Exception Clause

Now let us deal with the exception clause of verse 32 “saving for the cause of fornication,” The word saving is best understood as “except for.” The word “cause” is best understood “reason of.” The word “fornication” has led to great debate and ridiculous speculation. In English today the word fornication is described as an unmarried person having premarital sex. Adultery is when a married person has sexual relations outside of the marital bond or covenant. It is important to look at the original root words of these terms. The word translated in this exception clause is the Greek word, “porneia.” It is one of the root words for pornography. Words change their meaning through the centuries. Early in the Bible the term referred to harlotry or prostitution. However, by the time of Christ it was used as the general term for all forms of illicit sexual behavior. Now there is another Greek word for adultery “moicheia.”. It would have been nice some would say if Jesus just used the other Greek for adultery since it is implied in the context. However, while the original words for adultery and illicit sexual behavior are used interchangeably with one another in the Old and New Testament there is good reason Jesus used both words separately in this verse. The word porneia gives many more different forms of illicit sexual behavior as grounds for divorce. The word porneia is defined in the glossary in the back of this work. A person can divorce their mate for more sexual reasons than adultery. Porneia includes pre-marital sex, adultery, incest, homosexuality, lesbianism, sodomy, bestiality, and any other form of sexual behavior out side the marital union or extra-marital. Any of these sexual sins are grounds for biblical divorce. All these forms of illicit sexual behavior break the marital covenant not just adultery. A number of commentators and translators have translated the phrase “saving for the cause of fornication” as follows:

Exception Clause

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