It’s hard to overlook the uncomfortable truth that, according to Jesus, a divorced woman is considered an adulterer in God’s eyes—merely by the fact that her husband divorced her. “Whoever divorces his wife,” Christ said, “for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery” (Matthew 5:32 NKJV). It’s also difficult to overlook the fact that…

The accusation of adultery in ancient Israel was no light thing, so it was significant that Jesus emphasized it in this portion of his Sermon on the Mount. In effect, Christ said to his audience, “I accuse you of adultery. Your inward sinfulness is criminally damning—regardless of your outward appearances of obedience.” Given the seriousness…

Jesus’ New Testament teachings on the topic of adultery could be considered by his hearers as rabbinical commentary on Old Testament law—specifically on the seventh commandment found in Exodus 20:14. As such, at this point in his Sermon on the Mount, Christ helped his audience to understand an important truth: The visible act of sin…

“Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery,” Christ said in his Sermon on the Mount. Some have interpreted this statement to mean that, outside of marriage, any acknowledgment of feminine beauty by a man is adultery— the assumption being that noticing a woman’s attractiveness automatically coincides with sexual desire. As a…

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