The Sin Against Yourself

1 Corinthians 6:18 "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body."

Let's think of all the sins possible. Either they are sins against God (Commandments 1-3) or against others (Commandments 4-10).  Why is "fornication" not included? First off, we must ask "What is fornication?" The theological definition is "Sex between those who are unmarried." I've always been taught that, but that doesn't make it so! There is something about the word which gives a dire consequence "sins against the person's own body".

Let's see what the dictionary says:

"Consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other." (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

So far the definition fits what I've been taught except for "consensual". This means that no one was coerced and each person agreed to have sex.  But wait, we need to look at "sexual intercourse". It's not only traditional "home run" type sex, but any sexual activity; at least second base to home! Victorian morals would include "first base" passionate kissing as well.

Before we proceed let's ask the question "What is the peculiarity which distinguishes fornication from adultery?

"Adultery is sex between a married person and someone who is not that person's wife or husband." (ibid).

The big difference between fornication and adultery is that in the latter at least one party is married. Of course "marriage" in biblical times was fairly abstract.  Roman marriage and Jewish marriages had much the same meaning. The woman agreed to serve the man, property was shared, there was a pledge made by each and the marriage was consummated by intercourse. The goal of marriage was to provide heirs with legitimacy. (See Wikipedia:  Marriage in ancient Rome, and Ancient Marriage
Ancient Manners and Customs, Daily Life, Cultures, Bible Lands).

The "document" wasn't as important to the Romans as to the Jews, but monogamy in marriage was the belief for both. There were no civil documents in ancient Rome and Greece, and marriage was a religious agreement between two people and two families. The family's and the community's recognition is what made the marriage a marriage! There was an elaborate feast and ceremony in Roman and Hebrew societies, and "common law" marriage didn't exist in civilized societies at that time (Wikipedia, Common Law Marriage). (Christian's would not accept "common law" as any more than long term fornication because of lack of commitment and the lack of a religious agreement or vowels.)

The Catholic Church originated what would become "banns" in 1215 A.D. Marriages were to be announced by the priest. This tradition carried over into early America, especially on the frontier. Most marriages on the frontier were by "banns"; which is basically "recognition by the church". Hence, civilly documented marriages are a modern phenomena.

It would appear that marriages in civilized societies in ancient days was meant to be either arranged or romantic, but with commitment to each other in whatever religion the candidates proclaimed, it was to be monogamous and for life. With the advent of civilized societies, polygamy (multiple wives) was not to be considered. The apostolic fathers referred to those who teach this practice in the Christian community as Nicolaitans. They practiced the ancient sin of Balaam.

Revelation 2:15 "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."

Jesus told the woman at the well:

 John 4:18 "For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly."

It would appear that by community norms that this woman had had some sort of banquet with each of the five husbands, they and the family accepted  them as married, they had sexual intercourse, they likely had children together and they made some type of pledge to each other, although no civil document was ever signed. If she was Hebrew there may have been a religious document involved. Being a Samaritan, a mixed race people, it's most likely that there was no document.

What set apart the man to whom she was now "married" (sic). They were not really married. It would appear that they were fornicating (shacking up) and since she had been married before (five times) they were in adultery because of their former marriages. It's unlikely that Samaritans had any type of divorce proceedings at that time. Divorce was likely the termination of the relationship without pomp nor document unless she was a Hebrew woman.

 Therefore the dictionary definition of fornication can be rewritten as:

"Any sexual activity between two people who have never been married to each other." which includes same-sex activity.

I eliminated "consensual" because of the following:

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

The "betrothed virgin" is the engaged wife whose marriage has yet to be consummated. Betrothal was as profound as marriage except for the sexual intercourse. It's obvious here that the virgin fornicated, although it wasn't consensual, because she failed to resist.

However, symbolic of fornication is "of the flesh".  The Bible speaks of "syncretic fornication"!  That's having another god in addition to God. It's the mixing of two religions. People "fornicate" with other gods.

2 Chronicles 21:10 "So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand; because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers.11 Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto."

The "fornication" of OT times were Jews who forsook God to worship pagan gods. The Hebrew people fornicated with other religions. Ironically, many of the "other gods" were appeased by worshipers who fornicated as part of the religious ceremony. Fornication is closely associated to pagan religions because much of how they worship is sexually oriented.

Hosea 1:2 "The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord."

 Even Christian (sic) churches who allow all types of fornications within the church are referred to as "whores", obviously referring to those who fornicate!

Revelation 19:2 "For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand."

"The great whore" is the apostate church extant in later days. The Church of Laodocea was of that type of church, and it is representative of a great many of the contemporary churches today.

Therefore, there is a second definition of "fornication" which is used in the context of theology:

"Appeasing other gods as the One True God is made jealous". (My Definition).

 Exodus 20:5a "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God..."

God is jealous of those who fornicate with other gods. There are many idols which represent those "other gods" because they offer pleasure to the individual. For instance, the sun God is worshiped because it does what? Provides pleasurable things to those who worship it! Why worship Molech? That god provides sexual pleasure to those who bow down to him; and on and on. You see, all these other gods. are ones who offer you pleasure, prosperity or prestige. They all build you up, truly appeasing you. Yes, you are the "other god" which is represented by any of the others!

 Why is "fornication" as in against your own body? Because it's symbolic of apostasy. It makes God jealous of you! If God is jealous, then your body will suffer his wrath. God will judge the heart of the fornicator and of it is one of pleasure, then the fornicator is an idolater and deserves death!