Except?

God has never created a commandment and then created an exception to it.

Examples:

1. He did not say: "Thou shalt not commit adultery"...."except when this occurs".

2. He did not say: "Thou shalt not covet"....."except for this instance."

3. He did not say: "Thou shalt not have any other gods before me"....."except when this happens."

4. He did not say: "Let not man put asunder"...."except for this cause" either.

So.......exactly which law is "except it be for fornication" the exception to?

God's law says: One lawful marriage covenant until death, no divorce, no adultery, no coveting another man's wife.

He did not create any exceptions to any of these immutable laws.

If mankind had followed God's laws from the very beginning we would still be in the garden of Eden...and among other things....there would certainly be no divorce courts, no adulteries and no "except it be for fornication" clauses.

But we live in a fallen world where: 1Jn 2:16 ...the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Jesus did not "invent" the exception clause to circumvent God's laws. The "except it be for fornication" was a reminder to mankind and the "loop-hole minded" pharisees that a man-created divorce was only allowable by God in a specific situation that is governed by the immutable God-given law of "lawful covenant marriage and the one flesh relationship."

The Bible cannot be correctly interpreted by man-originated lexicons and dictionaries.

The inspired Word is the only trusted source to interpret the inspired Word. The Bible is a lawbook (book of covenants) written by the Lawgiver's definitions, not ours.

2Ti 3:16,17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The answer to all the questions is found in this final distilled Scriptural definition:

1Co 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

In other words: To avoid fornication, let every man have his own "lawful marriage covenant", and let every woman have her own "lawful marriage covenant".

A single biblically eligible man and a single biblically eligible woman who enter in a lawful marriage covenant (approved by God) cannot commit fornication. The scripture reveals that the lawful marriage covenant is protection AGAINST fornication.

The scriptures prove that any infidelity against that lawful marriage covenant by either party is adultery. And adultery is not grounds for divorce. There are no grounds for divorce in a lawful marriage covenant because God said: "Let not man put asunder" One Flesh.

It is all about the Covenant.

Then exactly WHO is Jesus speaking about when He (the Lawgiver) said, "except it be for fornication" ?

Certainly not the man and the woman bound in a lawful marriage covenant since their One Flesh cannot be put asunder.

Jesus is speaking of the single person who has entered into an unlawful marriage contract with an adulterer because God does not recognize this unlawful union.

Thus, the single person in this unlawful union is allowable by scripture to seek a man-created divorce to undo the man-created marriage contract...and with the blessing of God...be free to fulfill the scriptural commandment of finding their own "single eligible" person to covenant with in a lawful marriage covenant.

1Co 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

(Adulterers are instructed to undo the unlawful contract and to remain unmarried, or be reconciled with their lawfully covenated spouse.)

A single person is the only one who can commit fornication and adultery at the same time by benefit of being in an unlawful marriage contract with an ineligible adulterer.