Treatment of Masturbation in the OT and NT and the Church of today is much different. Masturbation is condemned a lot more by the church then by either the Bible OT or the NT.

The Bible OT had some very strict rules and harsh penalty. But sex in marriage, masturbation and wet dreams were treated the same, just wash up afterward and no need of any sin offering at all. Adultery, fornication , rape, bestiality, homosexuality, worship of other Gods, etc were treated the same, with a death penalty and a sin offerings. There is a big difference from just washing up vs. a death penalty. Even a women's period had a more serve penalty then masturbation.

Remember even Moses had to take off his sandals because he was on Holy ground. Is wearing sandals a sin? No. But it just showing the holiness of God. Even wearing mixed cloths fabric was bad. Also if you did not bury human excrements was unclean. Many things were unclean. Many foods were unclean, need for circumcision for a sign. Not keeping the Sabbath had a death penalty at times.

In the OT they did not put people to death for thinking about sexual enjoyment of fantasies with the opposite sex. They would have to kill everyone. Also in Matt 5:28 Jesus is talking to a man or men who in their heart their goal was to commit the act of adultery not just a fantasies of sexual enjoyment.

In the Bible NT, starting after Christ died on the cross, many things changed from OT Age of law to the Age of Grace. Some of Jesus' words were in regards to the law and other times he was referring to the coming age of grace, and other times he was talking to those who opposed him. Many of the very strict rules changed, a lot more liberties, no more ceremonies laws needed, we have a new high priest in Jesus, no need of circumcision. Sabbath day changed and many other changes.

Acts 10:11 He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. 12 In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. 13 Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them." 14 "Never, Lord," Peter declared. "I have never in all my life eaten anything forbidden by our Jewish laws." 15 The voice spoke again, "If God says something is acceptable, don't say it isn't." 16 The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was pulled up again to heaven. 17 Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found the house and stood outside at the gate.

In Acts 10:15 God declared to Peter that unclean things to be clean, this includes many things which would also include masturbation. In Acts 10:17 Peter was doubting what it meant, and in Act 10:20 (11:12) he was told doubt nothing. One example was in Acts 10:28 where it was unlawful to eat with Gentile, that also was made clean and lawful.

But there is a great misunderstanding when the church puts masturbation in the same camp as adultery, fornication, rape, bestiality, homosexuality, worship of other Gods, etc., when the OT and NT never did this at all. When the Guilt of masturbation in the church of today is much greater then in the OT strict laws. OT had the same treatment for sex in marriage, masturbation, and wet dreams. Masturbation should be treated the same as sex in marriage and wet dreams. As far a fantasies about sexual desires, men in the OT and now are both human male with similar human desires. Fantasies are the same during masturbation, and during sex in marriage and during wet dreams. We need to know the difference between normal natural healthy sexual fantasies and harmful fantasies that may lead to harm and sin.

Matt 5:28 is misunderstood and taken out of context by most. As Jesus moved around the crowd he could see peoples' hearts and he spoke to there heart. Later he states that from the heart comes evil, adultery, fornication , rape, bestiality, homosexuality, worship of other Gods etc, not what goes into the body that defiles a man. This would also include the eyes as well as the mouth.

The man he was talking to in the crowd wanted to commit the act of adultery and was planning to do so when the opportunity came up. His goal and purpose was to commit the act of adultery. So when this man looked at a women and lusted his lust was one of wanting to commit the act of adultery, not just a sexual fantasies that the women would be a great sex partner if he was married to her.

This is much different from the Godly man who is seeking to follow and obey God and then has a sexual fantasies of having enjoyable sex with another person of the opposite sex. He may fantasy that it would be enjoyable to be wanted by the other person sexually etc, but when it would come to actually setting it as a goal and planning in his mind to commit the act of adultery he would cast down this imagination as being wrong. Fantasying about sexual enjoyments and fantasying about doing and planning how he could do the actual act of adultery is very much different. Desiring sexual enjoyment is normal and healthy but desiring and planing out to disobey God is different.

This page was last updated on: November 21, 2001