In the New Testament we see the word "Porneia" used several times by the authors. It can be found in the original texts from which the Testament is derived up to twenty-six times. The agreement on the translation of this word, which is the modern English root of pornography, is as wide as the translators involved.
In the following table, the word Porneia is taken from Matthew 19:9
"And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." (Matthew 19:9 KJVA)
| Bible Basic English |
Loss of virtue |
| Common English |
Terrible sexual sin |
| King James |
Fornication |
| Strong's Dictionary |
Harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry |
| Young's Literal |
Whoredom |
| Literal Translation |
Fornication |
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Various meanings of Porneia by Translation
From the above, we see that the bias is toward some egregious sexual error. Is it any wonder that this becomes the common theme given the anti-sex nature of the Conservative Christian church. However, it is vital to note the figurative meaning of idolatry from Strong's Dictionary. We must ask at what point did the word become a metaphor for idol worship.
Take a look sometime at
Studylight.org's definition of porneia. If you read definition number one, you see the mainstream concept: illicit sexual intercourse. However, read definition number two and you will note the metaphor is for idolatry, just as we see with Strong's Dictionary. The sub note on number two reads, "of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols". There are other places in the New Testament where we see this very topic.
"In your letter you asked me about food offered to idols. All of us know something about this subject. But knowledge makes us proud of ourselves, while love makes us helpful to others." (1 Corinthians 8:1 CEV)
The Corinthians had written Apostle Paul posed a series of dilemmas and questions to which he answered via this Epistle.
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They mentioned that there existed a member sleeping with his step-mother.
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They had continued using Lawsuits rather than fixing the problems personally.
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They wanted to know if it was better to marry or stay single.
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They asked if eating food sacrificed to idols was okay.
Paul goes on with his answers. The word porneia appears several times in Paul's many letters, in each case it is beside the word, 'arsenokoitais'. In his book, "Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality" (1980), Boswell argued that the term 'arsenokoitais' in 1Co 6:19 and 1Ti 1:10 signified a male prostitute rather than a generic homosexual, as it is commonly translated. The arguments presented are based on several factors. The primary reason is that vice listing exactly what is prohibited, Paul's focus is instead on anything related to false god worship.
What exactly was Paul's problem with idolatry? It violated Law Number One, Love God. Though he recognized there are no other gods but the Creator, he still had his Pharisaic roots which included the prohibition of idols. In the modern state of Israel, prostitution is legal. In Judaism, pre-marital sex is not forbidden. What is forbidden in the modern version of Judaism is exactly what was forbidden thousands of years ago; Idol worship. Looking to that as the root issue, we can see that when Paul used the word Porneia, he was not refuting sexual activities, but idolatry.
How can this be concluded? Look to a later verse from the same letter to the Corinthians:
"We are free to do all things, but there are things which it is not wise to do. We are free to do all things, but not all things are for the common good." (1 Corinthians 10:23 BBE)
Paul knew that nothing is forbidden under the new covenant. He could only advise strongly to avoid that which might violate the Law of Love. Over time, the Bible's many translations have changed the original meaning of porneia from idolatry to fornication. Why is this the case? Because Paul and the subsequent church did such a good job in wiping out idol worship that the translators needed something to fill in the blank.
Resources
St Paul's Lists of Sins
Christianity and Sex