Monday, November 15, 2004

HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE BIBLE

HOMOSEXUALITY

There is legitimate controversy about all of the passages in the Bible which refer to homosexuality. None of the references concern female-female sex. While a number of passages condemn aspects of male-male sex, none of them specifically prohibit the practice itself.

For instance: The sin of Sodom was rape and inhospitality, not homosexuality.

Genesis 9: 4- 8 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-both young and old-surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."

In Leviticus, male-male sex is labelled "unclean", along with menstruation, childbirth, eating pork and shellfish, and a host of other natural but ritually taboo activities. These are not condemned for themselves, but for their violation of "the holiness code", which defined a Jew and distinguished him/her from the surrounding tribes.

Jesus wiped away these taboos with His new definition of purity:

"It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles... what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles, for out of the heart comes evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander; these are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile." (Matthew 15:10, 18-20)

While we know nothing of Jesus' sexuality, we do know that He was very close to his disciple John, who in his gospel always referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved".

At the Last Supper,

John 13: 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.

In some translations, John has his head on the breast of Jesus at this point. Physical intimacy and emotional warmth with another man are clearly acceptable to Jesus.

Does Paul, that stickler, condemn homosexuality? While calling homosexual acts "unclean" in Romans Chapter 1, he goes on to say:
"I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself." (Romans 14:14).

Paul is upholding the distinction made by Jesus between ritual uncleanliness and corruption of the heart, and saying that the former is NOT a sin.

What about the following?

Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders (OUTE MALAKOI OUTE ARSENOKOITAI) nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 1:9-10
"the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers, fornicators, sodomites (ARSENOKOITAI), slave traders, liars, perjurers and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching..."

These two passages are often quoted as proof of Paul's condemnation of homosexuals. But the references are to "homosexual offenders" and "sodomites", not homosexuals per se. The condemnation is for loose, exploitative, or otherwise immoral behavior, not for male-male sex itself. There is no passage that condemns loving sex acts between two men, or between two women, or homosexual marriage.


8 Comments:

At October 23, 2008 at 11:29 PM, Blogger chmabi6q said...

Once again... you did not do your research... The word for love in the verse you quoted that says "disciple whom jesus loved" is not refering to an intimate, sexual sort of love. (good thing we have the greek language to distinguish, so that people don't misrepresent the bible like you are) The word that is used for love is agapao... which is not the same as phileo... Agapao means love in a moral sense of the word, not in the sexual or even friendship way. You should think about examining some of your other passages and actually reading the full books.. I am done commenting on your postings, they are just too ignorant for me to waste my time critiquing...

 
At April 22, 2009 at 3:58 PM, Blogger dtumlinson said...

This is again people in denial. They do not and will not see what they do as wrong. They have chosen a path against god and what he has always taught, and they refuse to wake up and see what they have done to their lives, and unfortunately, most of them will pay for it after death, because heaven will not be open to them, no matter how nice they are, or what they did in their lives, because they went against god, and turned their backs on him, and people after death it is to late to change your mind. So, the question is, if you are right then you are safe, but if I and others like me are right, what will happen to your soul after death. That is a really big risk to take just to be quote "happy with yourselves" on this side of the divide. Their are more things more important than sex and a "life style" to consider.

 
At May 6, 2009 at 4:01 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Seems to me you're not looking at Romans 1:26 - 27 ... "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

 
At May 22, 2012 at 11:28 AM, Blogger Peggy Choate-Roberts said...

I'm surprised after reading this that none of you quoted Matt. 19:11-12. Historically (Research it), a eunuch can be a man who is castrated (by man), a man who has chosen to not be sexual for the church (catholic priests), AND those born that way (homosexuals). Most people just think it is a poor unfortunate male who got castrated. Not so. Jesus is very clear in his non-condemnation of Homosexuals or Eunuchs. He said to the Pharisees, with the disciples listening, "NOT EVERYONE WHO HEARS THIS WILL ACCEPT IT, for there are those who are made eunuchs by man, those who are eunuchs for the sake of the church, and those born eunuchs.To those to whom it has been given...it should be ACCEPTED". This is the ONLY place Jesus addresses homosexuality. He was busy with much more important problems on the earth.

 
At May 22, 2012 at 11:48 AM, Blogger Peggy Choate-Roberts said...

Christ also, BTW, condemns heterosexual relations when inappropriate as in the woman at the well having been caught WITH A MAN, and the stoning of the woman...and other hetero acts of illicit sex. Get the whole story... Jesus is against meaningless sexual promiscuity...but forgiveness is always there for the taking.

 
At May 22, 2012 at 11:53 AM, Blogger Peggy Choate-Roberts said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At May 22, 2012 at 11:57 AM, Blogger Peggy Choate-Roberts said...

All of the LAWS mentioned so frequently by do gooders are actually Jewish law. They were trying to proliferate their race thus declaring any sexual behavior other than that of having the intent to reproduce was forbidden. Otherwise, we would have to go with the unlawful and Biblically unacceptable act of masturbation. Now...how many of you Bible thumping haters would guilty of that??? ...hmmmm? Spilling your "seed" is not defined as just being with the same sex. Thus...it is unfruitful as far as reproducing to "lay with a person of the same sex" .... They wanted breeders breeding...This was NOT Jesus' words ...this was Jewish law. Just because Jesus was a Jew, does not mean the Laws of the land were represented by Him just as the stupidity of some of the white folk who condemn homosexuals represent me. I am the proud mother of a gay son and I stood with him and his true love, Mike at their wedding in San Francisco.

 
At May 22, 2012 at 12:15 PM, Blogger Peggy Choate-Roberts said...

Where did GOD himself say anything against homosexuality? If he wanted it to be such a MAJOR issue...and if He thought it was enough to keep people out of Heaven...it would have made the big 10!!! Doncha think?

So much of the surrounding verses is ignored when singling out the parts that condemn homosexuals. Come on people...look at your own life. The Bible says clearly not to judge. You are being a Pharisee when you condemn others. Jesus detested the Pharisees and said to "Judge not". ...hate is a cancerous condition. Better be careful what it does to your own soul.

 

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