Chapter 19: Myth—Sexuality Doesn’t Matter

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Lasciviousness – Jude 1:4 KJV

KJV “lasciviousness”

NKJV “lewdness” NAB “licentiousness” NAS “licentiousness” NJB “debauchery”

NIV “license for immorality [licentiousness]” NRSV “licentiousness” LIV “we can do what we like without fear” NLT “God’s forgiveness allows us to live immoral lives”

GW “excuse for sexual freedom”

To locate licentious, we can use the New American Bible translation and 2 Timothy 3:3 for a comparison of these different translations. The

word licentious does not appear in the KJV. Neither does licentiousness, but this word can be found in other Bible translations as indicated above.

Licentious – 2 Timothy 3:3 NAB

KJV “incontinent”

NKJV “without self control” NAB “licentious” NAS “without self control” NJB “profligates”

NIV “without self control” NRSV “profligates” LIV “think nothing of immorality” NLT “no self control”

GW “lack self control”

I suspect that the reason you’ll find these three archaic words defining sexual immorality used almost interchangeably is that they all get down to the singular issue of a lack of self-control. Even the King James Version’s

use of the word incontinent means a lack of self-control in the 1611 King’s English. Isn’t that where we started in this chapter? God commands us to exert self-control over our human sexuality. If we don’t, we are immoral!