A one-sided perspective
The Book of Proverbs has much to say about the folly of adultery. It is usually written from a male perspective and this has made some scholars suggest that this compilation of wisdom sayings was designed to train young men in living a life which would be pleasing to God. But we can widen the application to all Christians and all ages.
Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.
Proverbs 2:16-19 NIV
The woman is portrayed as the temptress and there may be a reason why this one-sided perspective is presented. Were the young men facing a daily situation where they were being tempted to commit adultery? Were women flaunting themselves and seeking to seduce young men? This might explain the heavy emphasis in Proverbs on the need for young men to suppress lustful thoughts.
Women were capitalising on their sex appeal. We don't have that today? It is considered wrong to condemn women for turning themselves into sex symbols. Men are meant to ignore any provocative female dress. Please do not misunderstand me. I am, in no way, condoning any form of sexual abuse.
What does Jesus have to say in this matter?
Again, I am turning to Jesus to guide the direction this blog is heading.
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:28 NIV
So Jesus is not only condemning adultery itself: he is condemning the lustful thought which is the precursor to the deed itself.
Marriage - a symbol of the Universal Church.
I want to end by stressing the sanctity of marriage. Paul writing to the Ephesians presents marriage as a symbol of the church universal and its relationship to Christ.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
Ephesians 5:25 NIV
The same chapter condemns any form of sexual misconduct.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
Ephesians 5:3 NIV
Paul is not speaking only to men as the writer of the Proverbs seems to be doing. He is setting a high standard of moral conduct in order to preserve God's ideal of a Christian marriage which in itself is a testimony to the great Christian truth of the love of Christ for His bride, the Church.
Photo by Karren McPherson, She was commissioned to create an image to illustrate the blog.
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