The Bible and Homosexuality

In-between seminary and my first pastorate I worked a couple of jobs in the secular-corporate world. One time I was working at an event with a co-worker. He knew I was a Christian and going to be a pastor. We were talking about things and he asked me what denomination I was. I told him I was a baptist. His next statement to me floored me, "Baptist, that means that you have to hate gay people."

I spent the next 10 minutes explaining to him that his perception of me was wrong. I explained to him that I have a biblical mandate, and Christ-like example to love all people. I tried to explain that while many so called Christians had "hated gay people" that is not what our faith teaches. I was also clear that the Bible clearly states that homosexual behavior is a sin. This conversation also gave me the opportunity to share the gospel with him.

There are many threads that I could chase from that incident, but I just want to address what the scriptures plainly teach about homosexuality.

This issue has gotten a lot of attention lately as President Obama publicly announced that he was in favor of gay marriages(see here). President Obama even went so far as to claim that his Christian faith led him to that decision. The problem with that is the Christians scriptures, the Bible, do not support that conclusion.

There are many advocates of homosexual rights that want the scriptures to say something other than what they clearly do. Do not be fooled by their slight of hand, and hermeneutical gymnastics. There are some issues in scripture that are a bit unclear, homosexuality is not one of them.


Here is a brief summary of some of the relevant passages of scripture that deal with homosexuality.

Genesis 2:24
In the creation, before the fall, God commends marriage as one man and one woman.

Genesis 19 – Sodom and Gomorrah
There is a lot going on in this passage, but clearly the crowds lust for homosexual experience is condemned.


Leviticus 18:22
It is an abomination


Leviticus 20:13
It is detestable


1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Long list of sins that that cause people not to inherit the kingdom of God; including homosexuality


Romans 1:26-28
The condemnation of unnatural acts of homosexuality


Matthew 19:5
Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24 as the normative design of God for marriage
Commends one man and one woman
Eliminates no fault divorce
Eliminates same sex marriage
Eliminates any other deviant union



Summary
The Bible does not equivocate on the issue of homosexuality. The Bible, both the OT and NT, classify homosexuality as a sin. This alone is enough to assert that the Bible condemns homosexuality and, therefore, does not condone same sex marriage.
The case cannot be made from the Bible that scripture allows acceptance of homosexuality as anything other than a sin. In order to get around this, one would have to make an argument against the scripture, since the argument cannot be made for homosexuality. Some have done this very thing. In order to accept homosexuality, some say that the Bible is not to be taken literally, or that there are errors in the Bible, or that the Bible is antiquated and must be interpreted based on modern morality. All of those arguments can be made. What cannot be reasonably stated is that the Bible says that homosexuality is not a sin. That is clearly what the Bible says.






Some other good articles can be found at the following links:
Christian Research Institute



Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

Swingin' Headlines

This week I saw this article in the Dallas Morning News. Here is a blurb from the article. Click here to see the full article.

Cherry Pit swingers' club to sue Duncanville over ordinance

03:58 PM CST on Wednesday, December 12, 2007
By JAKE BATSELL / The Dallas Morning News

A Duncanville social club that has drawn fire for hosting swinger parties plans to file a lawsuit against the city this week, the club's attorney said late Saturday.
"It's about being able to enjoy a lifestyle that they're entitled to enjoy," said Ed Klein, who represents the Cherry Pit.
City officials approved an ordinance last month that carries a fine of up to $2,000 for operating and maintaining a sex club. The city contends such clubs pose a public nuisance.



I don’t know why I am surprised by stories like this. Scripture is clear that people will continue to pervert the blessings God has given us for their own selfish desires.

Here is what a “swinging club” does: a couple, husband and wife, go to this party where other couples come. Then the man puts his house keys in a bowl. Randomly, another woman draws out a key. Then that woman and the man who put the key in go and have sex. So, you have couples that swap out their spouse for the night to have sex with someone else’s spouse.

How degrading, immoral, and despicable. There was a time when this would have been a serious breaking of societies morals and ethics. It is a sad day that things like this are being celebrated.

It is not about freedom of expression, or consenting adults doing what they want to do. It is about sin, immorality and perversion. Sex is something beautiful that God has given us and is to be used the way He designed it: in the confines of a loving marriage relationship.

"“You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14, ESV)

"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." (1 Corinthians 6:18, ESV)

"And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin," (Matthew 6:27-28, ESV)