Is it fornication or sexual immorality? The table below examines the greek word often translated as "fornication" or "sexual immorality" in the Bible. Three Bible versions are examined in this article.
Strong's Number G4202 matches the Greek word (porneia), which occurs 26 times in 25 verses in the Greek concordance of the KJV.
Strong's Number G4203 matches the Greek (porneuo-), which occurs 8 times in 7 verses in the Greek concordance of the KJV
These words should properly be translated as "fornication", therefore, the translation to "sexual immorality" is incorrect and forces the interpretation of such passages to focus on the physical sin only.
The word "fornication" is actually used often in the New Testament to refer to a specific type of doctrine by the same name. This is why Bible expositors have coined the phrase "Spiritual Fornication" because the context of certain passages suggests that it is not a physical sin of the flesh but is a doctrine being taught and practiced.
Verses shown are from the KJV. Below each verse is the same word transalted in the following bible translations:
(ESV) English Standard Version
(NIV) New International Version
(NKJV) New King James Version
(NASB) New American Standard Bible
(Matthew 5:32) But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexual immorality
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>unchastity
(Matthew 15:19) For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexual immorality
NKJV =>fornications
NASB =>fornications
(Matthew 19:9) And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexual immorality
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>immorality
(Mark 7:21) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexual immorality
NKJV =>fornications
NASB =>fornications
(John 8:41) Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>illegitimate children
NKJV =>fornication
NASB =>fornication
(Acts 15:20) But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>illegitimate children
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>fornication
(Acts 15:29) That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>illegitimate children
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>fornication
(Acts 21:25) As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>illegitimate children
NKJV => sexual immorality
NASB => fornication
(Romans 1:29) Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
ESV =>evil
NIV =>evil
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>wickedness
(1 Corinthians 5:1) It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>illegitimate children
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>immorality
(1 Corinthians 5:9) I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
ESV =>sexually immoral
NIV =>sexually immoral
NKJV =>sexually immoral
NASB =>immoral
(1 Corinthians 5:10) Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
ESV =>sexually immoral
NIV =>immoral
NKJV => sexually immoral
NASB =>immoral
(1 Corinthians 5:11) But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immoral
NKJV =>sexually immoral
NASB =>immoral
(1 Corinthians 6:9) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
ESV =>sexual immoral
NIV =>sexually immoral
NKJV =>fornicators
NASB =>fornicators
(1 Corinthians 6:13) Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV => sexual immorality
NASB =>immorality
(1 Corinthians 6:18) Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>immoral
(1 Corinthians 7:2) Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>immoralities
(1 Corinthians 10:8) Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV => sexual immorality
NASB =>immorally
(2 Corinthians 12:21) And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexual sin
NKJV => fornication
NASB =>immorality
(Galatians 5:19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV =>fornication
NASB =>immorality
(Ephesians 5:3) But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV =>fornication
NASB =>immorality
(Ephesians 5:5) For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
ESV =>sexual immoral
NIV =>immoral
NKJV => fornicator
NASB =>immoral
(Colossians 3:5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV => fornication
NASB =>immorality
(1 Thessalonians 4:3) For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV => sexual immorality
NASB =>sexual immorality
(1 Timothy 1:10) For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
ESV =>sexual immoral
NIV =>sexually immoral
NKJV =>fornicators
NASB =>immoral
(Hebrews 12:16) Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
ESV =>sexual immoral
NIV =>sexually immoral
NKJV =>fornicator
NASB =>immoral
(Hebrews 13:4) Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
ESV =>sexual immoral
NIV =>sexually immoral
NKJV => fornicator
NASB =>fornicators
(Jude 1:7) Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>immorality
(Revelation 2:14) But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV => sexual immorality
NASB =>immorality
(Revelation 2:20) Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV => sexual immorality
NASB =>immorality
(Revelation 2:21) And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>immorality
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>immorality
(Revelation 9:21) Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>sexually immorality
NKJV =>sexual immorality
NASB =>immorality
(Revelation 14:8) And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>adulteries
NKJV => fornication
NASB =>immorality
(Revelation 17:2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
ESV =>sexual immorality & sexual immorality
NIV =>adultery & adulteries
NKJV => fornication & fornication
NASB =>immorality & immorality
(Revelation 17:4) And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>adulteries
NKJV => fornication
NASB =>immorality
(Revelation 18:3) For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
ESV =>sexual immorality & immorality
NIV =>adulteries & adultery
NKJV =>fornication
NASB =>immorality
(Revelation 18:9) And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
ESV =>sexual immorality
NIV =>adultery
NKJV => fornication
NASB =>immorality
(Revelation 19:2) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
ESV =>immorality
NIV =>adulteries
NKJV => fornication
NASB =>immorality
(Revelation 21:8) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
ESV =>sexual immoral
NIV =>sexually immoral
NKJV => sexually immoral
NASB => immoral
(Revelation 22:15) For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
ESV =>sexually immoral
NIV =>sexually immoral
NKJV => sexually immoral
NASB =>immoral
In these "last days" of the Church age, the "Doctrine of Fornication" is not understood by the Church. As a consequence, the Church is increasingly engaged in the practice as prophesied by Jesus Himself and will continue to do so until our Lord returns. This doctrine was explained in the parable of the leaven and enhances the practice of unrighteousness which in part explains the failure of the Church to prevent the world from spiraling into wickedness and moral decay. The Church has lost its salt and light while at the same time the Gospel is spreading around the world in rapid fashion. It becomes a good news -bad news situation. (see 1 Corinthians 5:1 below as one example where the issue is doctrine, not a sexual sin)