nd this term in the Bible. But consider Matthew 5. Here, Jesus uses the term ‘adultery’ to describe lustful thoughts. Everything you say about inappropriate emotional intimacy—that it’s less serious than physical adultery, we’re conflating two different sins by calling them the same name, we can be thankful to God if sin stops short of actual physical adultery, and nothing threatens marriage like physical adultery—is also true of mental unfaithfulness; yet Jesus uses the term ‘adultery’ to describe both mental and physical unfaithfulness, just as he uses ‘murder’ to describe anger as well as murder. I assume he does this to show that we can break God’s law in our hearts as well as with our bodies, and to bring home the full reality of sin to drive us to faith and repentance. I feel the force of your pastoral objections, and I wouldn’t use this term if I was men
No comments
Clever.
nd this term in the Bible. But consider Matthew 5. Here, Jesus uses the term ‘adultery’ to describe lustful thoughts. Everything you say about inappropriate emotional intimacy—that it’s less serious than physical adultery, we’re conflating two different sins by calling them the same name, we can be thankful to God if sin stops short of actual physical adultery, and nothing threatens marriage like physical adultery—is also true of mental unfaithfulness; yet Jesus uses the term ‘adultery’ to describe both mental and physical unfaithfulness, just as he uses ‘murder’ to describe anger as well as murder. I assume he does this to show that we can break God’s law in our hearts as well as with our bodies, and to bring home the full reality of sin to drive us to faith and repentance. I feel the force of your pastoral objections, and I wouldn’t use this term if I was men