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“Flee [run from] fornication…” Institute of Biblical Discipleship.com Bible study #70 by Nolan McFadden When the first century “apostles and elders and brethren” of Christ Jesus assembled together for the first church council at Jerusalem, they prayerfully determined, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, what would be taught as the most “necessary” requirements of Christian morality for all Gentile Christians (Acts 15:1-30). The apostles wisely focused on the two most common sin issues found among the Gentiles. They are idolatry and “fornication” (sexual immorality). Subsequently, as Gentile followers of Christ, we were given very specific commands from our Lord Jesus in the first century. These commands were considered “necessary” to obey for all Gentile Christians (Matthew 28:20, John 14:15-22. Acts 1:1-2; 15:1-29; 26:20). Four of these specific commands are found in Acts 15:28-29. In this text we read, “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 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”. There are four significant instructions for Gentile Christians included in this text. They are: 1) “That ye abstain from meats offered to idols,…” (practiced in idolatrous worship and festivals) 2) “That ye abstain…from blood,…” (practiced in idolatrous worship and festivals) 3) “That ye abstain…from things strangled,…” (practiced in idolatrous worship and festivals) 4) “That ye abstain…from fornication:…” (i.e., sexual immorality) In like manner, in his epistles we find the apostle Paul teaching against the sin of “fornication.” For example, in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7 Paul declared, “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” The apostle Paul further emphasized this command from our Lord Jesus with an additional exhortation in 1 Corinthians 6:18. Paul advised, “Flee fornication.” The word “Flee” in this verse is translated from the Greek word ϕευγω. It means “to flee from or away.” (1) In this context the word carries the meaning of literally running away from that which is evil – fornication. Consequently, Paul warned, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (I Corinthians 6:18-20) In this same Bible text Paul explained, “Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.” (1 Corinthians 6:13)