What does the Bible REALLY say about homosexuality and homosexual marriage?
First, in approaching this we must understand that God loves the sinner. There is nothing in the Word to contradict that statement. What we view as vile and disgusting God views as an opportunity to demonstrate His power in love and mercy.
We were all at one point sinners and going to the same Hell as the adulterer, the child molester, the liar, the thief etc
This is not a training ground to “blast” homosexuals, nor is it proof that God hates fags as Westboro Baptist wants you to think. Instead, this is clear, biblical instruction that will give you both the definition of the curse of sin as well as the cure.
This discussion will be in two parts. The first will deal with homosexuality. The second will deal with “marriage” in homosexuality
What exactly does the Bible say about homosexuality?
There is plenty that the Bible says about this subject. Beginning in Leviticus 18 and 20 the Bible is very clear that if a man lies with a man as with a woman and vice versa a woman it is an abomination. It is called unnatural and was punishable by death.
After the death of Nadab and Abihu for presenting strange fire (idol worship) and having sex with women in the temple God began the formal introduction of the law. This was the first of many instructions in righteousness and continued through both written and verbal (Torah) law. In chapter 18 He gives the reason for these laws. The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. 3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.
This is clear instruction to the Israelites. They are later told that they are to follow these in order to live. In Leviticus 20:26 He instructs us to “be holy” because He is the Lord.
This law is honored by Israelites for thousands of years. Every time a homosexual was caught in the act of his lust he would be put to death. Although we don’t read any instance of it we understand that the Jews obeyed the law of God to the tee. That’s what made them Jews. No other nation was bound by or honored these laws and we see from history that every one of these nations that practiced sexual perversion was destroyed, either by God Himself (Sodom and Gomorrah) or by an invading army (Rome). These laws were put in place for a purpose. They were designed in order to propagate the species (particularly Jews) and to honor the first commandment given to men (Be fruitful and multiply). These were not put in place simply to restrict the “fun” of people nor to repress any sexual urges that a person may have. As a matter of fact, God blessed the sexuality contained within marriage by causing children to be born. He had such honor for the sex act that He likened the physical relationship within marriage to His love for us (Song of Solomon). These are laws of God and were/are to still be honored and obeyed today.
In the New Testament we find a similar passage in Romans 1. Paul lays out the natural order of a failure to honor and worship God by saying the “He turned them over to a reprobate (without conviction) mind and they traded their natural (sexual) use for the unnatural and men lusted for men and women for women. This is not the cause of reprobate, but rather, the curse. When men fail to honor God their mind (spirit) is no longer in tune with God and their physical urges begin to take control of their bodies, resulting in sin. James later said that “sin when it is conceived, bringeth forth death” James 1:15
Homosexuality defined is – Homo = same, sexual =sexual relations. Combined they mean = having sexual relations with a member of the same sex
This is the dictionary definition. The actual word homosexual is nowhere in the Bible as there was no word in the Aramaic, Hebrew, Koine or Greek language for the word homosexual. The closest word to it “effeminate” is found in I Corinthians 6:9 and translates to “soft ones” or men that act and dress like women. We would liken it to a drag queen, transgender man, cross dresser, or the man who is very woman like in his actions. We find in the same passage that adulterers and fornicators are also mentioned, telling us that these sins are equally blasphemous in the eyes of God. In Romans 1 Paul uses both the words natural affection and unnatural affection to describe the lust a man has for a woman (natural) and the lust a man has for another man (unnatural).
Sexual sins have always held a particular place in God’s eyes. He is very clear that He despises these actions. These types of activities are different than other sin in that it is the consummation of marriage. God views the act of sex as physically and spiritually joining together forever. That’s why it is so difficult to break off a relationship that has involved sex. You are literally joined to that person forever. In God’s eyes you have consummated your marriage. If you are not married then you are bringing that relationship into every successive relationship after that. Therein lies the problem with homosexual relationships, although the consummation is there physically, the spiritual side is never consummated because it does not operate in obedience to God and, by its very act, cannot since the slightest chance of “be fruitful” does not exist.
This ties in directly with homosexual marriage. The purpose of the first marriage, between Adam and Eve, was to remove loneliness, provide a help mate and to be fruitful and multiply. Since the process cannot be completed it is not in honor to God. No one can say they are honoring God if they are only doing it halfway. I am certain that a homosexual relationship can provide respite from loneliness. It can also provide a help mate. What it cannot do is to provide the means, naturally, to be fruitful and multiply. This is where the homosexual activists begin to introduce adoption and artificial insemination into their argument. The argument being that there are other ways to have children and that not every heterosexual couple can have kids. The entire point is being missed. God instituted marriage in the garden of Eden. He created Adam out of the dust of the ground then created Eve out of the rib of Adam. There was no third party nor was there any confusion as to the “working” of the parts. God said in Genesis 2:22 “For this cause shall a man leave his mother and father and cleave unto his wife” This clearly indicates that the mandate of marriage is between a man and a woman. Because a husband or wife do not or cannot have children does not remove the intent of the first commandment “Be fruitful and multiply”
Homosexual Marriage
Before we move too far into this area we must understand that our root argument is not with the sinner but with the sin. Our human nature is to prove ourselves correct in our own thoughts. We can attempt to do that but it only addresses the symptom. That is why we must deal with sin issues exclusively with the Word. God has given us, contained with the 66 books of the Bible, the answer to every ailment man could possibly deal with. The struggle is learning to “rightly divide the Word of truth”. Simply pulling Scripture out to deal with a particular topic i.e. “thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery” etc do not strengthen the argument but we must instead seek the revelation, history and context behind the scripture. Also, an exclusionary thought cannot be added simply because the words are not there. It is context that matters. That being said, let’s look at a few passages regarding marriage, the institution of marriage and the reasoning behind it.
Nowhere in the Bible is homosexual marriage mentioned, not once. Therefore, the homosexual lobby has determined that since the Bible doesn’t use those exact words, it must be ok with God. There have actually been a few writers that believe that when Saul called David his son-in-law that he was referring to a marriage between David and Jonathan, nothing could be further from the truth. A cursory glance at the context of the passage found in Samuel clearly says that he was referring to his daughter Michael and their marriage. Others mistakenly assume that because Jesus did not mention it directly in the Bible that homosexual marriage is not an important issue. Using that logic, neither is bathing. If God would have dealt with every issue that could possibly come up individually we would not be able to carry the book in which it was written due to the sheer size and volume of the material. That is why we are commanded to “study to show thyself approved” We must know and understand the Word in order to properly apply it to every situation.
This is why the role of the father is so important. Fathers, historically, have been the ones that instruct their children in day to day living. We are the ones that have historically taught the Bible to our children. Although in the last 50 or so years that role has been relegated to the mother it doesn’t remove the original purpose of the father in child rearing, specifically teaching the Word to our families. In order for us to be able to teach we must pursue a life long journey of education in the Word and its application to our lives and the lives of our children.
Let’s see what scripture says about marriage:
Genesis 2:22 – Man and wife mentioned, no homosexual or lesbianism mentioned there. This was the original instruction in marriage and the first commandment given to man. Followed shortly thereafter with the reason “multiply and replenish the earth” God is a God of pattern and order. He has an order and a reason for everything that He does, including marriage.
Matthew 19 – Jesus is discussing divorce and repeats Genesis 2 “for this cause shall a man leave his mother and father and SHALL cleave unto his WIFE” No homosexuality mentioned there either.
Proverbs 18:22 – A MAN that findeth a good WIFE findeth a good thing…. Why? Because through it (finding a good wife) he obtains favor from the Lord
I Corinthians 7 – Tells the HUSBAND and WIFE to honor each other sexually and not to deprive each other except for a period of fasting. This is a judgment from Paul and not from God. He is using this teaching to give husbands and wives the opportunity to avoid temptation.
Ephesians 5 – Paul instructs HUSBANDS and WIVES to love one another, submit to one another. The sole reason for this is to be a physical example to each other of the love Christ has for the church. He tells the wife to submit to her husband. In doing so he is teaching the church the art of submitting to the Lord. He tells the husband to love the wife as Christ loved the church, literally to wash her feet. This is an example of the washing of the water of the Word in that its application literally removes the “dust of the road” from our lives.
Matthew 25 – Jesus likens us to the virgin bride and He as the bridegroom. Specifically detailing the role of both male and female. This is the parable of the 10 virgins. This is a type of the Israel specifically but can be used as a type of the church without doing harm to the scripture. Jesus likens Israel (the church) to the ten virgins (women waiting to be married or swept away) and He as the groom coming “in the day and the hour that no man knoweth” This is actually teaching on the Messianic promise of both His coming and His return but the principle of husband and wide applies here.
These are just a few passages that mention or discuss marriage. You can see that in every passage it mentions a man and a woman. This goes back to God being a God of order. He does not deviate from order and we are actually told in the New Testament that God is not the author of confusion.
Why is the gay rights movement so aggressively pushing for gay marriage/same-sex marriage? Some that believe and promote this are coming at it from a constitutional point of view. In that regard, marriage is just marriage. There is no right or wrong it is just a legal document binding two people together in the hopes that they make it for a lifetime. We, as Christians, cannot approach it from the constitution level first. Before we are Americans we are Christians. As Christians the Word of God is our highest authority, not the constitution. This is not an excuse to break the law. We are instructed to “honor the law as much as is able” We are supposed to be law abiding citizens of this world that we temporarily inhabit. In doing so, we will often run across things that are in direct conflict with the Word i.e. working on the Sabbath being one of the main ones. Of course, God gives allowance for that “If your ox is in the ditch” but it is one of the many laws that God put in place for our good and not simply to limit us in the amount of money we can make.
The answer, according to the Bible, is that most people inherently know that homosexuality is immoral and unnatural. Children for example, who are naturally opposed to things against the nature of God as they have not lived long enough for their minds to be polluted, will wonder why two men or two women are holding hands or kissing and will see it as abnormal until their minds are conditioned to think against their very nature. The only way to suppress this inherent knowledge is by normalizing homosexuality and attacking any and all opposition to it. The best way to normalize homosexuality is by placing gay marriage/same-sex marriage on an equal plane with traditional opposite-gender marriage. Romans 1:18-32 illustrates this. The truth is known because God has made it plain. The truth is rejected and replaced with a lie. The lie is then promoted and the truth suppressed and attacked. The vehemence and anger expressed by many in the gay rights movement to any who oppose them is, in fact, an indication that they know their position is indefensible. Trying to overcome a weak position by raising your voice is the oldest trick in the debating book. There is perhaps no more accurate description of the modern gay rights agenda than Romans 1:31, “they are senseless, faithless, heartless and ruthless.”
According to the Bible, marriage is ordained by God to be between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:4-6). Gay marriage/same-sex marriage is a perversion of the institution of marriage and an offense to the God who created marriage. As Christians, we are not to condone or ignore sin. Rather, we are to share the love of God and the forgiveness of sins that is available to all, including homosexuals, through Jesus Christ. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and contend for truth with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). As Christians, when we make a stand for truth and the result is personal attacks, insults, and persecution, we should remember the words of Jesus: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (John 15:18-19)
The cure
Jesus loves the homosexual. He loves them so much that He gave His life for them John 3:16 – For God so loved the WORLD… There is no getting around that. The church is quick to destroy the intent of the passage by refusing to love them as Christ loved you.
Pastor Milton Spears www.springsfellowshipchurch.org preached a message entitled “It could have been me”. Since I didn’t hear the sermon I will do no harm to the message but will simply use the title to convey this thought. Looking around at the plight of the world it is easy to say “I would never do this or that” but it could have been you. It could have been you that was abused or neglected as a child, causing you to seek relationships that would meet that physical need. It could have been you whose father left you and you spent your entire life trying to find the love of a father in relationships with other men. It could have been you whose mother lived a life of abuse at the hands of men and left men altogether to find nurture in the arms of a woman. We must be careful how we present the Gospel. The Gospel is not meant to be a sword intended to kill the sinner but a flashlight intended to point the way to Jesus. While we will naturally despise the sin of homosexuality we must remember that we too were sinners. Many were living in sexual relationships that were abominable in the eyes of God but somehow God found you anyway. He loved you enough to pour out His own blood for the homosexual just as He did for you. While we as the church must stand for righteousness, we must also be the embodiment of the love of Jesus to a world that will die and go to the same Hell you were headed to before he found you.
Pastor Jared Rogers 