From: WLHETH@tayloru.edu
Date: Mon Jan 05 1998 - 12:32:16 EST
On *porneia = unlawful marriages in the Matthean divorce texts,
Gordon Wenham's and my *Jesus and Divorce (London: Hodder &
Stoughton, 1984) discussed the pros and cons of this possibility,
interacting fully with Fitzmyer's evidence and the other articles
available at the time (cf. esp. Joseph Jensen, "Does Porneia Mean
Fornication? A Critique of Bruce Malina," *Novum Testamentum 20
[1978] 161-84). In short, this is an unlikely possibility since
there is nothing in the context to suggest this restricted
meaning of porneia.
In the reprint of our book (Paternoster, 1997) we have
added an addendum and another 350 bibliographical works on
this thorny topic. We address specificall in the first section (205-9)
the unlawful marriages view of the Matthean exception clauses only to show that
developments in the past 12 years (what our addendum tries to
cover--almost :-) ) have brought about the demise of this under-
standing of *porneia in Matthew 5:32; 19:9. See esp., Dale C. Allison,
"Divorce, Celibacay and Joseph (Matthew 1.18-25 and 19.1-12)," *Journal
for the Study of the NT 49 (1993) 3-10; Don T. Smith, "The Matthean
Exception Clauses in the Light of Matthew's Theology and Community,"
*Studia Biblica et Theologica 17 (1989) 55-82.
Also, on the Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25 passage, I believe Ben
Witherington III ("Not So Idle Thoughts about Eidolothyton," *Tyndale
Bulletin 44 [1993] 237-54) has done a good job of arguing that "what has
been sacrificed to idols" (NRSV) refers to "an animal sacrificed in the
presence of an idol *and eaten in the temple precincts" while *porneia is
an act of immorality that accompanied such sacrifices (cf. 1 Cor 8:10;
10:14-22; Rev 2:14, 20) (pp. 164-67).
I hope this helps bring matters up to date.
Dr. William (Bill) A. Heth
Professor of NT and Greek
Taylor University (Upland, IN)
Chair, Biblical Studies, Christian Education,
and Philosophy dep't.
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