What the bible says about being gay
What the New Testament Says about Homosexuality
The Fourth R Volume 21-3 May-June 2008
Mainline Christian denominations in this country are bitterly divided over the doubt of homosexuality. For this reason it is significant to ask what glow, if any, the Fresh Testament sheds on this controversial issue. Most people apparently assume that the New Testament expresses powerful opposition to homosexuality, but this simply is not the case. The six propositions that follow, considered cumulatively, lead to the conclusion that the Recent Testament does not provide any direct guidance for understanding and making opinions about homosexuality in the modern world.
Proposition 1: Strictly speaking, the Modern Testament says nothing at all about homosexuality.
There is not a single Greek word or phrase in the entire New Testament that should be translated into English as “homosexual” or “homosexuality.” In reality, the very notion of “homosexuality”—like that of “heterosexuality,” “bisexuality,” and even “sexual orientation”—is essentially a contemporary concept that would simply have been unintelligible to the New Testament writers. The word “homosexuality” came into use only in the latter part
Bible Verses about Homosexuality
What does the Bible say about Homosexuality? Scriptures on Same-Sex Relations
There are some key Bible verses about homosexuality to know the biblical view of gay relations. The most commonly quoted Bible verses are Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13, which express that it is an abomination for a human to lie with another man as he would with a woman. In Romans 1:26-27, Apostle Paul says that homosexuality is contrary to God's organic order and results from rejecting God. Additionally, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 lists homosexuality as one of the sins that will stop someone from entering the Kingdom of God. While the Bible is unmistakable in its view of homosexuality, it is inherent to remember that God loves all of his creation and offers forgiveness to those who repent and turn away from their sins.
Top 10 Bible Verses about Homosexuality
Leviticus 18:22 ~ You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 ~ If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Jude 1:7 ~ Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the su
The Bible on Gay Behavior
One way to argue against these passages is to make what I call the “shellfish objection.” Keith Sharpe puts it this way: “Until Christian fundamentalists boycott shellfish restaurants, stop wearing poly-cotton T-shirts, and stone to death their wayward offspring, there is no obligation to obey to their diatribes about homosexuality existence a sin” (The Gay Gospels, 21).
In other words, if we can disregard rules like the ban on eating shellfish in Leviticus 11:12, then we should be allowed to disobey other prohibitions from the Old Testament. But this argument confuses the Old Testament’s temporary ceremonial laws with its everlasting moral laws.
Here’s an analogy to serve understand this distinction.
I remember two rules my mom gave me when I was young: contain her hand when I cross the street and don’t drink what’s under the sink. Today, I have to follow only the latter rule, since the former is no longer needed to protect me. In fact, it would now act me more hurt than good.
Old Testament ritual/ceremonial laws were like mom’s handholding rule. The reason they forbade the Israelites from using certain fabrics or foods, or interacting with bodily
Leviticus 18:22
“You shall not rest with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”[1] It is not a surprise that this verse seems to say that lgbtq+ male sex is forbidden in the eyes of God. The dominant view of western Christianity forbids same-sex relations. This verse is one of the clobber passages that people cite from the Bible to condemn homosexuality. This essay first looks at the various ways the verse is translated into the English Bible and then explores some of the strategies used to create an affirming translation of what this alley means for the LGBTQ community. More specifically, it presents the interpretation of K. Renato Lings in which Lev. 18:22 refers to male-on-male incest.
While Lev. 18:22 is used to condemn homosexuality, we must realize that the phrase “homosexuality” was only recently coined in the English language. So did this term exist in ancient Israel? Charles D. Myers, Jr. confirms that none of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible state homosexuality.[2] He also contends that in ancient Israel same-sex relations were viewed as an ancient Proximate East problem. The ancient Near East tradition included pederasty and relations between an older man and
What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
Answer
In some people’s minds, being homosexual is as much outside one’s control as the color of your skin and your height. On the other hand, the Bible clearly and consistently declares that homosexual task is a sin (Genesis 19:1–13; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10). God created marriage and sexual relationships to be between one gentleman and one woman: “At the first stage the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’” (Matthew 19:4–5). Anything outside of God’s intent and layout is sin. The Bible teaches that Christians are to live for God, deny themselves, grab up their cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24), including with their sexuality. This disconnect between what the Bible says and what some people experience leads to much controversy, debate, and even hostility.
When examining what the Bible says about homosexuality, it is vital to distinguish between homosexual behaviorand lesbian inclinationsor attractions. It is the difference betwe