The biblical case against homosexual practice. Contents:
The scriptural case against same-sex intercourse is based on three main points:
a. The biblical model for marriage is based on one man and one woman. a) Gen 1:27 and Gen 2:20-24 teach that marriage is between a man and a woman. Gen 1:27 teaches that marriage is for procreation. Gen 2.18 teaches that marriage is to end loneliness. Paul in 1 Cor 7:2 teaches that it is to avoid sexual immorality. b) Gen 2:20-24 teaches that the woman was made out of the man and that God brought her to the man, therefore marriage is a reuniting of the two sexes to become one flesh (Gen 2:24). This is the key in our understanding of why gay marriage is wrong. Homosexuals cannot come together to become one flesh. c) Jesus referred to Gen 1:27 and Gen 2:24 in Mat 19:4-6 and in Mark 10:6-9 when he was talking about divorce. Jesus presumed a one-man one-woman prerequisite for marriage. Jesus endorses the creation narrative in Gen 1:27 and in Gen 2.24. d) Paul also teaches that marriage is to be between one woman and one man 1 Cor 7:2. Paul also quotes the "one flesh" of Gen 2.24 in 1 Cor 6:16 and in Eph 5:31. e) The two sex prerequisite for marriage is missing in gay marriage. There is no loop-hole allowing for same-sex intercourse in scripture. That includes Jonathan and David and Ruth and Naomi. Jonathan was married and David and Ruth went on to be married. They are hardly examples of homosexuals. f) The only exception that Jesus mentions is that of the eunuch who is incapable of marriage, therefore celibacy is required (Mat 19:12). The same would apply to a homosexual who is incapable of male-female marriage and should therefore remain celibate. That is a hard word. But it is the same hard word for singles that do not have a husband or a wife. It is the same Jesus who exhorts us to take up our cross, to deny ourselves and follow him (Mat 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). Also Paul taught that if a wife separates from her husband she should remain unmarried (therefore celibate) or be reconciled to her husband (1Cor 7:10-11). g) Love does not make an adulterous relationship lawful before God. Love does not make an incestuous relationship lawful before God; love does not make a homosexual relation before God lawful. h) In scripture sex is lawful between a man and a woman in the covenant relationship of marriage. That is it is for life. (Rom 7:2, 1Cor 7:10, 1Cor 7:39) For alternative descriptions of marriage (Concubinage, Polygamy, Levirate marriage and Incestuous marriage) see here. b) The NT condemns illicit sexual intercourse (porneia)1. a) The only lawful sexual intercourse that the NT recognises is between a husband and wife within the covenant of marriage. Jesus condemns adultery and illicit sexual intercourse in general (porneia). Even if a young Christian couple love each other this does not make sex before marriage lawful to God. God requires a life-long union. Jesus includes sexual immorality (porneia) in his vice lists in Mat 15:19 and in Mark 7:21. His only two vice lists, compared to the many by Paul and those in Revelation that result in the lake of fire Rev 21:8 and those excluded from the New Jerusalem in Rev 22.15. b) The NT condemns adultery, incest, same-sex intercourse, sex with a prostitute and any other form of illicit intercourse (porneia, found in 24 verses in the NT). c) The NT requirement for sexual purity among God's people is very strong and unrepented sexual impurity can lead to exclusion from the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor 6:9, Gal 5:21, Col 3:6, 1 Thess 4:6, Rev 21:8, 22:;15). d) God is very tough on sexual purity for heterosexuals; there is no reason to believe that he would be more lenient on homosexuals, especially since same-sex intercourse is condemned in both the OT and NT. e) The bible is very clear that what we do with our bodies matters before God, we are bought with a price therefore we should glorify God with our body (1 Cor 6:18). We are not our own because we are bought with a price. f) For the married Christian the husband's body belongs to the wife and the wife's body belongs to the husband. g) The burden that a homosexual man is to remain celibate is no greater than the burden on a heterosexual single person to remain celibate, unless they find a marriage partner, which not all will do because of various reasons. h) I do recognise that a 100% homosexual man may have to remain celibate for the rest of his life, if he is to honour God with his body. The single heterosexual Christian at least has the hope of marriage, but not all find that. I know examples of gay men who have become a Christian and gone on to marry. But there is no guarantee that this will always be the case. c. Both the OT and NT condemn same-sex intercourse. In both the OT and the NT these go against the surrounding culture. Therefore I believe that church should also go against the current culture. These are also known as the "clobber" passages among the gay community. The Levitical prohibitions:
The death penalty is given in Lev 20:13. The death penalty is also given for adultery, incest and bestiality.
The word zakar means male and emphasises gender. As in Gen 1:27.
The Pauline Prohibitions: Rom 1:26-27
Note: the Greek for woman is thelus that is "female" and the word for men is arsen that is males. Thus the emphasis is on gender (physical function not desire), just as in:
The ALT2 is a better interpretation of the Greek as it emphasises gender.
1Cor 6:9
Tim 1:10
d) Same-sex intercourse is counter culturally proscribed in bother the OT and NT a) In both the Levitical prohibitions and Paul's prohibitions they go against the surrounding culture of the day. The Canaanites and the Corinthians were doing it. b) The church is also going to have to go against the current culture. Examples in sexual ethics are 1 Thess 4:1-5, 1 Pet 4:3-4. c) If the church allows the current culture to determine sexual ethics, then it ceases to be the church, it becomes just another human institution. The church has to care for peoples souls both in this life and the next. This life is temporary the next life is eternal. The eternal destiny of souls depends on whether the church speaks the truth. The GLBT4 only speaks about this life and the MCC5 seems to have neglected its duty to speak about the next life. Footnotes 1 Porneia - (usually translated as sexual immorality) Thayer Definition:
2. ALT - Analytical-Literal Translation (http://www.dtl.org/alt/index.html) "Homosexuals" in 1Corinthians 6:9 3 arsenokoitês compound of arsên (male) and koitê (bed) this is derived directly from the Septuagint translation of the OT and the Levitical prohibitions.
This demonstrates that Paul thought that the Levitical prohibitions applied in his day. The rabbis used the corresponding Hebrew abstract expression mishkav zakur, “lying of/with a male,” drawn from the Hebrew texts of Lev 18:22; 20:13 (Robert Gagnon, Immoralism, Homosexual Unhealth, and Scripture) 4. GLBT - Gay Lesbian Bisexual
Transgender/Transsexual. The aims are equal rights (such as marriage,
adoption), no discrimination against people who are GLBT, fighting
homophobia... 5 Homosexuality; Not A Sin, Not A Sickness by Rev. Elder Don Eastman. May be downloaded on www.mccchurch.org. MCC (Metropolitan Community Churches) was founded in 1968 by Rev. Elder Troy Perry. It is "the world's largest church group offering positive, affirming ministry to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender persons". Other articles:
For a 112 page article by Robert Gagnon. "Why the disagreement over the biblical witness on homosexual practice?" http://www.westernsem.edu/files/westernsem/gagnon_autm05_0.pdf
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