What does the Bible actually say about homosexuality?
By Kori Ashton
ALL COPYRIGHTS RESERVED

We could go the long, in-depth route here giving a dissertation of the lengthy, philosophic controversy, but, there’s no reason to go the “wordy” route with a bunch of “Thee’s, Thou’s and Thine’s” and clutter God’s simple truths with religious rhetoric. Nevertheless we shouldn’t just try to find the Cliff’s Notes on Scripture either. We hope that this article is a good balance.

Understanding the Scriptures does not begin with church tradition and dogma but with the Biblical texts themselves. People misunderstand and misquote the Scriptures for several reasons – one main one – they don’t read the Bible for themselves. They swallow any form of “truth” that sounds reasonable to them and then spew it out in ignorance. Another explanation is that if they do read the Word – they don’t “understand” it.

Knowing what the Bible not only says but means is important so that you do not allow anyone to dictate your walk with Christ, or get you off track. When you stand before the Lord - you will stand before Him alone. You, only, will be accountable for your actions. It's a serious responsibility to be a Christian. So dig into the Bible for yourself and challenge your heart to find the truth - not YOUR truth but God's truth for you. The Word says to seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened.

That all being said - Let’s dig into the Word of God to see His viewpoint on homosexuality.

Did you know that the words "homosexual" and "homosexuality" do not appear in the Bible-at least they are absent from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. Those “labels” were added in the late 19th century. The authors of the Bible had little or no comprehension of same-sex committed relationships. Their languages used back then had no words for these concepts.The idea of sexual orientation was not a part of human thinking during Biblical culture.

However the controversy happens because out of over 30,000 verses in the Bible there are two writers that mention same-sex acts in six different passages and they are condemned every time. These passages are crucial to our understanding of how we should view sex and how we should treat others.

So let’s not just “read” these passages – Let’s really understand them.

Understanding Scripture requires a few steps. It is essential to learn how the Biblical authors expressed themselves during the time of their writings and how things related in terms of their culture. Look behind the scenes. Ask questions like:

Who wrote the Scripture and who was he writing to? What is the main topic? When was it written and what was the culture of the day? Why did he write it?

Looking behind the scenes will help you understand why God even wanted these things recorded and how they can apply to us today.

So the first passage that addresses same-sex acts is in the first book of the Bible – Genesis. Take time out to read it >

1st Passage: Genesis 19 Specifically 1-11

Now look behind the scenes >>

From: Moses –who had been born a Hebrew slave, became a pampered Egyptian prince, a murderer, and then a desert tribesman who led the Nation of Israel out of slavery. You might have heard of him from the Ten Commandments or the parting of the Red Sea.

To: Genesis is a part of what’s called the “Pentateuch” which is a fancy name for the first five books of the Old Testament. In the Jewish faith it would be called the “Torah.” This is a Hebrew history book written for the Jewish people covering from the creation story through the Nation of Israel preparing for their exile as told in the following book Exodus.

Re: Moses wrote this book wanting to remind the Nation of Israel where they came from so that they could understand where they were going. Through stories of many people who loved and quarreled, believed and doubted, married and had children, experience sin, consequence and grace, Moses traces their roots to a single family and even back to the foundation of the planet.

This passage tells the story of God holding the people of Sodom accountable and it very clearly shows the consequences of their rebellion and persistent sinful lives.

Common Misunderstanding: God destroyed the city because of homosexuality.

Truth: The men of the city of Sodom wanted to commit a brutal, homosexual gang rape. We simply cannot condemn a sexual orientation because of a rape. There is a heterosexual rape described in the Judges 19:1-30. Shall we condemn heterosexuality because of that rape? This passage clearly teaches us that rape is evil and certainly not an acceptable form of God’s idea of sex.

2nd & 3rd passages: Leviticus 18 & 20 Specifically 18:22 & 20:13
Take time out to read it >

Now look behind the scenes >>

From: By the time he wrote Leviticus, Moses’ attitude toward God had moved from ignorance and terror to fascination and love. He had tried being a brave freedom fighter on his own terms and had ended up committing murder – oops. When those utopian fantasies were far behind him and he only wanted to be left alone to raise sheep for his father-in-law. God sent him to be his people’s great liberator but this time on God’s terms.

To: Leviticus (when translated means “The LORD spoke”) is the 3rd book of the Pentateuch, and is also known by the name it is given by Jewish rabbis, "the Priest's Manual." Moses was writing to the people of Israel and specifically their priests.

Re: Leviticus is a narrative pause in the story of the Israelites on their way, saved out of Egypt, settling in the land of Canaan. God literally sets in place a very detailed moral standard of do’s and don’ts for His people. Magic was popular in their day. Casting spells was a common thing in their culture. In Canaan, where the Israelites were heading, things were even more heathen (sinful). Canaanite gods liked having orgies that included male-male sexual idol worship and they also liked having children sacrificed to them. This book would become a direct guide for God’s people challenging them to live a life of holiness.

These two scriptures Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13 are explicitly against sex between two men for the sake of idol worship. They are also just a glimpse of a very detailed, very long list of laws found in the Levitical Law which also contains approximately 600 other laws like “don’t get tattoos, don’t sacrifice your children to false gods, don’t have sex with a close relative or animals, and don’t trim your beard.” While these things might seem like silly rules, God wasn’t being nit-picky. He wanted His children to be holy and set apart from the Canaanites and not to fall into their idol worshipping ways.

So why don’t we keep all of these ancient, holy laws today? That’s just it – they were laws set in place for a certain people in a certain cultural situation. These were a people without a government at that time. Thousands of years later – our culture has changed completely and so have our laws. For instance, our laws today say that you shouldn’t have multiple wives; that tattoos are legal for those over 18; and that it’s okay to be homosexual. Also as the New Testament shows us, Jesus came to fulfill the law and to sum up the entire law in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Galatians 5:13-14 (New International Version)

13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Common Misunderstanding: All male-male sex is condemned by God.

Truth: These men were celebrating their false gods and worshiping them with promiscuous sexual acts. These passages clearly teach us to be set apart and be different from the world. These passages clearly teach us to be set apart and be different from the world. We should live holy lives before God and not have male-male sex for idol worship.

Those are the three areas in the Old Testament that address same sex sinful acts. Let’s look into the New Testament.

4th Passage Romans 1 Specifically 19-29
Take time out to read it >

Now look behind the scenes >>

From: Unlike the disciples who had traveled with Jesus, Paul was an intellectual. He had been schooled by the rabbis and had also been exposed to Greek logic. Before his miraculous conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul (then known as Saul) had been a persecutor of Christian. However God revealed His Truth to Paul radically changing his life and ultimately changing countless lives as God told him to go witness to the Gentiles – that means anyone who didn’t identify as a Jew. In all, Paul wrote 13 books in the New Testament that became premier documents of Christian theology.

To: Just like the title suggests this is a letter written to Romans – from Rome, Italy. Paul had never even seen Rome when he wrote to the several hundred Christians there. He had met a few of them traveling through other cities, but he wanted to introduce himself and his thinking to those who had only heard the gossip about him. Some of them were Jews who thought of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. Many were non-Jews sorting out what Jesus had to do with them. All debated how a follower of Jesus ought to live, and they were eager to hear Paul’s account first hand.

Re: Paul’s mind is so open to the wonderful plan of God’s salvation for mankind. Throughout this letter, Paul wrestles with questions about the role of Jews and Gentiles in the plan of God, the relationship between grace and the Law, the effects of Christ's death and resurrection, and even with his own identity as a Jewish Christian and as God's apostle to the Gentiles. In his effort to deal with these profound, thorny issues, Paul crafts a very complex argument and presents to his readers a foundation on Christian living and salvation as a gift of God that comes through grace and through having faith in Jesus Christ.

In verse 24 we see that these people Paul describe have taken up idol worship once again worshiping created things instead of the One True God. The specific verses of 26 – 28 tell us that “Refusing to know God” people became sexually confused and began to abuse one another and defile each other. They were filled with sinful lust and they had no love. The passage continues to say that because of their disobedient hearts toward God, they turned to murder and all sorts of hurtful things.

Common Misunderstanding: Same gender sex is a sin.

Truth: Ignoring God leads to a downward spiral. This passage clearly teaches us that any relationship outside of God that is full of abuse and no love will destroy you.

5th Passage 1 Corinthians 6 Specifically 9-10
Take time out to read it >

Now look behind the scenes >>

From: This is another one of Paul’s 13 books (letters) found in the New Testament. The more Paul came to grips with Jesus the more he wanted to take the Message to the very “pagans” he’d been raised to avoid. He asked God which parts of the traditional law that he’d been raised in were moral absolutes and which ones were cultural preferences that he could set aside when relating to non-Jews like the Corinthians.

To: This This is a letter to the church in the port city of Corinth. This city was full of rich merchants and sailors all looking for a good time. Corinth’s temple of Aphrodite housed a thousand priestess-prostitutes. Corinthians had a reputation in the ancient world as an unruly, hard-drinking, sexually promiscuous bunch of people.

Re: As Paul began to share God’s truth with them, the people of Corinth found salvation through faith in Jesus Christ but they still had their old sinful and idolatrous ways about them. So Paul wrote this letter challenging their moral standards in hopes to bring them in line with God’s ways.

Paul seems frustrated at the church for their “higher-than-thou” attitude toward God’s commandments. In this letter he included other problems too like their attitudes toward the apostles (4:1-21), incestuous behavior (5:1-5), and lawsuits between Christians (6:1-9). Then Paul deals with other sexual sins (6:9-11). He talks about the people who ignore God and abuse each other and how they will not be a part of the kingdom of God. Homosexual is listed in among adulterers, prostitutes and a few others.

This is the first time we see the actual word "Homosexual." But if the word “homosexual” was added to the Bible later – what was the original word used? There were two Greek words mentioned in this Scripture malakoi and arsenokoitai. Good luck pronouncing those – and no one is definite about their meanings either. There wasn’t a word in their dialect for homosexuality. They are thought to have meant effeminate or male prostitutes. Could this again be Paul referencing the cultic temple or shrine prostitutes he had seen who had male-male sex for idol worship? It certainly doesn’t reference a homosexual who has a heart for God and follows His teachings.

In verses 16-20 Paul continues teaching on sex telling us that sex is more than just skin touching skin. He asks them to consider the concept of the “two becoming one” and how sex is a spiritual mystery. He tells us “to not pursue any kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever – that kind of sex can never ‘become one’.” This book also contains the “love chapter” (13) that explains what love should look like and how we should love one another.

Common Misunderstanding: The Scripture uses the label “homosexual” condemning anyone engaged in same-gender sex.

Truth: We must not misuse our liberties in Christ. This passage clearly teaches us that sex is a beautiful intimate mystery designed by God and meant to be shared in a loving, committed relationship. Other Scriptures tell us that sex should be only shared in marriage.

6th and final passage 1 Timothy 1 Specifically 8-10
Take time out to read it >

Now look behind the scenes >>

From: Paul’s ministry was a team sport, not a solo performance. He joined with Barnabas on his first missionary trip and later took on other such as Silas and Luke. Timothy and Titus helped train new believers and carried letters back and forth between Paul, who was imprisoned several times, and the churches his team had planted. Paul loved these guys like they were his own sons.

To: This letter however was written to Timothy. Timothy was raised with his Jewish mother’s religion, but not circumcised in deference to his Greek father. An outsider among both Jews and Greeks in his Galatian town, the teenage Timothy embraced Paul’s news of Jesus, left home to travel with Paul, and even endured circumcision to become fully Jewish. Ouch!

Re: Paul had charged Timothy to stay in a city called Ephesus and become the leader of the church there. In this letter we see Paul encouraging and guiding the development of just such leadership. What he had learned so thoroughly himself, he was now passing on, and showing them, in turn, how to develop a similar leadership in local congregations. His consistent theme is Godly leadership in the face of internal opposition.

In verses 8 – 10 Paul again addresses that people are ignoring God and defying His authority listing several things that include murderers, liars, and anyone who perverts sex. It depends on what translation you read as to whether or not the word “homosexual” is included in that list but again the original Greek language doesn’t have a word for this and the closest we can come to it in our modern English is “male prostitute.” This would also be consistent with Paul’s other writings referencing the temple male prostitutes.

Common Misunderstanding: The Scripture uses the label “homosexual” condemning anyone engaged in same-gender sex.

Truth: Living as a Christian requires obedience to God in all we do. Leaders especially must not assume to be above God’s law. This passage clearly teaches us that we are in need of moral guidance and that left to our own agenda we quickly get off track.

Conclusion

The Bible is a beautiful, powerful collection of stories, letters and poetry authored by human hands and inspired of God. In the Old Testament Moses was used by God to give us the law that should, as Christians, set our moral compass. After the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, Paul in the New Testament, shows us that we have come into a “new day.” While we are to hold the laws as God’s authority, we should now embrace salvation through faith and grace – not works.
Nowhere in the Bible is a loving, committed same sex relationship condemned or approved. While the Bible is silent on sexual orientation (LGBT), it still remains our authority on sex. The Word of God teaches very directly about sinful, abusive sex and challenges us to abstain from those hurtful actions. It teaches us how we are to love each other and to live our lives to please God.
Ultimately, Jesus longs for a relationship with us. That’s why we were created. If the Word if God is silent on the subject of homosexuality, why is the church so loud about it? Seems just as in the Bible days the church, as a whole, still has their “higher-than-thou” attitude and spends too much time in turmoil with each other.

Embracing the label of “Christian” should move us to be a righteous example of God’s truth and challenge us all as believers to get back to the basics of loving each other and pursing Christ! We are surrounded every day with people who will die never knowing Jesus as their Savior. Our passion should be to live our lives as a daily example of God’s grace and redeeming power, growing closer to Him as we follow His ways.

More Helpful Tips on Studying the Scriptures >>
Resources: The Bible, The Message Bible, www.americanbible.org, www.biblegateway.com

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