What does the Bible say about adultery?
The Bible presents a comprehensive teaching on adultery that operates on multiple levels: physical, spiritual, and metaphorical. At its foundation, adultery is unequivocally prohibited through the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," which serves to protect the sanctity of marriage as a divine gift. This prohibition extends beyond just physical acts as Jesus expanded the definition to include adulterous thoughts, emphasizing that sin originates in the heart.
Marriage in biblical understanding carries profound spiritual significance beyond its practical function. It represents a covenant not just between two people, but serves as a living illustration of Christ's relationship with the Church. When a husband loves his wife, he is called to reflect Christ's love for the church, while a wife's submission to her husband mirrors the church's relationship with Christ, a king-and-queen dynamic rather than a master-slave relationship.
The concept of adultery is frequently used as a powerful metaphor for unfaithfulness to God throughout scripture. In the Old Testament, Israel is often portrayed as the bride of Yahweh, with their spiritual unfaithfulness described in terms of adultery. This metaphor is particularly vivid in the book of Hosea, where the prophet's experience with his unfaithful wife Gomer serves as a living representation of Israel's spiritual infidelity. In the New Testament, this imagery continues with the church depicted as the bride of Christ.
The consequences of adultery in biblical times were severe, reflecting its gravity as both a moral and spiritual transgression. However, the Bible also presents a path to forgiveness and restoration. This is demonstrated through God's continuing love for unfaithful Israel and his willingness to renew the covenant relationship. In Christian theology, this restoration is symbolized through the imagery of washing and anointing, representing purification and the removal of past sins.
The biblical view of marriage and adultery intersects with broader themes of covenant faithfulness, spiritual purity, and the relationship between God and his people. True allegiance to God requires obedience on moral, ethical, and spiritual levels. Even seemingly minor transgressions like coveting or discontentment are seen as destructive forces that can pull people away from God, challenging covenant fidelity. This understanding frames adultery not just as a violation of a human relationship, but as a breach of sacred trust that has implications for one's relationship with God.
In modern context, this teaching faces various challenges, with some religious communities adopting more permissive stances on sexual ethics and marriage. However, the biblical text maintains that marriage, established as a union between a man and woman, carries profound spiritual significance and should not be treated casually. Freedom in Christ is understood not as license for unrestricted behavior, but as liberation from sin's power, leading to transformed desires and actions.
The path to restoration after adultery is grounded in the concept of Christ's redemptive work. Just as Hosea bought back his unfaithful wife, Christ's sacrifice is seen as purchasing people from their spiritual adultery. This restoration includes the washing away of past sins and the presentation of the church as a pure bride to Christ, demonstrating that even grave sins like adultery can be forgiven through divine grace.
Verses about adultrey:
Exodus 20:14, "You shall not commit adultery."
Proverbs 6:32, "He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself."
Matthew 5:27-28, "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Jeremiah 3:8, "She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore." (Metaphorical adultery—Israel's unfaithfulness to God.)
Ezekiel 16:32, "Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband!" (Metaphorical adultery—Israel's idolatry compared to an unfaithful spouse.)
James 4:4, "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (Metaphorical adultery—spiritual unfaithfulness to God.)
