The Third-party

[gavin52]

Given a current thread dealing with infidelity it’s brought up another question. How guilty is the third-party in an adulteress affair?

My take is that if that third-party is aware that the partner is married he/she is very guilty. Why? Because in such a case the third-party willingly takes advantage of the situation for his/her own wants instead of guiding their partner down the right path.

 

[WindyFire12]

I blame the third-party heavily. If it wasn’t for them adultery would not happen. They take advantage of a person in their time of need. A time when someone’s spouse is vulnerable and more likely to sin. Instead of being a true friend and helping that person back on their feet they selfishly use that person as an object. They disregard that this is someone else’s wife or husband. That this person may be someone’s father or mother. They disregard that helping that person be unfaithful could cause irrepairable harm to a family. They have absolutely no respect for the marriage covenant. If they, themselves, are married they have total disregard for their own marriage. Likewise, if they have a boyfriend/girlfriend they have disregard for them. Adultery usually takes place with someone you know, a friend. A friend that leads you in to unfaithfulness when you’re vulnerable is not a friend. Never has been and never will be.

 

[Mt19_26]

I tend to believe that the third-party is more culpable if they are aware situation. For example, if they know:

• the person is vulnerable (thus take advantage of them)
• a husband/wife will be hurt (don’t care about this happening)
• a family’s future is threatened (again, they don’t care)

If that third-party is a friend of the spouse with which he/she commits adultery with that’s even worse. The person was no friend to begin with.

In any case, the third-party sins whether or not they know the situation. Adultery is one of the worst sins anyone can commit.