What does the Bible say about dating a married man?
Bible Topic · WEB
The Bible forbids romantic or sexual involvement with a married person, calling believers to honor marriage, flee adultery, and pursue holiness and repentance. Hebrews 13:4 teaches that marriage is to be held in honor and that God judges sexual immorality and adultery. Jesus says that lustful intent is sinful before God, not merely outward acts (Matthew 5:28). Marriage joins husband and wife in a covenantal one-flesh union (Genesis 2:24), and Scripture condemns divorce and remarriage that violate that covenant (Luke 16:18). Christians should therefore end such a relationship, seek forgiveness through Christ, establish wise boundaries, and pursue relationships marked by faithfulness and obedience.
Top passages, ranked by readers
Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible
- Hebrews 13:4
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33
Don't be deceived! "Evil companionships corrupt good morals."
- 1 Corinthians 7:2
But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
- Matthew 5:28
but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
- Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
- Luke 16:18
Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
- Malachi 2:16
For I hate divorce," says Yahweh, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with violence!' says Yahweh of Hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you don't deal treacherously.
- 1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee sexual immorality! "Every sin that a man does is outside the body," but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
- Ephesians 5:33
Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
- 2 Corinthians 6:14
Don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness?
Related topics
Go deeper
Ask Explain Bible AI about dating a married man and get a fuller answer from a Reformed theological perspective.
Ask what the Bible says about dating a married man