Blessings to you, the readers of this page, in Jesus Christ our
Lord. May He guide you and protect you always.
Private Masturbation Is Not A Sin
Here is good news for many people: private solo masturbation, which
is
sexual stimulation and release by one's self alone, is not a sin.
There is no true Scriptural basis for calling it a sin. The idea that it
is a
sin is pure "doctrine of man," not based on the Bible.
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Sin is defined as "the transgression of God's law."
"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is
the transgression of the law." ( 1 John 3:4 KJV)
But private solo masturbation is not against God's law in any way, as I
will prove below.
Therefore it is not a sin.
SEARCHING SCRIPTURE TO SEE IF MASTURBATION IS PROHIBITED
First we find that the Ten Commandments do not prohibit masturbation.
Adultery is the only sexual activity prohibited by the Ten Commandments.
(See the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20.)
Next, we look at The Golden Rule and The Law Of Love to see if
masturbation is prohibited by them; and we find that masturbation is not
prohibited here, either.
The Golden Rule
"So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for
this is the law and the prophets." ( Matthew 7:12 RSV)
The Law Of Love
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself." ( Galatians 5:14 RSV)
So where, then, is masturbation prohibited?
Some people think that Genesis 38 prohibits masturbation, but it does not.
God's displeasure with Onan in Genesis 38 is based on Onan's disobedience
to the old law which required him to father a child by his dead brother's
wife. It has nothing to do with masturbation.
Emission of semen, however, was unclean under the law, and a man needed to
sacrifice two pigeons or two doves to make up for it. (See Leviticus 15.)
It was a minor offense, comparable to accidentally soiling your
undergarments.
However, the law regarding clean and unclean things was repealed by
God in Peter's vision, as described in Acts 10. So emission of semen
became clean, just as eating of pork became clean. This idea is confirmed
by Romans 14:14 , where Paul says, "I know and am persuaded in the Lord
that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who
thinks it is unclean."
I do not find masturbation listed anywhere as
an "abomination,"
or anywhere among the various lists of prohibited sexual
practices. (See Leviticus 18.) Adultery is prohibited; rape is
prohibited; incest is prohibited; homosexual sex is prohibited;
sex with animals is prohibited. But masturbation is not even mentioned.
If masturbation were really a sin, surely it would be mentioned somewhere
in the Bible. But it is not specifically prohibited anywhere in the Bible.
So let's turn now to general prohibitions, to see if masturbation falls
under any of the "catch-all" categories of offense.
The general disapproval of "fornication" (Greek PORNEIA)
does not apply, since solo masturbation does not involve two people
and does not involve sexual penetration. Even if you translate PORNEIA
as "sexual immorality" rather than "fornication," masturbation is still
not prohibited, because PORNEIA means, literally, "the things which
prostitutes do." And nobody pays a prostitute to masturbate herself
alone in private. So private solo masturbation is not prohibited either as
"fornication" or as "sexual immorality."
Perhaps it might be prohibited because it leads to "impure thoughts."
But this is too vague to enforce; plus the
masturbator might be thinking pure thoughts, such as imagining
marital sex with his wife who is out of town, or a possible future
wife-to-be, if he is not yet married. If you prohibit masturbation on the
basis of impure thoughts, then you would similarly need to prohibit all
advertising, because advertising sometimes leads to impure thoughts of
material greed.
Finally, it might be prohibited as a "lust of the flesh," but if it
is lustful, it is certainly no more lustful than the fleshly lust
a married man feels for his lawful wife, which is permitted.
So where, then, is the prohibition? It's not found in the Bible. "I find
no fault . . ," as Pilate said of Jesus.
Thus we see that the prohibition against masturbation is pure "doctrine of
man," the very
kind that Jesus speaks against.
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Matthew 15:9 (KJV)
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.
Mark 7:7 (KJV)
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.
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The simple fact is that private solo masturbation is permitted.
And if we reject it as a sin, when it is not, we go against the will of
God, Who gave it to us as a gift for our benefit and enjoyment.
"For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be
rejected if it is received with thanksgiving;" ( 1 Timothy 4:4 RSV)
Blessings to you in Jesus Christ our Lord,
Rev. Bill McGinnis <><
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