INTERNET PORNOGRAPHY

Hugo McCord

A gospel preacher has done such a good job in preaching “about the dangers of Internet Pornography” that the editor of a monthly magazine has asked him to write an article on that subject. A letter from him requests “a brief study of pornography and lust.”

The word “pornography” is a combination of two Greek words: “porne, a prostitute, and graphein, to write” (Webster). So, pornography etymologically is a writing about prostitution. The word now is used with an addition to its Greek background, for “originally” (Webster) pornography was a written “description of prostitutes and their trade” (W). Now “pictures” are added to the writings “intended to arouse sexual desire” (W).

The word “lust” in the Hebrew Old Testament is hamad with two meanings: “to desire, delight in in in a good sense” and “also in a bad sense, ... to covet” (Davidson, 263), “to lust” (Davies, 215). Hamad in a bad sense means an “inordinate, ungoverned, selfish. ... lustful desire” (Brown-Driver-Briggs, 326).

In a good sense hamad means a wholesome desire, as in Haggai 2:7: “the Desire of All Nations” (NKJV), “that is, the Messiah” (Davidson, 263). The bad sense is sexual craving, as Solomon spoke to a young man about an “evil woman” and “the flattering tongue of a seductress,” saying, “Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids” (Proverbs 6:24-25, NKJV).

The word “lust” in the Greek New Testament is epithumia, meaning “desire, longing, craving” (Thayer, 238), and, like hamad in the Old Testament, has “a good sense” and “a bad sense” (Bauer-Gingrich-Danker, 293).

In the good sense Jesus experienced epithumia: “I have deeply longed [Epithumia and epithumesa] to eat the Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). Of the bad meaning of epithumia Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5: “This is God’s will, even you dedication, that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you may know how to gain control over his own body in dedication and honor, not in passion of lust [epithumia], even as the Gentiles who do not know God.”

In the bad sense of epithumia John used the word three times in 1 John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world, neither the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world, the desire [epithumia] of the flesh, and the desire [epithumia of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions, is not of the Father, but is of the world. The world is passing away, and its desire [epithumia], but he who does God’s will abides forever.”

So “the dangers of Internet Pornography” were made evident 2000 years ago, especially in John’s words about “the desire [epithumia] of the eyes.” David Shannon wrote that the “lust of the heart is fueled when the eyes (Matthew 5:29) view pornography. ... on the Internet.”

Sexual lust in David’s heart was “fueled” by his eyes: “And it came to pass at eventide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, `Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’ And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her” (2 Samuel 11:2-4). If David had been blind his disgusting sin with Bath-sheba and his murder of her husband would not have happened. Oh! The power of eyes, for good or bad!

How thankful we are that God’s rebuke through Nathan the prophet brought sincere penitence: “my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). Fervently he prayed: “cleanse me from my sin” and “blot out all my iniquities” (Psalm 51:2, 9).

However, in his prayer David asked God to do something that he never does: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). “The prayer of the righteous has powerful results” (James 5:16), but prayer will never create a pure heart nor renew a right spirit in anybody. In God’s plan it is up to each person whether or not he has a pure heart and a right spirit. A pure heart is “broken and contrite,” but God does not do the breaking nor does he bring contrition. Now, as in David’s time, it is up to each individual Christian, not to God, whether or not he loves all Christians “fervently with a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22). It is up to each Christian, not to God, if he thinks on things that “are pure” (Philippians 4:8). God “has no pleasure in burnt-offerings,” and the only sacrifices he will accept “are a broken spirit” and “a broken and contrite heart” (Psalm 51:16-17). But God has never broken a spirit or a heart.

Now, back to David’s use of his eyes: it is no wonder that Jesus warned about the misuse of eyes: “You have heard that it was said, `You shall not commit adultery.’ But I assure you that any man who looks at a woman lustfully [epithumesai] has already in his heart committed adultery. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away, for it is better that one of your members be destroyed rather than your whole body be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:27-29). It would be better to undergo self-torture (exaireo, “tear out,” B-G-D, 271; “root out,” Thayer, 221) in removing eyes than to use those eyes in committing mental adultery. As valuable as are one’s eyes, misused eyes, Jesus said, will cause one to go to hell.

Internet Pornography is an instrument of Satan.

8-24-2000