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 deadly serious and does bring consequences. “A man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself” (Proverbs 6:32; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:18 and Hebrews 13:4). Living in adultery is giving evidence that you do not truly know Christ. However, adultery is not unforgivable, either. Every sin that a Christian commits can be forgiven through repentance. And any sin committed by an unbeliever can be forgiven in Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 says, “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers . . . will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God”
More Biblical Facts About Extramarital Affairs
The Bible explicitly condemns extramarital affairs: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). Behold, it violates the commitment made in marriage to be faithful to one’s marriage partner. Likewise, Hebrews 13:4 says, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. …” And the time He has ordained for honorable sexual intimacy is for a man and a woman within the marriage relationship. To have this relationship before marriage (fornication) or with another partner after marriage (adultery) is in direct disobedience to the Will of God. Even if your spouse would consent to an adulterous affair, it doesn’t make it right and/or acceptable in God’s eyes. And as such, we should flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18).
To be given a body by God is a great privilege and we should use it to glorify Him. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” Likewise, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 says, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;” Sanctification is the process that takes place in those who offer their bodies in obedience to God and this makes them partakers of His Holiness (His own life and nature) (Ephesians 1:11).
Dealing with Temptation as a Christian
Whenever we are tempted with unclean thoughts, we should remember that Jesus Christ opened a way out of sin for all of us: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16). Brethren, at the throne of grace we will receive the help we need: “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:18).
With this in mind, we hold to Psalm 121:1-2 – “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.“
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Biblical definition of Adultery? What does adultery mean?
Old Testament Definition
Adultery was defined and understood in the Old Testament as sexual relations between a married (or betrothed) woman and a man other than her husband. Thus, it was considered a sin against her husband.
New Testament Definition
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior did extend the definition of adultery to include a married man and a woman other than his wife (Mark 10:11-12, Luke 16:18). It is in this way that other New Testament teachings perceive it (1 Corinthians 6:15-16, 1 Corinthians 7:2 ).
Hence, we can conclusively define adultery as the sin of a married man having sexual relations with anyone other than his wife or a married woman having sexual relations with anyone other than her husband.
2. If a spouse is unable to have sex, is it okay to have sex with someone else? Are there exceptions?
A good number of people wonder whether there are exceptions in cases that the spouse cannot or will not have sex, or if the couple is separated, or better still, for other reasons. However, the Bible does not give any exception for a spouse to have sex with anyone apart from his/her partner.
3. What Did Jesus say about adultery?
Jesus Christ says in Matthew 5:27-28 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.“
In the same light, Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 – “But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
The truth is that “office romance” and other extramarital affairs usually cause tremendous emotional pain to the spouse whether sexual intercourse is involved or not. In addition to this, it is without a doubt that sexual attraction clouds judgment and often leads to actual sexual relations, even when that was not the original intent.
4. What does the Bible say about adultery?
Adultery is one of the most frowned upon sins in the Bible. In fact, it is one of the most frequent and highly condemned sins in the Bible. Adultery is mentioned 52 times in the Bible, including in the 10 Commandments, all 4 Gospels, and other Biblical books. The only sins mentioned more often than this are the sins of idolatry, murder, and self-righteousness.
Exodus 20:14 says, “You shall not commit adultery.“
Matthew 15:19–20 says, “For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”
Luke 18:18-20 says, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’“
Hebrews 13:4 says, “Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.”
5. What does the Bible teach about divorcing a spouse for adultery?
The Bible mentions adultery as a ground for divorce (Matthew 5:31-32, 19:9) but does not require it. In most cases, both the husband and wife can be reconciled and the marriage is saved even after adultery.
6. Is it a sin to continue living with a spouse that has committed adultery?
Note that it is not a sin to continue living and having sex with a spouse that committed adultery. (However, the risk of sexually transmitted diseases should be considered and precautions are taken). This should not be an issue if both partners have been reconciled to each other and forgiveness has taken place.
7. Will God forgive me for committing adultery?
As it is with other sins, God will forgive the sin of adultery if a person sincerely repents and also forgives other people. 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 makes us understand that in the Corinthian church there were former adulterers, but they had been washed clean from their sin, sanctified, and justified through Christ.
8. What are the lasting damages of adultery?
Although God will forgive adultery, the damages it causes often cannot be undone. Truth be told, it is extremely hurtful to the spouse. In most cases, it leads to divorce thereby living the separated partners with lots of bitterness in their hearts. Children from divorced families are prone to anxiety, low school performance, drug addiction, and delinquent behavior. Such issues are likely to extend to their adulthood. That’s why spouses should always do their best to save their homes from crumbling.
9. What should be the response of a Christian whose spouse has had an affair?
It is without a doubt that infidelity creates a very difficult and painful situation, one that brings to the scene all emotions, and, for the Christian, can stretch faith to almost a breaking point. When faced with such, the best thing to do is to “turn all your worries over to Him. He cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7). As Christians, we should always turn to the Lord God Almighty any time that we are hurt in order to seek for wisdom, direction, comfort, joy, peace, and a forgiving heart. Behold, God is able and willing to help us even in the deepest of trials. Keep in mind that adultery is always wrong. In support of this, Hebrews 13:4 says, “God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” Here, the injured spouse should rest in the truth that God is the avenger.
Also, the wronged individual does not need to fret over getting even. God will do an even better job of avenging us. Each time that we are betrayed, we need to commit the pains to the One who knows every detail and will deal with it properly. In the face of betrayal or unfaithfulness, we need to pray as we seek God for wisdom, healing, and guidance. As you pray for yourself, also pray for the offender, and also pray for anyone else involved in the act. Humbly pray for God in His goodness, wisdom, and love to guide your thoughts, words, actions, and decisions. Be honest with your feelings. It is normal to feel hurt. Let the expression of your pains to the Lord be the first step towards healing (see Psalm 77:1–2). Choose forgiveness and not repay evil for evil (1 Peter 3:9).
10. How should a Christian spouse handle an adulterous affair that has resulted in childbirth?
Marriage is a special covenant that brings a couple together both physically and spiritually. Infidelity in marriage or adultery causes a devastating blow that tears through the oneness of marriage. An infidelity is an act that often results in irreparable damages in marriage. Such is especially true if a child is conceived through adultery. However, a parent’s responsibility for his child is not determined by the circumstance of the child’s conception and birth. The act of bringing a child into the world through adultery is definitely disastrous to both parties, but it is important to remember that the child is innocent and deserves to have two parents in his/her life. Note that even a child conceived through adultery also has the right to be loved, protected, catered for, and provided for.
The Scriptures clearly tell us that children are a blessing from God (Psalm 127:3). A child should not be seen as a curse or a reminder of sin, or as in any way less worthy. Ideally, the wife whose husband has fathered a child with someone else would be able to embrace the child as a stepson or stepdaughter, even if the child in question is not residing in their home. The wife should not stand in the way of her husband forming a relationship with his child, even though this might bring pain. As a wife, you should understand that your husband has financial, spiritual, and emotional obligations towards the child in question (Ephesians 6:4). Likewise, a husband whose wife bears a child with someone else should strive to see himself as a stepfather – or even as an adoptive father.
11. What is the Biblical punishment for adultery?
Before answering this question, it is important to clarify the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Under the Old Covenant Law, given to ancient Israel under a theocracy, the punishment for adultery was death (Leviticus 20:10). But in the New Testament, Jesus Christ brought a new law into effect. However, the eternal punishment of sin is still death (Romans 6:23), but adultery no longer carries the death penalty civilly. Modern Christians or followers of Jesus Christ are not commanded to harm those who sin. The Old Testament lists a good number of behaviors that were punishable by death, including adultery. In support of this, Leviticus 20:10 reads, “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.” The punishment was the same for both parties that were found guilty.
Today, the Bible does not command any such punishment for adultery. However, the act of adultery carries its own punishment. Sexual sin is an offense carried out on one’s own body (1 Corinthians 6:18). Proverbs warn against the consequences of adultery: loss of honor and strength (Proverbs 5:9–11), a ruined reputation (Proverbs 5:14), bondage and death (Proverbs 5:22–23), self-destruction (Proverbs 6:32), and the vengeance of a jealous husband (Proverbs 6:34). “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” (Proverbs 6:27–29). It has even greater spiritual consequences. However, it is not without forgiveness as demonstrated by Jesus Christ to the woman who was brought to Him for having committed adultery (John 8:10–11).
12. What is spiritual adultery?
Spiritual adultery is unfaithfulness to God. Spiritual adultery is analogous to the unfaithfulness of one’s spouse: “‘But like a woman faithless to her lover, even so, have you been faithless to me, O house of Israel,’ says the LORD” (Jeremiah 3:20; see also Isaiah 1:21; 57:8; Ezekiel 16:30). The Bible clearly tells us that those who choose to be friends with the world are an “adulterous people” having “enmity against God” (James 4:4–5). Here, the word “world” represents the system of evil that is under the control of Satan and his agents (John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2; 1 John 5:19). The world system was designed with a deceitful scheme aimed at luring us away from the things of God’s Kingdom. Spiritual adultery has to do with forsaking God’s love and embracing the world’s values and desires (Romans 8:7–8; 2 Timothy 4:10; 1 John 2:15–17).
What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce?
Matthew 19:9 – “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
1 Corinthians 7:15 – “But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.”
1 Corinthians 7:1-40 – “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. …“
Matthew 5:32 – “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.“
Hebrews 13:4 – “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.“
Proverbs 6:32 – “He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.”
Group 1 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Ephesians 5:28 – “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.“
1 Corinthians 7:2 – “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.“
Matthew 19:6 – “So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
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.“
Leviticus 20:10 – “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.“
Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Group 2 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Matthew 19:3-9 – “And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” …“
Deuteronomy 22:22 – “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.“
Proverbs 5:1-23 – “My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; …“
Group 3 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Malachi 2:16 – “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
1 Corinthians 7:12-15 – “To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.“
Luke 13:6-9 – And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
Group 4 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Matthew 5:31-32 – “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.“
1 Corinthians 6:18 – “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
Luke 19:12-27 – “He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ …“
Group 5 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Luke 16:18 – “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.“
Acts 2:38 – And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
John 15:2 – “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.“
John 8:1-11 – “But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” …“
Group 6 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Matthew 19:8 – He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.“
Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.“
Proverbs 24:12 – “If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?“
Ezekiel 33:11 – “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?“
Proverbs 25:19 – “Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.”
Proverbs 24:11 – “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.“
Group 7 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Mark 11:13 – “And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.“
Matthew 5:1-48 – “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. …“
1 Corinthians 6:15-20 – “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, …“
Romans 7:2 – “For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.“
Group 8 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Proverbs 11:1 – “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.“
1 Peter 3:7 – “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.“
Mark 12:1-9 – And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. …”
Group 9 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Matthew 25:1-46 – “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. …“
Matthew 13:12 – “For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.“
Jeremiah 3:14 – “Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.”
Joel 2:12-14 – “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?”
Group 10 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Isaiah 1:16-19 – “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;“
2 Corinthians 6:14 – “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?“
Isaiah 58:5-12 – “Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. …“
Group 11 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Matthew 25:44-46 – “Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
John 15:9-11 – “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.“
Isaiah 5:1-7 – “Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. …“
Group 12 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
1 John 1:9-10 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.“
Matthew 1:1-11 – “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, …”
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 – “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
John 1:1-11 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. …“
Group 13 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.“
Deuteronomy 7:8-10 – “But it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.“
Numbers 23:19-20 – “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.”
Matthew 10:32-33 – “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.“
Group 14 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
2 Samuel 22:25-28 – “And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. “With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.“
Joshua 21:43-45 – “Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.“
Deuteronomy 32:1-9 – “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. …“
Group 15 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
1 John 4:12 – “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
Ephesians 5:22-33 – “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, …“
2 Corinthians 6:1-18 – “Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; …“
James 1:1-27 – “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. …“
Group 16 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
John 6:60-71 – “When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) …“
Proverbs 3:5-7 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.“
Matthew 19:4-6 – He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Group 17 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
1 John 4:7 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.“
1 John 4:4-6 – “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.“
2 Timothy 4:1-3 – “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,“
Group 18 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
1 John 3:17-20 – “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.“
Philippians 2:3-8 – “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. …“
1 Timothy 6:17-19 – “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
Group 19 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
1 Corinthians 10:12-14 – “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.“
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.“
1 Corinthians 15:33-34 – “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.“
Group 20 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Romans 12:9-21 – “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. …“
1 Corinthians 4:19-20 – “But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.“
1 Corinthians 2:12-3:3 – “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. …“
Group 21 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 13:8-10 – “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.“
Acts 2:37-39 – Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Group 22 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
John 15:6-9 – “If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.“
Acts 4:18-20 – “So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”“
John 5:37-44 – “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. …“
Group 23 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
John 8:7 – “And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.””
John 4:33-35 – “So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.“
John 3:4-8 – Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Group 24 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Luke 22:31-33 – “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”
Luke 6:36-38 – Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
John 3:16-18 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.“
Group 25 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
Proverbs 10:12 – “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.”
Proverbs 3:13-18 – “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. …“
Proverbs 13:20-21 – “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good.”
Matthew 24:12-13 – “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
Matthew 28:18-20 – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Group 26 – What Does the Bible Say About Infidelity and Divorce
1 Corinthians 3:16 – “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?“
Luke 23:43 – And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Matthew 5:7-8 – “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Psalm 103:1-22 – “Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. …“
