New Testament

The New Testament writers sometimes used euphemistic Greek terminology. For example:

• “to know”—from the Greek word γινώσκω (ginōskō) (e.g., Luke 1:34), which had approximately the same semantic range as יָדַע (yada')

• “to touch”—from the Greek word ἅπτω (haptō) (e.g., 1 Cor 7:1)

• “natural use”—from the Greek term φυσική χρῆσις (physikē chrēsis) (a hapax legomenon; Rom 1:26, 27), which distinguished heterosexual from homosexual activity. New Testament writers viewed sexuality as an action, not as an orientation. They describe homosexual activity as “unnatural” (παρὰ φύσιν, para physin; Rom 1:27).

The New Testament writers also used more explicit sexual terminology, including:

• “sexual immorality”—From the Greek word πορνεία (porneia), which is used broadly to denote any forbidden sexual act, such as adultery, fornication, or prostitution. The word can also refer to the offspring of sexually immoral deeds (compare John 8:41). In the Septuagint, porneia translates a variety of more explicit Hebrew terms, such as זָנָה (zanah, “to fornicate”), זְנוּת (zenuth)/זְנוּנִים (zenunim, “fornication”), or זֹנָה (zonah, “prostitute”).

• “to commit adultery”—from the Greek word μοιχεύω (moicheuō), which refers to the transgression of relational boundaries inherent in porneia, and can also be used figuratively of unfaithfulness to God (Jas 4:4). In the Septuagint, moicheuō generally translates the Hebrew נָאַף (na'aph, “to commit adultery”).