For those of you in South Carolina celebrating Mark Sanford’s win yesterday, don’t forget that Bible commands that adulterers be put to death.
Adultery punishment in the Bible’s Old and New Testaments (the following Verses are from the NIV Bible):
- Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.”
- Deuteronomy 22:22 “If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die.”
- Leviticus 20:10 “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife–with the wife of his neighbor–both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.”
- Proverbs 6:32 “But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.” He destroys himself by being put to death as shown above.
- Leviticus 21:9 “And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.”
- Deuteronomy 25:11-12 “If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity.”
Clearly adultery results in being put to death according to Biblical teachings. Next let’s see what Jesus had to say about the subject.
- Matthew 19:9 “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” Wouldn’t this cause the man to be put to death?
- Mark 10:11 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.” Again, wouldn’t he then be put to death since he would have committed adultery?
- Mark 10:12 “And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” Same question I ask about the women who are considered have committed adultery. Wouldn’t they be put to death also?
- Luke 16:18 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
The question to resolve now is would an adulterer in the New Testament be put to death? Keep in mind that when Jesus gave the above laws, he gave them during the time when he spoke highly of the Old Testament’s Law:
- Jesus orders Christians to follow the Old Testament’s laws: “Do not think that I [Jesus] have come to abolish the Law (the Old Testament) or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke or a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law (the Old Testament) until everything is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18)” It is quite clear from these verses from the New Testament that Jesus peace be upon him did honor the Old Testament and did say that every single “letter” of it has to be honored, followed and fulfilled.
- “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ‘The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.’ (Matthew 23:1-3)” We clearly see in these verses that Jesus peace be upon him did not prohibit for the Old Testament to be followed, but only warned his followers to not follow it the way the current religious leaders of the Law (the Jewish Rabies) were following it.
So according to Jesus, it would appear that the adulterer in the New Testament must be put to death.
Samuel is a writer, social activist, and all-around troublemaker.
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