Michael,
Just some additional thoughts here.
There certainly are consequences to adultery which extend beyond the violation of a fairly clear divine commandment as well as the damage done to both parties in a marriage, the family, and the broader community of the Church and society.
The Church will recognize that the innocent party who does not condone or tolerate the adultery may permanently separate (since continuing conjugal life may become too hard and in fact, the adulterous party might have abandoned it), using civil divorce to protect him/herself and any children. Still it always recommends forgiveness and reconciliation.
These were God’s own responses to a faithless Israel (see e.g. Hosea and the prophets in general). Perhaps a most significant additional consequence then arises in an obligation to be perfect (Matthew) and forgiving (Luke) like God.
Clearly the Church teaches that adultery and a subsequent civil divorce cannot create the right to enter a subsequent new marriage. That was the point of Jesus’ teaching in those Matthean passage. A valid and binding marriage does not become invalid or non binding by virtue of either civil divorce or adultery.
Again, do not rely on paraphrase to draw conclusions from scripture. It does not matter that you have read some similar renderings of “porneia.” If something is incorrect and false, it does not become correct and true by repetition. That something is new and modern is no evidence of it being true.
God bless you in your reflections.
PS. The “cannot not” in my posting above was a typo, and this should just read “cannot.”
