What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce? Affairs are also commonly described as “infidelity” or “cheating.” Cheating by a spouse is referred to as adultery. But what does the Bible actually say about cheating or adultery? This is the question we’ll be answering throughout this piece of write-up. The word adultery is etymologically related to the word adulterate, which means “to render something poorer in quality by adding another substance.” Hence, we can say without a doubt that adultery is the adulteration of marriage by the addition of a third person. In simple terms, we can as well say that adultery is the voluntary sexual activity between a married person and someone other than his/her spouse. The Bible clearly begins its teachings on marriage with the pattern of Adam and Eve: one man and one woman, husband and wife, both united by God Almighty (Genesis 2:24, Mark 10:7–9).

Adultery is strictly forbidden by the seventh commandment which reads, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). Since this prohibition was simply stated without any explanation, we can conclude that the meaning of adultery was well understood in the time that Moses gave the Law. It is important to understand here that Scripture is consistent in the prohibition against adultery. Despite the clarity of the original pattern of marriage and the strict prohibition against adultery, sinful humanity has managed to develop ways aimed at blurring the lines of morality. Here, we can say that polygamy is one of the ways through which the prohibition against adultery has been to some extent circumvented. Although polygamy is not technically considered adultery, it does adulterate God’s original plan for marriage. Although God allowed polygamy in the Old Testament, He did not endorse it.

What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce?

Marriage is a sacred covenant between a couple. Just as previously mentioned, adultery was allowed in the Old Testament by God but He did not endorse it. Polygamy was not considered adultery because, although a third party (or perhaps fourth, fifth, sixth, etc) was added to the marriage, the additional woman or women were included legally. Note that a polygamist who indulged in sexual activities with anyone other than his legal wives was committing adultery. And since polygamy is generally illegal in most modern countries today, no third person can be legally added to marriage. Another way that the prohibition against adultery has been circumvented is through Divorce and Remarriage. Any married man or woman having an affair is committing adultery. It is rather unfortunate that if he/she divorces his/her spouse and marries the other, he/she still maintains his/her “legal” footing.

However, Jesus Christ puts both of these “strategies” to rest as we can read from Luke 16:18 – “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery.” Likewise, Mark 10:11–12 says, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” According to Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior, divorce does not circumvent the prohibition against adultery. If upon seeing another woman, a married man desires her sexually, divorces his wife, and marries her, he is still committing adultery. The marriage bond is one that is expected to last for a lifetime. This is to say that divorce does not release one from the responsibility of remaining faithful to the original spouse. (Relatedly, the Bible allows divorce in some cases, and, when divorce is permitted, remarriage is also allowed without being considered adulterous.)

What The Scriptures Say About Adultery

In the Scriptures, Jesus Christ carried the prohibition against adultery even further than the Mosaic Law: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27–28). Therefore, even if a man does his best to “legally” avoid adultery by requesting a divorce, he is already guilty because of the lust in his heart that drove him into taking such measures. Likewise, if a man “legally” brings another woman into the marriage, rendering it a polygamous marriage, he is still guilty of adultery because of the lust in his heart that motivated him to go for another wife.

Still in the light of the words spoken by Christ, if a man or woman indulges in lustful thoughts (pornography is especially problematic), then he/she is guilty of adultery even though there was no extramarital physical contact that took place. This clear explanation by Jesus Christ avoids all of the worries about “how far is too far” with someone other than a spouse. Also, it avoids the need to define what “sex” really is. Lust, not sex, is the threshold of adultery. It is in this light that any extramarital affair is frowned upon in Scripture. Note that an affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of it.

Facts on what the Scriptures say about Adultery

Proverbs 6 gives us some stern warnings about committing adultery, giving “correction and instruction . . . keeping you from your neighbor’s wife” (verses 23–24). Solomon says,
“Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes. . . .
Another man’s wife preys on your very life.
Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?
Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?
So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished” (verses 25–29).

According to the Scriptures, adultery is d