What does the Bible say about the husband and the wife who are separated for a long period, and agreed to satisfy their sexual desires with other persons?

Question:

The husband of my wife’s colleague is working abroad in Spain and for some years they have agreed that as long as both of them are far away they can go to prostitutes to satisfy their sexual needs and thus be able to withstand the distance in easier. What do you think about this?

The very fact that some people got to think this way, it is an occasion of great sorrow … In the Decalogue there are two commandments that relate directly to sexual behavior. The 7th commandment says:

You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)(NASB)

Adultery is any sexual relationship outside of marriage in which at least one side belongs to the marriage covenant. The 10th commandment of the Decalogue says:

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house;you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Exodus 20:17)(NASB)

God’s prohibition to have sexual relations outside of marriage does not refer to the act itself, but also to the thought. One is allowed neither to think or covet sexually in his heart another person except that persons which belongs to his or her marriage vow.

In the book of the prophet Malachi it is described the apostasy of the people of that time. They were arguing with God and thinking that their opinions were right. This is one of the reasons with which God charged them, and on which they chose to argue. I will read the entire passage:

This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking agodlyoffspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one dealtreacherously against the wife of your youth. ForI hatedivorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “andhim who covers his garment withwrong,” says the LORD of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously. (Malachi 2:13-16)(NASB)

The husband and the wife which you have written about, by making that decision, they chose to mock God’s covenant and will bear the punishment. Marriage is not their invention, but it was instituted by God to represent an image of heaven on earth. By the decision to go to prostitutes this husband and his wife agreed  along to profane marriage which was instituted by God, and He said about it:

Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled;for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)(NASB)

I advise and urge the husband and the wife who have done so, to hasten to repent before God and stop the evil they practice. Let them return to each other and live well together, fulfilling each other’s sexual needs, because God said:

But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, andcome together again so thatSatan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (1 Corinthians 7:2-5)(NASB)

Translated by Felicia Rotaru