How is it that an old Baptist pastor who believes in baptising in Jesus name can know this truth and so many so-called ONENESS APOSTOLICS are mute when it comes to the REAL meaning of the word Fornication? It begs the question: Where is their discernment? Please take a look at what Pastor Don Milton has to say on the subject here. I dare say he's closer to the mark than a majority of so-called Oneness Apostolics in defining "fornication".
http://www.christianmarriage.com Harlots Fornicate Posted by: Pastor_Don_Milton on May 06, 2006 - 09:22 PM
True Love Waits, but a Harlot Will Fornicate.
It's amazing to see that so many Christians think that waiting to have sexual relations until after marriage is a choice. It is not. Christians are not supposed to fornicate. A never married single woman who is not a virgin and was not the victim of rape is a harlot. Various women in the Bible turned from their harlotry and turned to God, just like some of you who are reading this.
When a Christian who is a virgin decides to have sexual relations outside of marriage she has decided to turn away from God and to make the man who she fornicates with into a little god. Let me repeat this for those of you who just don't listen very well. A Christian man or a Christian woman who has sexual relations outside of marriage has decided to turn from the faith. You have read this and you have been warned.
Do not turn from the faith. Turning from the faith can happen in small steps. The first step is to consider doing something that is forbidden such as having sexual relations outside of marriage or just wishing that you could. There is one answer for this: in order to avoid "fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." - 1 Corinthians 7:2
It's interesting to note that the above words translated as "her own" and "his own" are quite different. The word translated here as "her own" is the Greek word "idios" which means one of a kind while the word translated here as "his own" is the Greek word "heautou" and is used in sentences where the Bible speaks of someone possessing one or more of something. Notice in the verse that follows how "himself" - Greek "heautou" refers to seven spirits. So when heautou is used in this sentence it means there can be more than one possessed.
Matthew 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself (Greek - heautou) seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. The first instance above of the word "himself" is heautou and means possessed by someone but not as one of a kind. As you see he possessed seven.
1 Corinthians 7:2 is a clear example of where the the language of the Bible (in this case, Greek) acknowledges that a man can have more than one wife. Had Paul wanted to push monogamy he would have used the word "idios" and not "heautou". This understanding of the difference in limitations upon women and men is important because single Christian women around the world are being denied husbands because of the false teaching that a man can have only one wife.
Married men who refuse to marry a virgin who the Lord has provided for them and to whom they are attracted are guilty of causing such a woman to commit fornication. Just like the man who divorces his wife without cause, causes her to commit adultery, a man who refuses to marry a virgin who he wants to marry and who wants to marry him is causing her to commit harlotry. There is no gift of singleness. Women want marriage. More on this in other articles.
Commentary Although there is no literal "gift of singleness" spoken of in the scriptures there is a gift of celibacy for some. Now all of this is covered in 1 Corinthians 7 and Jesus Christ also makes mention of it when He states that not all men can receive this saying. Most women desire marriage and this is not a sin. Fornication is a sin. Marriage without commitment and sanctification is spiritual fornication. Yes, God also believes in keeping His promises. So should His children. What people are taking license with these days more than before is the fact that "official marriage" need not consist of a church wedding and a marriage certificate. (At least not according to the Holy Bible.) "A never married single woman who is not a virgin and was not the victim of rape is a harlot." I agree with Pastor Don Milton in this and anyone who thoroughly examines all of the scriptures pertaining to harlotry should also. However the definition is not complete. It only a true statement when the word "married" applies to a sanctified and godly marriage. Oh yes, there are unlawful and ungodly marriages indeed. When a man and a woman unite in the flesh without sanctification they are still fornicating. They are ALSO officially married according to scripture: 28 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; 29 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 all his days. These two are one flesh. Jesus defines marriage for us very clearly in the scripture: Matthew 19 3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. It is the l'basar echad (one flesh) that constitutes a marriage. It is God who joins a man and woman together in a sanctified and holy matrimony. No pastor, doctor, lawyer, judge, or commisioner of oaths can do this. Only God can sanctify a marriage. According to the scripture a man can marry (become l'basar echad) and be one flesh with a harlot: 15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. I realize that my position on this may seem a good deal more harsh than Pastor Don Milton's but my position is scriptural and does not embrace partial truth; but for what truth is stated in this pastor's words I must also bear witness that this truth is scriptural and that he also speaks truly with respect to harlotry, fornication and genuine, sanctified, marriage. Does this mean that I am saying that most marriages today are ungodly and that they are full of fornication even if they were conducted in a church and granted a government endorsed writ of marriage? YES Full repentance, full immersion, and baptism in the blessed name of Jesus will wash you and sanctify you but a church wedding and a piece of paper will never wash away your sins. If you are not born of the water and of the spirit and you marry someone in this condition, your marriage is fleshly and and the foundation of your marriage is fornication without sanctification. I'm not certain that I can put it any plainer. I realize that there are likely alot of spirits out there that want to gnash on me with their teeth for stating this truth but I'm ready to take them on. Any man who lies with a harlot has also become one flesh with her. He has married her. I know that most of you will disagree with me but you also need to do your homework and pray about it. I realize that there are some of you out there ready to say, "Oh but brother Jacob, you need to read your Bible more thoroughly. The scripture says that all marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled!" No it doesn't. Read it the way it is written: Hebrews 13:4 - Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. "Marriage is honourable in all" does NOT translate to 'all marriage is honourable'!!! This scripture was written to the SAVED. The marriage Paul is speaking of here is holy and godly: sanctified marriage. Yes, even the very kind Pastor Milton refers to in his text. If you believe that all marriage is honorable you have bigger problems. How can a marriage to a fornicator be honorable if they haven't even repented of their sin? I think most would agree that a marriage to a harlot does not equate to a marriage between a faithful man and woman. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. You do not have a sanctified marriage until you get right with God. A church wedding and a piece of paper endorsed by Caesar isn't going to cut it. Fornication will rob you of sanctification and there is no room in any marriage for both. Without Jesus in your life your marriage is a house of cards. This is FULL BIBLE TRUTH.
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