Does Phone Sex Constitute Fornication?
No.
While this act is indeed sinful and in principle is condemned by God, it does not constitute the Bible’s definition/description of fornication (Matthew 5:31,32; Matthew 19:9; also see a list of acts of fornication in Leviticus 18). Fornication must involve the physical contact of one physical body (whether male to male, male to female, female to female or human to beast) with another physical body.
1 Corinthians 6:12-20: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits fornication sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Phone sex would fit in the sinful categories of lust, impurity and uncleanness (Romans 1:24; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; etc.). See our question and answer on lust not being adultery and other articles that define fornication.
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