The Bible pronounces harsh judgment on adulterers and
often includes them in a list of sins that could be
considered the worst of the worst. However, as is
discussed in another article, there
is forgiveness for sexual sin.
Adultery is a breakage of one's marriage covenant by
having sex with another person. An adulterer can also
be someone who has sex with a married person though they
themselves may not be married.
Under different circumstances a person who is divorced
and remarried may be guilty of adultery. See the
divorce & remarriage
section for more details and specific instances of this.
The punishment for adultery softens from the initial
penalty described in
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." It
is difficult to say how often this rule was enforced.
We know that God did not enforce it with King David when he
was caught in adultery with Bathsheba.
Jesus offers more lenience toward adultery as the
Pharisees test Him with a woman who was caught in adultery
in John 8. As they are ready to stone her, Jesus
instructs the one without sin to cast the first stone.
When each person departs, Jesus tells the woman to go and
leave her life of sin.
This doesn't mean that adultery is to be taken lightly.
It is sin and must be repented of. Those who are
unrepentant of adultery are in the same trouble as those who
are unrepentant of other sins. A lifestyle of adultery
will bring a lifestyle of hardship. It wrecks
marriages and lives. Even though God can forgive the
sin, the consequences of adultery are often lifelong.
