About Masturbation?
Masturbation has been one of the most discussed issues among Christians.
Masturbation has been one of the most argued subject matter among theologians.
Masturbation has been the most strive that ignites conflict among believers to keep away from themselves.
Alot of theologians have given their views in regards to this. Some legalized it while others doesn't acknowledge it as a fact but rather fallacy, they said believers shouldn't conduct themselves in such act.
We have some theologians who say, nothing is wrong about it, except if done through or with lust. Calvin said, pornography is wrong, and any sexual drive movie is wrong, but nothing is wrong about masturbation outside this.
Luther said, pornography and masturbation is wrong and not something believers ought to conduct themselves in, same like majority of Protestants and Orthodox doesn't believe in it while others does.
Although have always stand to be positive to handle such subject matter with carefulness not to judge based on my emotions:
But no biblical reference strictly or directly spoke about masturbation. Many theologian claims this fact to justify themselves.
Reading severally from the bible, only moses spoke closely to the issue under the law of discharge. We will look into that later! This could be a point.
First and foremost we most understand sex as a gift from God for humanity to have in marriage for procreation and to satisfy desires.
Sexual desires is in every individual hormone. So naturally no one is a robot, everyone has sense of sexual need, whether being a virgin or not a virgin, it is a natural phenomenon.
Masturbation is different from homosexual. Some people mix the two together, they refer masturbation as homosexual, no! Homosexual is synonyms of "gay". Which has to do with same sex sleeping with same sex. Bisexual is having romance with the two sexes.
Masturbation is a gaining sexual desire or getting sexual desire by self without anybody involved with you in the practice.
Lets look at some verses in the bible. This verses is always misquoted as many uses to defend their intentions that masturbation is wrong. Those scriptures doesn't expressly talk about masturbation.
But expresses other things in its appropriate interpretation.
Starting from Onan.
Genesis 38:8-10.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.
The problem with Onan was not because he married his brother's wife and fulfill his marital duty according to the tradition of Isreal those days.
The problem with Onan wasn't because he did sexual withdrawal, or also called coitus interruptus. Sexual withdrawal in the sense means, the man is not ejaculating in the woman but rather ejaculating outside during intimacy so the woman doesn't conceive a baby.
This is no way called masturbation, because masturbation only have to be a person getting pleasure of himself or herself. And perhaps the coitus interruptus is a means of family planning in ages in which many of them those days observe as a means of family planning according to history. Despite they do have some natural protective means as we do today likewise. And many believers uses many means to as for family methods in preventing to have children since sex is not only made for procreation.
(1 Corinthians 7 )
3 Let the husband give to the wife what is right; and let the wife do the same to the husband. 4 The wife has not power over her body, but the husband; and in the same way the husband has not power over his body, but the wife. 5 Do not keep back from one another what is right, but only for a short time, and by agreement, so that you may give yourselves to prayer, and come together again; so that Satan may not get the better of you through your loss of self-control.
This bible verse Paul had quoted gave us good insight to the fact that, sex in marriage should be coherent and not only for procreation.
And we must understand that not every time one sleeps with his wife should always results to pregnancy.
The issue with Onan was not the coitus interruptus. The issue with Onan was basically because he never wanted to give the woman a child, because he knows those child will not be his. His intention was wrong not that the pull out that was wrong. Keep that to mind! And we must know or understand that, what Onan did with the woman wasn't masturbation.
In another case. Some referred masturbation to the incident of Sodom and Gomorrah. Reading in context, you will see clearly what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah wasn't masturbation. Except you are reading your own meanings to the scriptures.
What happened in Sodom and Gomorrah was the practice of homosexuality.
The sense of Sodom and Gomorrah was not only that they were involved in the practice of gay by legalising it, gay means, sleeping with same sex; but same like, imposing it on others gang rape - we shall see that clearly that the issue of Sodom and Gomorrah wasn't masturbation.
(Genesis 18 )
20 And the Lord said, Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is very great, and their sin is very evil,21 I will go down now, and see if their acts are as bad as they seem from the outcry which has come to me; and if they are not, I will see.
Note this... Sodom and Gomorrah was a city and not group of people called the Sodom and Gomorrah.
In that city you have the righteous people living in there and the bad people. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were referred to everyone living in that city.
The lord said, because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is very great and their sin is very evil.
- You have to keep note that the "Outcry" is not a magical or ghost cry, or a goat or dog cry, or an angelic cry, but rather it was the cry of the victims in which were raped. We will get there soon.
Note this victims were male, so they force their will to practice homosexual indecency with them. That is why the Lord said, " their outcry( cry of pains ) is very great. And their act of intimacy is very evil. (homosexuality by gang raping same sex).
Looking at the incident clearly:
(Genesis 19 )
1 And at nightfall the two angels came to Sodom; and Lot was seated at the way into the town: and when he saw them he got up and came before them, falling down on his face to the earth. 2 And he said, My masters, come now into your servant's house and take your rest there for the night, and let your feet be washed; and early in the morning you may go on your way. And they said, Not so, but we will take our night's rest in the street. 3 But he made his request more strongly, so they went with him into his house; and he got food ready for them, and made unleavened bread, of which they took. 4 But before they had gone to bed, the men of the town, all the men of Sodom, came round the house, young and old, from every part of the town;5 And crying out to Lot, they said, Where are the men who came to your house this night? Send them out to us, so that we may take our pleasure with them. 6 And Lot went out to them in the doorway, shutting the door after him. 7 And he said, My brothers, do not this evil. 8 See now, I have two unmarried daughters; I will send them out to you so that you may do to them whatever seems good to you: only do nothing to these men, for this is why they have come under the shade of my roof. 9 And they said, Give way there. This one man, they said, came here from a strange country, and will he now be our judge? now we will do worse to you than to them; and pushing violently against Lot, they came near to get the door broken in. 10 But the men put out their hands and took Lot into the house to them, shutting the door again.
We could see that they do gang raping towards same sex. They enforce on men of their sex to get their desires fulfilled!Clearly homosexuality through rape.
Our Lord brother, Brother Jude commented on this in the revelation of false teachers who weren't believers or saved.
(Jude 1: )
7. "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the towns near them, having like these, given themselves up to unclean desires and gone after strange flesh, have been made an example, undergoing the punishment of eternal fire."
Apostle Paul same like commented on the issue of Homosexual, same sex intimacy, at which people did in the past outside faith and under the law. Explaining how they were punished and were left by God to go after their minds. He was using this to explain the concept of salvation. He started the argument from Romans 1:16-17. That only faith of Christ only make one right with God and in which delivers one from the power of sin immediately they believe.
(Romans 1 )
18 For there is a revelation of the wrath of God from heaven against all the wrongdoing and evil thoughts of men who keep down what is true by wrongdoing;19 Because the knowledge of God may be seen in them, God having made it clear to them.20 For from the first making of the world, those things of God which the eye is unable to see, that is, his eternal power and existence, are fully made clear, he having given the knowledge of them through the things which he has made, so that men have no reason for wrongdoing:21 Because, having the knowledge of God, they did not give glory to God as God, and did not give praise, but their minds were full of foolish things, and their hearts, being without sense, were made dark. 22 Seeming to be wise, they were in fact foolish. 23 And by them the glory of the eternal God was changed and made into the image of man who is not eternal, and of birds and beasts and things which go on the earth. 24 For this reason God gave them up to the evil desires of their hearts, working shame in their bodies with one another: 25 Because by them the true word of God was changed into that which is false, and they gave worship and honour to the thing which is made, and not to him who made it, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it. 26 For this reason God gave them up to evil passions, and their women were changing the natural use into one which is unnatural: 27 And in the same way the men gave up the natural use of the woman and were burning in their desire for one another, men doing shame with men, and getting in their bodies the right reward of their evil-doing. 28 And because they had not the mind to keep God in their knowledge, God gave them up to an evil mind, to do those things which are not right; 29 Being full of all wrongdoing, evil, desire for the goods of others, hate, envy, putting to death, fighting, deceit, cruel ways, evil talk, and false statements about others; 30 Hated by God, full of pride, without respect, full of loud talk, given to evil inventions, not honouring father or mother, 31 Without knowledge, not true to their undertakings, unkind, having no mercy: 32 Who, though they have knowledge of the law of God, that the fate of those who do these things is death, not only go on doing these things themselves, but give approval to those who do them.
All we have be explaining since is homosexual or gay.
Now back to masturbation haven said that about homosexual:
Like I said, only Moses have similar comment to that under the law. This law are the law of "discharge ".
(Leviticus 15 )
13 And when a man who has a flow of discharge from his body is made clean from it, he is to take seven days to make himself clean, washing his clothing and bathing his body in flowing water, and then he will be clean. 14 And on the eighth day he is to take two doves or two young pigeons and come before the Lord to the door of the Tent of meeting and give them to the priest: 15 And they are to be offered by the priest, one for a sin-offering and one for a burned offering, and the priest will take away his sin before the Lord on account of his flow. 16 And if a man's seed goes out from him, then all his body will have to be bathed in water and he will be unclean till evening.17 And any clothing or skin on which the seed comes is to be washed with water and be unclean till evening. 18 And if a man has sex relations with a woman and his seed goes out from him, the two of them will have to be bathed in water and will be unclean till evening. 19 And if a woman has a flow of blood from her body, she will have to be kept separate for seven days, and anyone touching her will be unclean till evening. 20 And everything on which she has been resting, while she is kept separate, will be unclean, and everything on which she has been seated will be unclean. 21 And anyone touching her bed will have to have his clothing washed and his body bathed in water and be unclean till evening. 22 And anyone touching anything on which she has been seated will have to have his clothing washed and his body bathed in water and be unclean till evening. 23 Anyone touching anything on the bed or on the thing on which she has been seated, will be unclean till evening. 24 And if any man has sex relations with her so that her blood comes on him, he will be unclean for seven days and every bed on which he has been resting will be unclean. 25 And if a woman has a flow of blood for a long time, not at the time when she generally has it, or if the flow goes on longer than the normal time, she will be unclean while the flow of blood goes on, as she is at other normal times.26 Every bed on which she has been resting will be unclean, as at the times when she normally has a flow of blood, and everything on which she has been seated will be unclean, in the same way. 27 And anyone touching these things will be unclean, and his clothing will have to be washed and his body bathed in water and he will be unclean till evening. 28. But when her flow of blood is stopped, after seven days she will be clean. 29 And on the eighth day let her get two doves or two young pigeons and take them to the priest to the door of the Tent of meeting,30 To be offered by the priest, one for a sin-offering and one for a burned offering; and the priest will take away her sin before the Lord on account of her unclean condition. 31 In this way may the children of Israel be made free from all sorts of unclean conditions, so that death may not overtake them when they are unclean and when they make unclean my holy place which is among them. 32 This is the law for the man who has a flow from his body, or whose seed goes from him so that he is unclean;33 And for her who has a flow of blood, and for any man or woman who has an unclean flow, and for him who has sex relations with a woman when she is unclean.
Verse 13. Explains flow of semens discharge from a man not urinating. Talks about men discharge that leads to conception! Note: this doesn't involved sexual intimacy. Explains that the person will be ceremonially unclean. He spoke of the person bathing with water and take offering for sin sacrifice.
Verse 25-33. Same thing woman who is doing her monthly menstrual period is regarded as unclean according to the law. It is explained that the blood flow makes her unclean until she had bathe and likewise go to the priest to offer sin offering of sacrifice before she can be clean and death overtake.
So in this context, it is not possible to separate menstrual period of a woman from men discharge of semens with sex.
A lady told me last two years while she was afraid that she had a wet dream that she felt remorseful about that and she is a virgin. To look at it, she felt she had sinned but I made her understand that her sins have been forgiven her and she is washed. Those things are just to make her feel uncomfortable and see herself strange who is not right with God.
I told her to just agree only to have been forgiven forever once and for all time that her sins have been washed away and keep her day going. I told her she is not having a demon problem or is there any power from her father's house disturbing her from progressing in life. I made her understand she is delivered from the power of the enemy, devil and under God grace,under God's power.
I made her know Jesus already said she wouldn't walk in darkness. Haven said that she was fine.
Perhaps you dream and you have a flow of discharge as a man or woman or Perhaps you are doing your menstrual period, does that make you unclean? No!
I will still touch the aspect of masturbation.
Paul made us to understand that, Jesus is the end of the law. He fulfilled the law and abolished it. So, the law of discharge is no more effective as the New Covenant is concerned.
See this.
(Hebrews 9 )
11 But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things of the future, through this greater and better Tent, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this world,
12 And has gone once and for ever into the holy place, having got eternal salvation, not through the blood of goats and young oxen, but through his blood.13 For if the blood of goats and oxen, and the dust from the burning of a young cow, being put on the unclean, make the flesh clean:14 How much more will the blood of Christ, who, being without sin, made an offering of himself to God through the Holy Spirit, make your hearts clean from dead works to be servants of the living God?15 And for this cause it is through him that a new agreement has come into being, so that after the errors under the first agreement had been taken away by his death, the word of God might have effect for those who were marked out for an eternal heritage.16 Because where there is a testament, there has to be the death of the man who made it.17 For a testament has effect after death; for what power has it while the man who made it is living?18 So that even the first agreement was not made without blood.19 For when Moses had given all the rules of the law to the people, he took the blood of goats and young oxen, with water and red wool and hyssop, and put it on the book itself and on all the people,20 Saying, This blood is the sign of the agreement which God has made with you.21 And the blood was put on the Tent and all the holy vessels in the same way.22 And by the law almost all things are made clean with blood, and without blood there is no forgiveness.23 For this cause it was necessary to make the copies of the things in heaven clean with these offerings; but the things themselves are made clean with better offerings than these.24 For Christ did not go into a holy place which had been made by men's hands as the copy of the true one; but he went into heaven itself, and now takes his place before the face of God for us.25 And he did not have to make an offering of himself again and again, as the high priest goes into the holy place every year with blood which is not his;26 For then he would have undergone a number of deaths from the time of the making of the world: but now he has come to us at the end of the old order, to put away sin by the offering of himself.27 And because by God's law death comes to men once, and after that they are judged; 28 So Christ, having at his first coming taken on himself the sins of men, will be seen a second time, without sin, by those who are waiting for him, for their salvation.
This explains the new Covenant made us through Christ who is our eternal high priest and forgiveness of our sins in which makes us sinless and blameless before God and through whom when he shall appear, we will be seen the second time without sin. He had washed us and sanctified us that believed.
(1 Corinthians 6: )
"And such were some of you; but you have been washed, you have been made holy, you have been given righteousness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."
So you don't need to be washed or be made holy again because of your flows or because you had sex with your wife or husband. The truth is that, you have been washed and made holy forever, you have been given righteousness( given right standing) because of what Jesus did... So the laws are not applicable to you again.
(Hebrews 10 )
1 For the law, being only a poor copy of the future good things, and not the true image of those things, is never able to make the people who come to the altar every year with the same offerings completely clean.
2 For if this had been possible, would there not have been an end of those offerings, because the worshippers would have been made completely clean and would have been no longer conscious of sins?
3 But year by year there is a memory of sins in those offerings.
4 Because it is not possible for the blood of oxen and goats to take away sins.
5 So that when he comes into the world, he says, You had no desire for offerings, but you made a body ready for me;
6 You had no joy in burned offerings or in offerings for sin.
7 Then I said, See, I have come to do your pleasure, O God (as it is said of me in the roll of the book). 8 After saying, You had no desire for offerings, for burned offerings or offerings for sin (which are made by the law) and you had no pleasure in them, 9 Then he said, See, I have come to do your pleasure. He took away the old order, so that he might put the new order in its place.10 By that pleasure we have been made holy, by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for ever. 11 And every priest takes his place at the altar day by day, doing what is necessary, and making again and again the same offerings which are never able to take away sins. 12 But when Jesus had made one offering for sins for ever, he took his place at the right hand of God; 13 And has been waiting there from that time, till all who are against him are made a foot-rest for his feet. 14 Because by one offering he has made complete for ever those who are made holy. 15 And the Holy Spirit is a witness for us: for after he had said,16 This is the agreement which I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws in their hearts, writing them in their minds; he said, 17 And I will keep no more memory of their sins and of their evil-doings.
Should we legalize masturbation based on the facts been established about been cleaned from all manners of flows from the body?
This is the most difficult question.
But to answer in the knowledge of the epistle. I will keep quiet where the bible had kept quiet no other further explanations.
But essentially, I will rather say this to endorse on what Paul contemplated on which is marriage.
People should get married to have sex.
He spoke not to deprive so the devil doesn't tempt them.
He spoke about fiance not to touch each other until marriage. We could find all this in 1Corithians 7. And he never made mention of masturbation! He never made mention of blow job whether in marriage or outside marriage.
I think we understood this? Feed back please.
