Topical Bible: Disease of the Sexual Organs

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In the biblical context, diseases of the sexual organs are often associated with impurity and are addressed within the broader framework of ceremonial cleanliness and moral conduct. The Bible provides various references to such conditions, primarily in the Old Testament, where they are treated with both medical and spiritual significance.

Old Testament References

The primary biblical text addressing diseases of the sexual organs is found in the Book of Leviticus. Leviticus 15 provides detailed instructions regarding bodily discharges, which include conditions affecting the sexual organs. The chapter outlines the procedures for maintaining ceremonial cleanliness and the necessary offerings to restore purity. Leviticus 15:2-3 states, "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any man has a bodily discharge, the discharge is unclean. This uncleanness is from his discharge, whether his body allows the discharge to flow or blocks it."

The text continues to describe the implications of such conditions, emphasizing the need for isolation and purification rituals. These laws served not only as health regulations but also as a means to teach the Israelites about holiness and the separation from impurity.

Moral and Spiritual Implications

In addition to the physical aspects, diseases of the sexual organs are often linked to moral and spiritual lessons. The Bible frequently associates sexual immorality with spiritual unfaithfulness. For instance, in the prophetic literature, Israel's unfaithfulness to God is metaphorically described using the language of sexual immorality and its consequences. This metaphor extends to the physical realm, where diseases can be seen as a manifestation of spiritual corruption.

The account of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 serves as a stark warning against sexual immorality. Although the text does not explicitly mention diseases of the sexual organs, the destruction of these cities is often interpreted as a divine judgment against sexual sin, which can include the natural consequences of such behavior, including disease.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not explicitly address diseases of the sexual organs in the same manner as the Old Testament, it continues to uphold the principles of sexual purity. The Apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently admonishes believers to flee from sexual immorality. In 1 Corinthians 6:18-19 , Paul writes, "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God?"

This passage underscores the importance of maintaining bodily purity as a reflection of spiritual integrity. The New Testament encourages believers to honor God with their bodies, implying that diseases resulting from sexual immorality are contrary to the sanctified life God desires for His people.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near Eastern context, diseases of the sexual organs were not only a personal affliction but also a communal concern. The Israelites, living in close-knit communities, had to adhere to strict purity laws to prevent the spread of disease and maintain the sanctity of the community. These laws also distinguished the Israelites from surrounding nations, reinforcing their identity as God's chosen people.

The biblical approach to diseases of the sexual organs reflects a holistic view of health, encompassing physical, moral, and spiritual dimensions. The emphasis on purity and holiness serves as a reminder of the covenant relationship between God and His people, where obedience to His laws is paramount.

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Leviticus 15:1
And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
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Leviticus 22:4
What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or has a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoever touches any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goes from him;
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Numbers 5:2
Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that has an issue, and whoever is defiled by the dead:
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Deuteronomy 23:10
If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chances him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:
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Library

Sex Education for Boys and the Sunday School
... boy should learn something of the anatomy and physiology of the male sexual organs. ...
the so-called social evil and the forms of venereal disease would certainly ...
/.../alexander/the boy and the sunday school/xv sex education for boys.htm

Of the Evil of Lust, --A Word Which, Though Applicable to Many ...
... to Many Vices, is Specially Appropriated to Sexual Uncleanness ... the mind the lustful
excitement of the organs of generation ... and honor, not in the disease of desire ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 16 of the evil of.htm

section iv.
... is required not onely a symmetry and proper disposition of Organs, but a ... then to
be sawed in pieces by the grating torture of a disease. ... [77] Sexual intercourse ...
//christianbookshelf.org/browne/religio medici/section iv.htm

Evil Habits and Injurious Indulgences.
... "It tends to debilitate the organs, it weakens ... his creatures, male and female, a
passion for sexual connection ... a lust of the flesh that brings disease upon the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter xiv evil habits and.htm

City of God
... Of the Shame Which Attends All Sexual Intercourse ... He Sinned But Infected It with
the Disease of Lust ... and Obedient in Paradise, the Generative Organs Should Have ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/

The Perpetual virginity of Blessed Mary.
... show that it must be referred to sexual intercourse, and ... giving birth to God by the
organs of generation ... cut down by war, snatched away by disease, swallowed up ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/the perpetual virginity of blessed.htm

On the Soul and the Resurrection.
... penetrates with its own impulses and moves whither it will all those organs of
sensation ... and telling him of her peculiar pain; in fact, that the disease in the ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/on the soul and the 2.htm

Fourth Tractate. Problems of the Soul (2).
... of need are present all over it " there is possibly some doubt as to the sexual
impulse, which, however, it may suffice to assign to the organs by which it ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/fourth tractate problems of the.htm