We said that we were going to base each discussion on three Scriptures.
Phill 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Eph 4:2-5
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Gal 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Before we start, let's look at some definitions (from Dictionary.com):
- Homosexual – Someone who is sexually attracted to members of the same sex.
- Lesbian – A female homosexual.
- Gay – A homosexual person, particularly a male.
- Bisexual – Someone sexually attracted to both men and women.
- Transgendered – A person appearing or attempting to be a member of the opposite sex.
I am going to use the term “gay” rather loosely to refer to the entire collection of definitions we just went through and I’ll be more specific as needed.
I am also not going to get into the topic of people born with both male and female sex organs as I don't percieve any arguement of sin on the part of the child and I believe that belings more in a study of birth defects.
Before we begin, answer these questions for yourself to see what you know, or think you know about gay people?
- Are all gay men effeminate?
- Are all effeminate men gay?
- Are gay women masculine?
- Are people born gay?
- What is coming out?
- Do gay people just need exorcised? Are they demon possessed?
- Is homosexuality something to be cured?
- Is being gay a behavioral choice or a biological predisposition? Can it be both?
- Is being gay about love or sex?
- Is it only Christianity that considers homosexuality wrong?
There are also social issues and implications to be considered, which is why we are studying this. Answer these questions to yourself in the same way.
- Should gay couples have the right to marry?
- Should they have familial rights such as being on the same insurance policy, be considered dependents by the IRS?
- Should homosexuality be taught in sex-education classes in school? Grade School? Middle School? High School?
- Should homosexual couples be allowed to adopt children?
Before we begin to try to answer these questions or consider the social implications we need to answer the question, is homosexuality, in all of its various forms, sinful?
Let’s look at some scripture.
Genesis 19:5
They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
One argument that has been stated is that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah wasn’t talking about the men of the city wanting to know the men sexually, because the word that is translated as:
- NIV “have sex with them”
- NAS “have relations with them”
- KJV “that we may know them.”
The translated word is Strong’s 3045 “Yada” – used 946 times in the Old Testament.
It means things like: to learn, to perceive, to discriminate or distinguish, to consider, to be acquainted with, and to know carnally, among others.
It’s also used in the following verses:
Genesis 4:1
Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man."
Genesis 4:17
Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.
Genesis 4:25
Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him."
These three verses all use the same word “yada” to mean essentially, “have sexual relations.”
But because the word “yada” has so many uses it’s a little difficult to use it in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as the only proof.
So to add to the argument, let’s look at how the New Testament authors interpreted the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jude 1:5-7
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
The word perversion, also translated “strange flesh” means to go after the unnatural carnally.
And of course Scripture has more references to homosexuality:
Leviticus 18:21-23
`Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. 22" `Do not lie (sha-kab = to have sexual relations with) with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. 23" `Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.
This is an interesting verse in context because it points to the nature or class of sinful behavior that God puts homosexuality in. It’s in the same grouping as child sacrifice or bestiality. This is not to say that there are degrees of sin, but the context shows that they are within the same vein as they were inspirationally given to Moses.
Leviticus 20:10-13
`If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. 11" `If a man sleeps with his father's wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. 12" `If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads. 13" `If a man lies (sha-kab = to be with sexually)with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
Here we see that homosexuality, under the law, is punishable by death.
And in the New Testament we see additional teachings:
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Note : Some versions use the word “effeminate” in place of “homosexual.” The translated word for this verse means a young boy kept for homosexual activity or a male prostitute. It It is from the Greek - catamite
Jude 1:5-7
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
What do we see about the eternal destination of those that participate in homosexual relations?
They will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, but will suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
I believe that we have ample Scriptural evidence to show that God considers homosexual relations sin.
Let’s begin to look at the profile of gay people and see if we can answer or address some of the stereotypes we encounter.
Is it only Christianity that considers homosexuality wrong?
No: Christianity, Judaism, Muslim see it as sin. Hindu’s strictly do not consider it wrong, but there are laws that make it punishable as a crime. Buddhist – Homosexuality is lumped in with all sexual nature which is seen as something to overcome as you spiritually progress.
All up, about 70% of the world’s population, by their religious affiliation, denounce homosexuality.
Are all gay men effeminate? Are all effeminate men gay? Are gay women masculine?
No. Femininity and masculinity are not necessarily symptomatic of sexual orientation.
Are people born gay?
I want to look at a couple of Scriptures to answer this question.
If homosexual activity is sinful, and God created people gay, then he built temptation into them in a way that is sure to overcome them.
James 1:13-15
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
So I don’t believe that God outright creates gay people.
However I do believe that we can be predisposed to things. Some people are more artistic than others, some are better businessmen and women, some people are great dreamers, while others are great doers. God even says that we don’t all have the same spiritual gifts. Some are evangelists, others are better councilors. Some people are hand shakers and some are huggers.
Given this I think people can have characteristics like compassion or being a hugger that Satan can use more easily to tempt people towards the sin of homosexuality. However we need not succumb to it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Is homosexuality something to be cured?
“Cured” is a strong word, but it is a phrase that is used by the people that ask that question.
To answer this question we really need to look at a couple of Scriptures.
Romans 1:18-32
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Let's stop here for now and ponder this Scripture.
No comments:
Post a Comment