder how you and your wife would feel about being at a ‘pajama party’ along with your 16-year-old daughter and wierwille is showing everyone a porn video. He invites your 16-year-old daughter up front and shows her a ‘pornographic pen’ (which wierwille describes to everyone there as a little silhouette of a guy humping a girl when you tilt the pen back and forth).
T-bone's posts above were long so I edited them to get to the pajama party. (You can search "pajama" and his full posts come up quickly.)
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Appendix A
Reason:
In the Old Testament men were allowed to have more than one wife. Surely things are not stricter in the "Grace Administration" than they were under the Law. God must allow men to have intercourse with other women besides their wives, especially single women.
Answer:
Men were allowed to have more than one wife in the Old Testament (Exodus 21:10 and Deuteronomy 21:15). That is not the case in the Grace Administration as Corinthians, Timothy, and Titus make clear. Timothy and Titus are specifically addressed to leaders in the church. According to I Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6, a "bishop" (episkopos), i.e., one who is a ruling elder, an overseer, in the church, must be the "husband of one wife." According to I timothy 3:12, the "deacons" (diakonos), i.e., one who serves in the Body of Christ, are also to be the "husband of one wife". Thus the Word of God clearly states that any man who serves in the Body of Christ must only have one wife. More than that, however, the Word of God declares that every Christian man should have just one wife and every Christian woman should have just one husband.
Corinthians, which is addressed to every believer, addresses the one-husband, one-wife issue. Corinthians says "Let every man have his own wife and every woman have her own husband" (I Corinthians 7:2). This verse clearly sets the monogamous Christian marriage. If the wife is sharing her husband with other wives, then the husband is not "her own," but is shared property. Similarly, a woman is not to have more than one husband, for then she would not be "his own." Thus although the Old Testament Law allowed for more than one wife, the New Testament does not.
Believers in the Grace Administration are not allowed to have more than one wife, and they are not allowed to "sleep around" either.
I Corinthians 7:1:
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
The essential meaning of the word "touch" in this context is "touch as if the woman were your wife." Bauer’s lexicon handles the word "touch" as sexual intercourse with a woman. In the Grace Administration, the wife is to meet the sexual needs of the husband and vice-versa.
Even though the Old Testament Law made provision for a man to have more than one wife, there were laws governing people’s sexual behavior. Each wife was to be well taken care of, having food, raiment and sexual companionship.
Deuteronomy 21:10
If he take him another wife, her food her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
Adultery was forbidden in the ten commandments and was punishable by death (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10).
Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that shall lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.
If a man had sexual intercourse with a free woman who was betrothed, that was also considered either adultery or rape. If the act occurred in the city, the act was considered to be adultery and the man and the woman were stoned to death. If the act occurred out in the countryside, the act was considered rape and only the man was killed (Deuteronomy 22:23-27). Thus, whether the betrothed woman was willing or not, if a man had intercourse with a betrothed free woman, he was killed. If a man had sexual intercourse with a slave who was betrothed, there were still consequences, but they were less severe. The woman was scourged (whipped) and the man fined.
Leviticus 19:20-22
And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering.
And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.
It is noteworthy that even though the consequences for adultery with a betrothed slave girl were less severe, the act itself was called a "sin" twice in verse 22.
If a man had sexual intercourse with a single woman, he had to marry her.
Exodus 22:16
And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
The one exception to this occurred if the girl’s father absolutely refused to let the man marry his daughter. In that case, the man was required to pay a fine equal to the "the dowry of virgins" (Exodus 22:17).
Even if a man found a single woman and raped her, he had to marry her.
Deuteronomy 22:28 and 29
If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away (i.e. divorce her) all his days.
These two verses refer to rape, according to the context. Verses 26 and 27, just prior to these, refer to rape, and the words "lay hold on her" in verse 28 indicate rape. The New International Version translates Deuteronomy 22:28 and 29 as follows:
"If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.*
One reason the Law of Moses specified that single girls marry the man who seduced or raped them was that if a girl was not a virgin on her wedding night she could be stoned to death.
Deuteronomy 22:10-21
But if this thing (the woman’s not being a virgin) be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:
Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.
From the above information it can be seen that Israel under the Law was not a sexual panacea, where men had the sexual affections of women freely available to them. If they had more than one wife, they had to make sure that each was well taken care of. If he seduced or raped a married or betrothed woman, he was stoned to death. If he seduced or raped a single woman, he was forced to marry her.
People have tried to say that the Old Testament Law does not forbid a man to visit a prostitute or have intercourse with his slave girls. Although it is true that in practice men did visit prostitutes and take advantage of their slave girls, had the Law been properly applied, this would not have happened. Thus, if the Law was carried out, the master would have married his slave girl, and the prostitute would have married her first customer.**
From the above evidence it can be seen that the men of the Old Testament did not live in a society where they had vast sexual freedom. Yes, they could have more than one wife, while we today in the Grace Administration cannot. Although the reasons why God allowed more than one wife in the Old Testament but only allows one wife today may not be clear, one thing is clear: The Word of God does say that today, in the Grace Administration, marriage is to be monogamous. Having sexual intercourse with a woman who is not your wife is a sin.
Appendix B
Reason:
The sin that David committed and which God was really angry about was the murder of a faithful believer, not adultery.
Answer:
Murder and adultery are both specifically mentioned in the ten commandments, and both were capital crimes, carrying the death penalty. You may say that David’s adultery was not a sin or not that big a sin, but David did not feel that way. He knew what he did was wrong and tried to cover it up. When his initial scheme to cover his sin of adultery by getting Uriah to have sexual intercourse with Bathsheba did not work, he finally covered it by committing the sin of murder.
God is no respecter of persons. To say that it was all right with God for a king to commit adultery because he was king is to say that God elevates the position of king above His Word. That is patently false. In God’s sight, it is a sin to break any commandment. If it was all right with God for David to break God’s commandment and commit adultery because he was the king, then it would have been all right for David to break any other commandment because he was king, including the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" (Heb. ratsach = "murder"). Then Nathan could not have reproved David at all. In fact, when Nathan did reprove David, he mentioned both sins: adultery and murder - each mentioned twice. In II Samuel 12:9, Uriah’s murder is mentioned twice and David’s adultery once, and then in verse 10, David’s adultery is mentioned a second time. If David’s adultery was not an issue with God, then why was it brought up at all? The adultery was a sin in God’s eyes.
There are three kings mentioned in the Word of God who unknowingly placed themselves in the position of committing adultery: Pharaoh (Genesis 12), Abimelech (Genesis 20), and a different Abimelech more than 60 years later (Genesis 26). "Abimelech" was an official title for the kings of Gerar, just as "Pharaoh" was the official title for the kings of Egypt.
In Genesis 12 Abraham went to Egypt because there was a famine in the land of Israel. He told Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister, and did not let Pharaoh know that Sarah was also his wife, because he was afraid (Genesis 12:11-13). Pharaoh, thinking Sarah was unmarried, took Sarah to his house (Genesis 12:15). When Pharaoh found out that Sarah was Abraham’s wife, he was upset with Abraham (verses 18 and 19), and he was upset that he might have had intercourse with Sarah (verse 19). Pharaoh then sent both Abraham and Sarah out of his kingdom (verses 19 and 20). Pharaoh knew adultery was wrong and was upset that Abraham had placed him in a position of unknowingly committing adultery.
Abraham journeyed into Gerar in Genesis chapter 20. Abraham told Abimelech, the king of Gerar, the same thing he told Pharaoh - years earlier - that Sarah was his sister, not mentioning that she was also his wife. Like Pharaoh, Abimelech took Sarah. God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him "Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife." Abimelech was the king. If the king was above the law, then Abimelech could have taken Sarah and had no problem with God or man. The word of God clearly indicates that it was not all right with God. He revealed to Abimelech that Sarah was another man’s wife, and it was not all right to take her. This was true even though Abimelech was a king and lived before the Mosaic law.
Abimelech was upset when he found out he had unknowingly taken another man’s wife. He answered God and said, "Said he (Abraham) not unto me, She is my sister? and she (Sarah) even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this." Abimelech did not know that Sarah was already married, and he obviously did not think he had any right to another man’s wife. Abimelech was very upset with Abraham and confronted him.
Genesis 20:9
Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, "What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done."
It is noteworthy that even though Abimelech had never had sexual intercourse with Sarah (Genesis 20:4), he considered the fact that he had even taken her into his house (20:2) a "great sin" both "on me" and "on my kingdom" (20:9).
Abraham was not the only patriarch to spend time in Gerar. Isaac went to Gerar and, being afraid for his life, lied to the people, telling them Rebekah was his sister.
Genesis 26:7
And the men of the place (Gerar) asked him of his wife; and he said "She is my sister," for he feared to say "She was my wife;" "Lest," said he "The men of this place should kill me for Rebekah;" for she was fair to look upon.
Isaac’s lie was discovered by the king when he looked out a window and saw Isaac "sporting with," i.e., sexually caressing, his wife (Genesis 25:8). Abimelech called Isaac and reproved him because if one of his people had had intercourse with Rebekah "Thou should have brought guiltiness upon us." Thus Abimelech clearly recognized that adultery was a sin and that it made people guilty. Abimelech then gave a command, saying, "He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death."
It is obvious from the fact that David tried so hard to cover his adultery that he considered it a sin. It is also obvious that other kings thought that adultery was a sin, both for them and for their people. The evidence is thus conclusive: adultery was a sin, no matter what "position" or "title" a person held.*
Appendix C
Reason:
In I kings 17, Elijah traveled to Syria where he stayed "many days" with a widow woman. Surely they had a sexual relationship. Yet Elijah was one of the greatest prophets that ever walked through Israel.
Answer:
There is not one speck of evidence in the Word of God that Elijah had sexual intercourse with the widow woman with whom he lived. There was a loft in the woman’s house where "he" (not "they") lived, and he had "his own bed." The loft called a "chamber" in I Kings 17:23, was separate from the house so there was privacy for both him and the woman and her son (verse 23).
If Elijah did have a sexual relationship with the widow woman (and I repeat: there is no evidence for that), then he would have been required to marry her and take her back to Israel with him as a wife.
Appendix D
Reason:
Jesus Christ and Paul both traveled with women. They must have provided sexual companionship as well as taking care of other physical needs.
Answer:
The verses referred to about Jesus Christ and Paul are in the gospel of Mark and in I Corinthians.
Mark 15:40-41
There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome.
(Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
I Corinthians 9:5
Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
There is absolutely not one shred of evidence that Jesus Christ ever had sexual intercourse with a woman. If he had, he would have been required to obey the Mosaic Law on the subject and marry her (of course, if the woman were married, then his intercourse would have broken the Law and Jesus could not have been our redeemer). There is also no evidence for the Apostle Paul’s ever having intercourse with a woman.
The biblical culture, both Judean and Greco-Roman, kept woman and men more separated than our twentieth-century culture does. In many cases, only a woman would be allowed to get close enough to another woman to minister to her effectively. Also, the Biblical culture generally had much stricter norms concerning the separation of labor between men and women. Women would minister to Jesus, Paul, and others by doing jobs that would have degraded the men in the eyes of people to whom they taught God’s Word.
Appendix E
Reason:
The last verses of Romans 14 clearly indicate that for people who can so believe, their actions are not sin.
Romans 14:21-23
It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
If I am not causing my brother to stumble and I am believing God to stay in fellowship, my adultery is not sin.
Answer:
The context of the whole chapter of Romans 14 is food, not sex. Although the principles in the chapter can be applied to other areas of life, the principles must be examined carefully so that they are not applied in error. A major key in Romans 14 regarding food is in verse 20. "For meat destroy not the work of God. All things are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense." "All things are pure...." All what things are pure? Is this verse saying that everything in the wide world is pure? Of course not. The context is food. All food is pure.
If all food is pure, how could eating food possibly be a sin? It is a sin when it is eaten in such a way that it causes a brother in Christ to stumble, or if it is eaten with doubt and not believing. Of course, if the food is eaten with believing it is not sin.
The point of Romans 14 is that doing something that God says is okay to do can be a sin if there is doubt and fear involved. Thus, an ex-Judean can eat pork, which is okay with God to do, but still be sinning in doing it because he has doubt, fear, and condemnation in his life from eating it. This principle can be applied outside the food category. Smoking a cigarette is not a sin. Yet it would be if it were done with doubt, fear, and condemnation instead of believing.
The premise in Romans 14 that governs verses 21-23 is that "All things (food) indeed are pure." There is absolutely nothing in Romans 14 about taking something that God calls impure in His Word and purifying it by believing. No homosexual can "believe" to make homosexuality not a sin. God calls it a sin. It is not "pure" in God’s sight, and man cannot make it pure by believing.
In one sense, the principles of Romans 14 do apply to the sexual field. My having sexual intercourse with my wife is pure in God’s sight. Yet I can take that "pure" act and make it a sin by having sexual intercourse in the aisle of the local grocery store. Yes, it is possible to make something that is pure in God’s sight a sin by doing it with doubt and fear, or by doing it in such a manner that a brother in Christ stumbles. It is not available to "purify" an act that God says is a sin by "believing" it is not a sin.
Appendix F
Reason:
We live in the Grace Administration and are not bound by hard-and-fast laws. I Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23 both say "All things are lawful for me."
Answer:
The born-again believer has eternal life. He has the seed of Christ, and spiritually, he cannot sin (I John 3:9). He is heaven bound and all hell cannot stop him. Yet every believer sins. In fact, if we say we do not sin, we are liars (I John 1:8-10). Sin is broken fellowship with God, and the only way we can know whether our behavior is acceptable to God is by studying God’s Word. We know idolatry is a sin because the Word of God says so. A born-again believer can worship idols and still go to heaven. We know that homosexuality is a sin because the Word of God says so. A homosexual that is a born-again believer will still go to heaven. Experience is never a guarantee of Truth. The fact that a believer does not "feel" worse off for his sinful behavior does not mean he was not sinning. The only guidebook to what is and what is not sin is the Word of God. If the Word of God says something is a sin, then that thing is a sin. The believer must strive to line up his walk with the written Word. In the case of adultery, the written Word is clear - it is a sin and thus a behavior to be avoided. You can commit adultery and still go to heaven just as you can steal, or murder, or worship idols and still go to heaven. Nevertheless, the only way we can know God’s will is through His Word. If God has not said what he meant concerning adultery - and there are many verses that show adultery is wrong - then how can we ever know what God does mean? If adultery is not a sin because "all things are lawful for me," then murder is not a sin either. After all, murder is only mentioned twice in the Church epistles, while adultery is mentioned six times.
The phrase "all things are lawful for me" is not the same thing as "nothing is a sin for me". The Word of God says we all sin (I John 1:8-10). All things are lawful because whether you sin or not you are going to heaven. But if you want to walk in fellowship with God, you must learn from His Word what things are sins - and His Word is clear concerning adultery. It is a sin.
Appendix G
Reason:
According to I Corinthians, chapter 7, the marriage relationship is one of permission, not law. I am not breaking any of God’s laws by getting my sexual needs met outside as well as inside my marriage.
Answer:
I Corinthians 7:6 says, "But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment." This verse means that what the Apostle Paul was writing was God’s Word, but he was writing by God’s permission, not because God had commanded him to write. Just because Paul was writing by permission does not mean that marriage was any less binding. No one has to get married. God does not force anyone to get married, but once two believers make a freewill decision to get married, then they are bound by what the Word of God says about the marriage relationship. The Word of God says that once you are married you are not to commit adultery.
Appendix H
Reason:
Colossians 2:20 and 21 say that people are no longer to be subject to ordinances like "touch not; taste not; handle not." "Do not commit adultery" is just another "not" that was done away with when we got born again.
Answer:
Colossians 2:20 and 21 are only part of the context of this section of scripture. When more of the context is quoted, these verses are clear.
Colossians 2:20-22
Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
(Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Notice that "Touch not; taste not; handle not;" is part of an epitrechon. An epitrechon is a figure of speech. It is a parenthetical addition "rapidly thrown in as an explanatory remark."* What is the epitrechon explaining? It is explaining the word "ordinances" which are "after the commandments and doctrines of men." There are many ordinances, rules, regulations, and laws that are "after the commandments and doctrines of men," i.e., man made. However, there are rules that are "God made."
Colossians is not saying that believers are not subject to the ordinances of God. What Colossians is saying is that the believer is not to be subject to man’s ordinances, man’s commandments, and man’s doctrines. That we should not commit adultery is a doctrine of God. It is clearly stated in the Word of God that adultery is a sin. To say that Colossians 2:20-22 applies to adultery would mean that it applies to every other doctrine given by God. In that case, God should not have bothered to tell us in His Word what to do and what not to do, since we would not be subject to those ordinances anyway.
Appendix I
Reason:
Whenever the word "adultery" is used in the Word of God, the term applies to spiritual adultery, not physical adultery.
Answer:
Some people erroneously believe that the words "adultery" and "fornication" in the Word of God do not refer to the physical act of sexual intercourse, but refer instead to spiritual unfaithfulness to God. It is correct that the terms "adultery" and "fornication" sometimes do refer to spiritual unfaithfulness. It is also correct that they do refer to the actual physical acts of fornication and adultery. In fact, the terms "fornication" and "adultery" were used of spiritual unfaithfulness because physical unfaithfulness was so clearly understood and known to be a sin against God. Spiritual unfaithfulness is called "adultery" and "fornication" because those words communicate how grave the sin of idolatry is in the sight of God. Of course, God does set forth His position on idolatry in literal terms also (Compare Exodus 20:1-6, the first two of the ten commandments). Idolatry, like adultery, was a capital crime (cp. Exodus 22:20; Deuteronomy 13:1-11; Deuteronomy 17:2-5).
Another reason that "adultery" and "fornication" were used of the spiritual sin, as well as the physical sin, was that the parallels were so close. A person who committed adultery broke a covenant (Malachi 2:14). Well, God had made a covenant with Israel at the base of Mt. Sinai. Israel had promised to be faithful (Exodus 24:3-8). When Israel broke the covenant and was unfaithful, God called their action "adultery." People were aware that physical adultery was a sin and carried the death penalty. Thus by calling idolatry "adultery" the seriousness of the sin of idolatry could be effectively communicated. Besides the parallel of the broken covenant, there are other parallels between an unfaithful wife and a man who is unfaithful to God. A person can be "seduced" into an adulterous relationship either physically or spiritually. On the other hand, a person can enter into an adulterous relationship (physically or spiritually) with full awareness and a hardened and lustful heart.
The point is that physical adultery and fornication were understood by the people and known to be a sin against God. God took advantage of the close parallels between the physical and spiritual, and called spiritual unfaithfulness by the terms "adultery" and "fornication." To say that the words "adultery" and "fornication" only to the spiritual act of unfaithfulness to God misses the point and robs the words of their full impact.
Another reason that God ties together physical adultery and spiritual adultery in His Word is that they were so associated with pagan worship. Sexual intercourse was an actual part of many pagan rituals, especially fertility rituals. There are specific terms in the Old Testament for men and women who were temple prostitutes. Qedesheh refers to a woman and Qadesh refers to men who were "set apart" for sacred prostitution in pagan religion. The Hebrew root word is qadash, which is translated "be holy," "be sanctified," "hallowed," etc. Qedesheh referring to the female temple prostitute, is translated "harlot(s)" in Genesis 38:21 twice, in Genesis 38:22 once, Hosea 4:14 once, and as "whore" in Deuteronomy 23:17. Qadesh, referring to the male temple prostitutes, is translated as "sodomite(s)" in Deuteronomy 23:17; I Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:46; II Kings 23:7, and as the "unclean" in Job 36:14.* Israelites were specifically forbidden to be temple prostitutes. "There shall be no whore (qedesheh = temple prostitute) of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite (qadesh = temple prostitute) of the sons of Israel (Deuteronomy 23:17). Not only were there to be no temple prostitutes in Israel, but the wages of a male or female temple prostitute were not acceptable to be used as money for a vow. "Thou shall not bring the hire of a whore (qedesheh = female temple prostitute) or the price of a dog** into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow" (Deuteronomy 23:18).
These are verses in the Word of God that clearly show beyond a shadow of a doubt that the word "adultery" is applied to physical unfaithfulness. Each of the verses below clearly show adultery between a man and a woman.
Leviticus 20:10
And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Proverbs 6:32
But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
Jeremiah 29:23
Because they have committeth villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord.
Ezekiel 16:32
But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!
Ezekiel, chapter 18 contains a verse of scripture showing not only the physical side of adultery, but also showing that it is "unlawful," and not "just" or "right." Adultery is indicated by the phrase "defiled his neighbour’s wife."
Ezekiel 18:5-6
But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstrous woman,
In the Gospels Jesus Christ obviously understood the commandment "Thou shalt not commit adultery" to apply to physical adultery with a woman.
Matthew 5:27-28
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery:
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
When Christ said, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart," he was not inventing a new sin. He was simply applying one of the Old Testament commandments. As well as forbidding the act of adultery, the ten commandments had forbidden coveting another man’s wife: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife" (Exodus 20:17).
It has been clearly demonstrated that the word "adultery" can and does refer to the actual physical act. The examples used were taken from the Law Administration and the Christ Administration. Examples from the Patriarchal and Grace Administrations can be found in the thesis section of this paper. In summary, the reason that the term "adultery" was used by God to indicate spiritual unfaithfulness was that there were so many parallels between spiritual and physical unfaithfulness, and that the seriousness and the wrong of physical unfaithfulness was so clearly understood.
Appendix J
Reason:
I married a woman with a very weak sexual drive, and I have a very strong sexual drive. I am always "horny." I know that God meets needs, and I believe He meets my needs through other women who are willing to have intercourse with me.
Answer:
You are correct that God meets needs, but He does not meet them in ways that flow at cross purposes with His Word. There are probably very few marriages where the sexual drives of both partners are the same. Part of the joy and privilege of working together as a Christian husband and wife is to work out differences using the Word of God as a standard. The reason the needs exist is that you and your wife have not gone honestly and lovingly to the Word of God. I Corinthians 7:3 and 4 apply to your situation.
I Corinthians 7:3-4
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his body, but the wife.
The word "render" in verse 3 is apodidomi, and in the context of I Corinthians 7 it means "to pay off what is due" (Thayer). It carries a sense of obligation (Bullinger). The words "due benevolence" are the Greek words ten opheilen and mean "the debt," or "that which is due." This phrase is a euphemism for marital duties (Bauer).
The use of the words "render" and "due benevolence" are clear. The wife is to meet the sexual needs of her husband, and vice versa. Neither the husband nor the wife has the right to refuse to meet the sexual needs of the spouse. They have a "debt" to each other, as verse 4 makes clear: "The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband; and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife." There may be times when one partner may not "feel" like having sexual intercourse. If the husband and wife wait until they both "feel like it" to have sexual intercourse, God would not have written I Corinthians 7:3 and 4. Believing men and women are to love God enough that they work with their minds and bodies to obey God. Believers work with their minds and bodies in many other categories and try to "put on the new man" (Colossians 3:10), so there is no reason for believers not to obey God in the sexual field.
If the husband and wife will walk in the love of God and genuinely obey the written Word of God from their hearts, they will find that they can work out their sexual differences. The richness of the relationship as a husband and wife standing together on the Word of God will be one of the greatest blessings of life.
Appendix K
Reason:
My job and responsibility takes me away from my wife for long periods of time, and I need to have sexual intercourse regularly. I know that God always meets the need of His people. Having sexual intercourse with other women while I am away from my wife meets that need in my life.
Answer:
This "reason" for committing adultery is not an honest one. A husband disobeys the Word of God by leaving his wife for a longer period of time than his body and mind can handle. Thus he made his own need, which would never have existed at all had he obeyed the Word of God. Then he sinned by adultery to meet the need he himself made by his disobedience. Of course, the same could be true of women who leave their husbands.
The Word of God is very explicit about husbands and wives staying together.
I Corinthians 7:5
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, That ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, That Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
The word "defraud" is unclear because it is King James English. A better translation would be "deprive." God’s Word says the husband and wife are not to deprive each other sexually except: 1) it be with mutual consent, 2) it be for a specific time and, 3) that it be for the couple to give themselves to fasting and prayer. The reason the couple is not to deprive each other is that "Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."
If a husband is going to leave his wife at all, there is to be mutual consent about the separation. He probably has not agreed with his wife to have other women have sexual intercourse with him while he is away. Even if she did agree to it, that would not make adultery all right with God. God specifically says that the time a husband and wife are to be apart is to be limited, so that Satan cannot tempt them because of their "incontinency," i.e., lack of self control. If a husband and wife are allowing themselves to be away from each other for a longer period of time than either of them can sexually handle, they are already off the Word. In those times their "need" is to get back together, not to commit adultery.
Appendix L
Reason:
Flesh is flesh and spirit is spirit. When you look at sex objectively, the penis and vagina are simply flesh of the human body. In that respect there is no difference between a man and woman holding hands and a man and woman having sexual intercourse.
Answer:
Human logic is only "logical" if it lines up with the written Word of God. The Word of God does not forbid holding hands but does forbid adultery. If the fact that the human body is only flesh made adultery okay, why wouldn’t homosexuality be okay? Two men may shake hands, or even hug each other. Yet there is a big difference between that and a homosexual experience. The Word of God openly condemns the homosexual/lesbian lifestyle. But psychologists today say that homosexual/lesbian relations are simply an "alternative lifestyle," citing for "logical proof" that they are mature adults, have good jobs, make significant contributions in the field of art, education, etc., and have no discernible psychological abnormalities or deficiencies. The student of the Bible knows that homosexuality is a sin because the Word of God says it is a sin. What the psychologists say, or how the homosexuals feel makes no difference to God. The Word of God is the truth on the subject.
The flesh of two homosexuals or two lesbians is no different than the flesh of two people who commit adultery, because flesh is flesh. What is done in the flesh is a sin if and when God says it is a sin. Holding hands or kissing did not carry a death penalty in the Old Testament Law. Homosexuality and adultery did carry a death penalty. Surely the testimony of the Word of God is that there is a vast difference between holding hands and committing adultery.
Appendix M
Reason:
Adultery is so commonly practiced it has actually become part of the culture. There are cases where the Word of God flexes with the culture. A good example is in I Corinthians 11:5 and 6 where it says that every woman ought to either wear a hat or shave her head when she prays. Yet we do not enforce that today because we accept the cultural norm that women do not wear hats. Wouldn’t adultery fall in the same category as a rule that can bend with the culture?
Answer:
One reason that apparel and dress codes come up so often in the New Testament is due to the many cultures that were coming in contact with one another. Corinth was a case in point. Corinth was one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the Roman world. It controlled much of the sea trade going east and west and controlled land trade going north and south between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese. The city was populated with people from all over the Mediterranean world and parts of Africa and Asia. The advice in I Corinthians, chapter 11 pertaining to dress was to help bring some unity to the fellowship. I call it advice because of verse 16, "But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." In other words, if somebody wants to fight and argue, they can wear what they want.
Thus the reason the dress code in the New Testament bends with the culture is because God specifically stated that it would bend. This is not true of murder, stealing, adultery, etc. The believer is not to steal because everyone else is stealing, lie because everyone else is lying, or commit adultery because everyone else is committing adultery. The believer is not to be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2). The believer is not to walk "as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having their understanding darkened" (Ephesians 4:17-18). The believer is to put off the old man and his behavior, and put away lying and other sins (Ephesians 4:22-31). Believers are to be the ones who have "obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you" (Romans 6:17). If the believer wants to obey God in the field of adultery, his action is simple: do not do it.
Appendix N
Reason:
I am completely wrapped up in adultery. Between the various women who pressure me or expect me to spend time with them, the friends that I hang out with who are into adultery, and the lies that I have told to my wife, children and others, I cannot stop now. My marriage and my public life would be destroyed.
Answer:
This situation is the result of unchecked sin. Adultery is a sin and part of the "snare of the devil" (II Timothy 2:26) and can have very serious consequences.
Proverbs 5:3-4
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
Proverbs 6:32-33
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.
This problem developed because of disobedience to God’s Word, and the answers and deliverance will come from God. Although it may seem impossible to get out of the situation, it is possible with God. Believers should not want to continue in sin. Besides the broken fellowship and loss of eternal rewards, the situation on earth will only get worse. Since each individual case is different, there are no "pat answers" for deliverance from the snare of the Devil. Seeking the aid of a person or persons capable of helping through God’s Word, believing, prayer, and wise counsel may be necessary. Always remember that with men things may seem impossible, but with God all things are possible.
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Additional comments made by John Schoenheit on WayDale's Forums in May 2000:
My paper is quite accurately presented here in WayDale. I wrote in through the summer of 1986 and handed it in to the research department in September of 1986. As it is here in WayDale it is missing the preface and the footnotes. The preface gives some of the history of the paper and how it came to be. The footnotes are for the most part acedemic and not substantive. If anyone wants a copy of the paper in the form I origianlly handed it in they can e-mail me. I have always given it to anyone who asked me for a copy. The thesis is pretty simple: adultery is a sin. As someone in this string has said, you should be able to see that for yourself in the Word. Unfortunately, and history bears this out, some pretty high-powered churchmen throught the years have not really gotten the impact of what the Bible plainly says, and in this case the research seemed necessary. John Schoenheit
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My story (short version): In the spring of 1986 a girl came to me and said she had had sexual intercourse with Dr. Wierwille. I had no reason to doubt her as we were friends and she "had her head on her shoulders" in life. I started asking around to girls I knew always got to ride on the motor coach, fly on Ambassador 1, get "back room" duty instead of housekeeping or grounds, etc. Lo and behold, I talked to many women that were very candid about their sexual relations with leadership.
Perhaps the most disturbing thing about those months was the developing picture was that this was not just practical sin based on lust but rather was sin based on wrong doctrine--many of the people involved thought it was okay with God. In fact, all of the "reasons" that I wrote about in my appendix came out of the mouths of women I talked to. I would ask them why they thought it was okay or why they were told it was okay and those were the reasons I got, so that is why I answered those specific questions.
In the midst of interviewing the women I suspected might have had sexual relations with leadership, I had three different women tell me I would be killed if I tried to stop it. The first time I thought it was a totally stupid thing, but by the third one I really stopped and thought about it. David had Uriah killed for the same reason. To protect my work I sent it to about 7 people I knew and trusted (I do not remember the exact number or all the people now) sealed in an envelope inside an envelope with instructions to "go public" if I ended up dead. I told them that the paper was going to be sent up proper channels, and not to share the work with others. As you know, The Way had strict guidelines for handling research, and at that time I had been in the Research Dept. for six years, loved my job and believed in the system even though I was beginning to have doubts about the integrity of the leadership. I handed the paper in to Walter Cummins in late September. It just sat on his desk. One of the people I had given a copy to had been hurt by the sex stuff and really wanted it to "make an impact." She went to Ralph, who, of course, knew nothing of the paper (like I said, I had not gone public). Ralph talked with somebody (who?) and the next thing I knew there were all kinds of meetings about the paper and all kinds of untrue things being said about me.
On October 23d I was "released" from The Way by order of Chris Geer. It was a Friday. I had a lot of friends at HQ still. On Monday at noon Walter got up in front of the staff and told some made-up lie about me violating department procedures and thus being let go. A friend snuck out of lunch and called me to let me know what was said (I did not ask for that but he did it anyway). I got right on the phone with Walter and told him what he did was wrong and that he should not lie about a brother to all those other Christians. I asked to meet with him face to face but he refused. After that there was a huge witch-hunt and more lies were told about me than you can possibly imagine. Even really weird stuff like I believed in the Trinity and the dead being alive.
Because I still had friends around the country, I got some requests for my paper. Since I was no longer on staff, and since my "belief in the system" had really taken a blow, I mailed it to anyone who asked. By that time the Trustees and Corps Coordinators were starting a rumor that the paper personally attacked Dr. Wierwille and taught all kinds of false doctrine. Corps going home for "ho-ho relo" were told if they read my paper not to come back in residence. It was also stated that the paper had devil spirits and anyone who read it became possessed. Well, that all backfired because as people read it they could tell that what was said about it was lies. And so there was an escalation of people challenging the leadership and leaving The Way.
In time I hooked up with Ralph Dubofsky, Tom Reheard, John Lynn, Mark Graeser, Robert Belt, and some others and CES was born. It took awhile for the smoke to clear, but when it did all that was left of us was John Lynn, Mark Graeser and myself, and we have been together ever since. The Lord has been leading us, and now I think we are turning out some really first-class stuff.
Perhaps a quick note on John Lynn. I do not think I have ever met a man that has had so many lies and false accusations leveled against him. I travel once or twice a month, and the things that people "out there" say they have heard about him blow my mind. There are not many people on the planet that know John better than I, and he is a first-class servant of Jesus Christ.
Hope you did not find this boring. By the way, the carbon is going to the Home Office so I can save it. Please do not think I am mailing this around to anyone. On the other hand, the facts are as true as I remember after 14 years, and I am not ashamed of them. I do not try to hide them, it is just that it has not been that profitable to share them. People are still so angry and hurt over things that happened years ago. We all need to come to Christ, and let him teach us how to get healed and move on. There is a world out there that needs the Truth. The Way International and Dr. Wierwille did a lot for me, and I will always be thankful for that. Yes, they caused me some pain and heartache, but the foundation of the Word that was built in my life in The Way has an inestimable value.
Write again if I can help, and please check out the stuff CES has available.
In His Loving Care,
John Schoenheit"
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frank123lol
Those active in the way at the time were told not to read said article as we would be possessed!
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Rocky
Reminds me of that song "I saw the darkness..."
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waysider
Do you mean this one?
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Charity
Like their leader VP, men (and some women) used those reasons above to get what they wanted leaving behind darkness and brokenness.
I saw the darkness, I saw the darkness
No more safety, no more light
Now I’m so shameful, no trusting in sight
Thanks to him, I saw the darkness
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WordWolf
"Like their leader VP, men (and some women) used those reasons above to get what they wanted leaving behind darkness and brokenness. "
Now, now, "credit" where "credit" is due. (Or, possibly give "the devil" his due.)
That sounded almost coincidental that vpw and some of his cadre likewise did those evil deeds. Let's be more specific, and more honest, about it. vpw was the originator. He set about to commit such sinful, criminal, and evil actions. Although it's possible that someone may have been interested in the cadre because of that, more likely they were all brought in the way lcm was brought in.
vpw groomed lcm to commit those kinds of things. He told him all kinds of things, some of which we've heard. He told him- on the subject of fidelity in marriage- that the married lcm "was going to have to loosen up on those sorts of things if he wants to lead God's people." Since vpw had previously convinced lcm that vpw had an inside track on what God Almighty thought and wanted, that left lcm trying to accept that God Almighty wanted him to cheat on his own wife. And so on.
vpw set up his network to target women, and when he set up that network, he groomed a number of people around him to accept or embrace that kind of thinking. That's why they were willing to help vpw rape and molest and drug the women that he did those things to. I mean, it wasn't a one-night, one conversation thing, he spent months carefully grooming and indoctrinating his inner circle so that there was a network of people close to him that would accept that and help him.
Not everyone was indoctrinated this way. vpw worked hard at this, possibly harder than at anything else he did. He would find a moment to talk to only one person. He would make a small comment to them, and monitor their reaction. If they reacted in a godly fashion, he backed off and didn't bring it up again. We saw that with J1m D00p. When vpw spoke to him alone in a car, vpw tried to tell him that God Almighty was fine with orgies. J1m was resistant and revolted by the suggestion, and later convinced himself that, somehow, he misunderstood what happened, that he couldn't possibly have heard vpw say what he had heard vpw say. After that, vpw fine-tuned his approach. That was too heavy-handed and abrupt. So, he made smaller comments, less abrupt. He changed the "temperature" around him, so that discussions about sex weren't quite so out of place. Then he could make a single comment and dismiss it later as a misunderstanding if it went awry. AFAIK, Ralph D never recounted such an incident... and I doubt he was left out. I think he was approached like everyone else, but when vpw baited the hook, RD didn't take the bait- he wasn't immoral and wasn't going to be. So, vpw just dropped a passing comment and went about his business- but made a mental note to keep RD well away from the thick of things, and not to approach RD again. Over time, vpw had a list of people around him who were receptive and groomed- every time, a little further, a little further. He also had a list of people to keep clear of his sex maniac operation- people who could spoil things and ruin his well-organized sin machine after all the trouble he went through to set it up. But they had their uses also- mainly, their clean-cut natures were "evidence" that nothing untoward could be happening around vpw. After all, in public, he said nothing in favor of it, and there were moral, godly people around him, so they would have blown the whistle on him.
So, yes, the comments in the appendices started with vpw. As with anything else in twi, some people just parroted his phrases without ever stopping to question whether or not they were correct, godly or right- or to think at all, for that matter. Whenever we saw multiple people parroting the same error-ridden sentences, it was as good as having vpw's initials or signature on the phrase, endorsing and recommending it all around.
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Charity
I completely agree that the grooming done and advances made on believers were fruit of vp's rotten tree which was rooted in his deviant interpretation of verses he'd cherry picked. I know of a top twi leader who had stopped abusing one female by saying he wasn't sure that what "they" were doing was biblically correct solely as an excuse so he could start up with another female.
In an attempt to normalize his lax/corrupted views on things as you mentioned above, I remember reading from a poster here how vp would have pajama gatherings where teens were present and his behavior at times became inappropriate. I'll try to find the post.
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WordWolf
T-Bone's mentioned it a number of times.
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Charity
Thankx
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Charity
T-bone's posts above were long so I edited them to get to the pajama party. (You can search "pajama" and his full posts come up quickly.)
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