The Christian Definition of Porno
“Flee immorality.” 1 Corinthians 6:18
Immorality – If it were only about “adult” bookstores and Internet sites, we could almost breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, there are 4 million porno sites on the Internet. Yes, more than 50% of Christian males view these images. But we all know that it’s sin. We’re quite clear about this version of immorality. What we don’t realize is that we have a far too narrow view. It’s not just sex images. It’s the tentacles of desire for gain.
Paul uses the word porneia. Our English word “pornography” has one root in this Greek word. Paul’s Greek word comes from pornos, a word that was used to describe a male prostitute, someone who offered himself (his body) for financial gain. The root is based in a word that means “to sell”. It describes a merchant who passes a product through to a buyer for a monetary exchange. Prostitution comes from the same concept and in its wider application, we start to get the bigger picture.
Can someone be a prostitute without a sexual transaction? Of course. Men and women prostitute themselves when they sell their ethics for career advancement. They prostitute themselves when they sell their souls for love and affection. Wherever I give myself away for personal, self-centered gain, I am a prostitute. It might be money for sex, but the exchange is not limited to money and sex. Have you traded truth for reputation or image? Have you bartered conformity for advantage? Have you exchanged godliness for acceptance? Have to sold righteousness for pleasure? The prostitute lives in each of us, ready to trade who we are for what we think we need. Sex is only one small slice of the world of porneia.
Flee porneian, says Paul. Certainly run away from sexual sin! But don’t think your chaste behavior frees you from prostitution. The tentacles of this evil slither quietly into the deepest parts of our psyche. What are you trading today? What qualities of the Father’s heart are being bartered away for your gain?
“Lord, forgive me. I am the woman caught in adultery of the soul. I am the man who has prostituted himself for career. I have bartered your grace to fill my need. Let me hear your voice of compassion over me. Help me flee the dark street corner within me.”
