Sexual Freedom in the Early Church

In Acts 15, Paul and Barnabus, and a few others went to Jerusalem to discuss with the elders various matters that had been arising since non-Jews began getting saved. There had been a major argument in Antioch when some Jewish believers taught that circumcision was essential to salvation.

This situation is relevant to our current question, and we might rephrase their discussion topic as, ‘Are the Old Testament’s sexual prohibitions applicable to us as Christian believers filled with the Holy Spirit?’

Acts 15:5-6

5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.

(NKJ)

After a long discussion (which is conveniently recorded in Acts 15) James made the following proposal, which was unanimously received:

Acts 15:19-20

19 “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,

20 “but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

A letter was written and sent to Antioch, saying in part,

Acts 15:28-29

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.

So, here in this major doctrinal decision at the crucial time of an influx of new believers from a non-Jewish background, a couple of things were made clear. First, that circumcision was unnecessary for salvation. Second, a few specific sins were singled out to clarify that these things were indeed sins.

On the list is ‘sexual immorality’ (KJV: fornication). This Bible term includes all kinds of premarital and extra-marital sex. Note how this decision was made: the Holy Spirit led them, inspired them. It was the Holy Spirit that initiated this doctrine, that of abstinence from extra-marital sex.

Be followers of me…

But was Paul in agreement with the Jerusalem elders? Was he just going along with them for the sake of unity, or is this what he also believed? Let’s look at what he wrote:

1 Cor 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. (KJV: Be ye followers of me…)

So how should we follow him? As he followed the Lord, as he followed the examples he read about.

1 Cor 10:6-13

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

(KJV)

In the Family, we were all taught verse 1 Cor 10:10. We are not to complain, as it could attract severe divine punishment. There is no question that the Family acts as though it fully believes verse 10 in a real and practical way. Verse 10 is written for our admonition, for us who live in the time of the end, as verse 11 says.

Well, what about verse 8? Fornication, or any kind of extra-marital or premarital sex, is condemned in exactly the same tone as murmuring with a threat of punishment − or at least a historical record of punishment − just as severe as that for murmuring. If we believe and act on verse 10 in so much as to write it into the Family’s code of behaviour then we must also believe and act on verse 8.

Verse 12 warns us not to be complacent about our spiritual standing, not to treat these Scriptures too lightly, and verse 13 is a beautiful, well known promise, which when taken in context with the passage that contains it provides some very real help when tempted to murmur and complain, when we are tested with greed for the things of the world, and specifically for the times when we get tempted sexually. Claim that verse and His mighty help is there.

Obviously Paul was fully in agreement with the Jerusalem elders. Neither he nor they condoned any kind of sexual relations between the unmarried.

Be followers of God…

While we’re reading about following Paul as he followed Christ, and looking to the examples in the Old Testament that were written for our admonition, let’s take the ultimate example of following God as Paul taught the early church in Ephesus.

Eph 5:1-11

1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;

4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),

10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

As we imitate God we’ll walk in love. What kind of love? The kind that inspired Jesus to give His life for us on the cross. Love that would die for his brothers and sisters. That kind of love is beautiful in the eyes of God.

There is nothing sexual in that kind of love, Eph 5:3 says there shouldn’t even be a hint of sex between the unmarried. Not a hint, not a joke, as the next verse says, not a word. Jesus said that lustful looking was the same as adultery, and here it’s saying that sexual speaking is the same as sexual doing. What is the consequence of this kind of sin? We miss out on any inheritance in the Kingdom of God. This is serious business. We go through our life thinking we’re just having fun, ‘doing what comes naturally’ as we serve the Lord, then finally when we go to Heaven we discover we’ve blown our chance for any inheritance in the Kingdom of God.

Eph. 5:11 says that it’s not enough to abstain. Silent abstinence is dangerous in that we may still be fellowshipping with the wrong crowd.

If a brother or sister is naked…

Let’s get back to James. He made that initial proposal in Acts 15 to specifically outlaw all kinds of sex within the church (apart, of course, from sex within marriage). Well, what about these verses that he himself wrote some years later. Don’t they have somewhat of a sexual connotation?

James 2:15-16

15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Aha! ‘Naked!’ ‘Things needful for the body!’ Sex, right? No, wait a minute. If we see someone without much to wear, hungry and cold, do we really think they need sex? What did the victims of Hurricane Katrina need? Sex? They need clothes so they can be warmed! They need food so they can be filled. We are to help those who are in need. If they need food, then feed them. If they need a friend, be a friend. If they start talking about sex, then it would be good to remember what James said just a few verses earlier.

James 2:10-11

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

Same chapter, same author. Adultery and murder are sins, transgressions before God. It was God Who said, “Do not commit adultery”. God said it, and it is up to us to listen to what He said.

To conclude, the early church had a lot to say about sexual freedom, and without exception it was forbidden. The elders discussed the topic thoroughly, and were led by the Holy Spirit to the determination that all sexual relations are to be confined to marriage. There were no loopholes, extra-marital sex and premarital sex was forbidden then, and it is still forbidden today. The Bible is far more than an historical account of how the first Christians did things back then. It is the living Word that speaks to us today and warns us not to neglect the admonitions given within its pages. And regarding sexual matters, there is nowhere in the Bible where extra-marital sex is promoted or even condoned. There is no Biblical precedent for the Family’s sexual policies.

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