An Honest Look at Homosexuality and Christianity

by

The Rev. Margaret Walker

RevMWalker@aol.com

  

It is difficult to examine the issue of homosexuality and Christianity without bias because centuries of emotion, misinterpretation of certain Biblical passages, and the use of minority hatred to gain political or even religious dominance interferes with objectivity. First, it should be noted that nothing in the Scripture precludes loving relationships. In fact, Christianity is based on love: the love of God for humanity; the love of humanity for God; and the horizontal love that permeates the body of Christ. Second, the Biblical approach to sexual issues is based on 3 primary injunctions against specific sexual behaviors. Secondary injunctions are added based on health issues, morels and norms, issues relating to subjection, and ancient attempts to understand procreation.

The 3 primary injunctions are adultery, fornication, and lust. Adultery is the breaking of the wedding vow. While most see it only as the act of sex outside the marriage, adultery includes more than that by definition. There is surely emotional and spiritual adultery as well. Fornication is sex in connection with the worship of idols, while lust is the use or abuse of one's self or another in the process of exchange. The word, lust, is used primarily in reference to sexual exchange but should not be so restrictive. NONE of these 3 injunctions refers to homosexual behavior but to sexual behavior in general.

Key Old Testament passages are used to condemn homosexuality. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 has been used as a cornerstone in the foundation of the anti-homosexual argument. This story has been misrepresented even though there are other passages available that specifically state the sin of Sodom. It is important to note that for eight centuries close to the event, the reason for the destruction of Sodom was never seen by Israel as homosexuality. The first time that the sin of Sodom was attached to homosexuality was in the secular writings of Josephus who wrote during the time between the Old and New Testaments and Philo as secular writer of the first century. The interpretation of the sin of Sodom being "homosexual" came from a secular not a religious source. Those who desire to make this text deal with homosexuality use as their major argument the request of the people "to know" the strangers. The Hebrew word yadha, "to know", means to gain knowledge or understanding. Only 67 times of the approximately 943 times yadha is used in the Old Testament does the word denote sexual knowledge, and the context provides something in addition to the word yadha to indicate the intent of the passage. The offer of Lot's virgin daughters does not "imply" a homosexual interpretation either. Quite simply, the offer of women to male homosexuals is an illogical empty gesture. It is more likely that the daughters were being offered as hostages so that the inhabitants of Sodom would not have reason to fear the strangers. As virgins, they could have been used as temple prostitutes. Culturally speaking, it was the practice of ancients to subject their enemies to forced anal rape as a sign of superiority. This would force the enemy to assume the function of the female. If this is the intent, then rape is the condemned behavior.

On the surface, the passages in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 appears more difficult. Taken out of context and without proper regard for Jewish mores, norms, and health laws, they appear to be a blanket condemnation of anal sex between two men. However, these two passages are part of a larger Holiness code designed to protect, nurture, and increase the number of the Children of Israel. If the code is invoked to include condemnation of homosexuality, then the remainder of the code must also be invoked to include restrictions on diet, dress, and certain heterosexual behaviors. The death penalty would be instated for adultery and children who swore at their parents.

The Bible states here that anal intercourse was an "abomination" to God. The word, toebhah, translated abomination meant "ritually unclean". There is a tremendous difference between intrinsic wrong and the Jewish ritual impurity. The word toebhah in the ancient language is directly related to practices of idolatry by Israel's neighbors. The context in which these verses are found refer specifically to the idolatrous practices of the fertility cults. Any sexual practice included as a part of idol worship was unacceptable.

Those who would use these passages as condemnation of loving homosexual relationships would do well to study the context, the Hebrew meanings, and two New Testament passages: Romans 7:6 and Galatians 5:4. The Christian does not live by the Levitical Code. The law was fulfilled by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul told the gentiles that they were not required to keep the Levitical Law. Salvation is dependent on our belief in Jesus Christ, the acceptance of Jesus' death on our behalf, and the acceptance of Jesus as God in Flesh.

When Romans 1:26-28 is taken out of context it also appears to be a condemnation of homosexual behavior. While most people cite verses 26-28 as a proof text, the passage really begins with verse 16. A careful reading from that point indicates that the condemnation is not the specific sexual behavior, but the fact that the Roman Christians were bringing the pagan belief structure and pagan practices, including sexual ones, into the church and making them a part of Christian worship. This passage has to do with the worship of idols and the inclusion of sex as a part of worship. It is also important to notice that one of the characteristics of the type of behavior about which Paul speaks is that they "burned in their lust" toward one another. This is quite different from a loving, committed, relationship between consenting adults. Note also that while lust and rape often express themselves in heterosexual behavior, no one is ready to condemn heterosexuality.

Two words found in the New Testament have been rendered homosexual by modern translators ("modern" meaning 1611 to date) and paraphrasers. One of the words is found in I Corinthians 6:9. The word, malakos, means "soft" and is translated as such in other passages in the New Testament. An added intent of the word in other first century writings implied "weakness" or "without moral value", making "immoral" or "hedonist" an authentic translation. Usage of the word during Paul's lifetime did not apply to any certain act but rather to a "general lack of morality". Immorality is not purely sexual and there is no reason to "assume" that only sexual sins, or a specific sin, is intended by a word that covers immorality in general. It is interesting to note that the word translated, sexual perverts or homosexual by translators in Corinthians is simply an adjective used to describe Jesus' clothing in Matthew 11:8 and Luke 7:25.

The other word, arsenokoitai, is found only in I Corinthians 6:9 and I Timothy 1:10.Since it appears in a list, it is impossible to determine its meaning from context. Other Christian writers used the word to mean excessive, perhaps abusive sexual practices. When Johannes Jejunator, the Patriarch of Constantinople used the word as a noun in his sixth century writing called the Penitentale, it is clear from the context that the word applies to both heterosexual and homosexual activity.

Writings that date close to the time of Paul and evidence cited by John Boswell, respected Yale History Professor, indicate that until the fourth century A.D., the word meant male prostitute with no implication as to the gender of their clientele.

The best translation for those two words using other Scripture and related writings is to translate them as people who are totally immoral and those who prostitute themselves.

While Jesus said very little about sexual matters, and absolutely nothing about homosexuality, Jesus spent a great deal of time in His ministry urging proper motivation. A number of good behaviors are condemned in the New Testament because of improper motivation, not because the behavior itself is wrong. The sixth chapter of Matthew is full of behaviors that find their correctness or incorrectness in the motive (e.g. prayer, almsgiving, piety, and fasting). Heterosexual union is condemned if the motive is wrong (Matthew 5:27-28), but it would be foolish to conclude that heterosexual union is wrong as a behavior. The key determinant is not the behavior, but the motivation.

Any behavior becomes sinful when God is replaced by the behavior as the first priority in a person's life. In the final analysis, every Christian, regardless of sexual orientation, is accountable to God for the usage made of life and his\her response to the Son of God. In order to minister to the gay\lesbian\bisexual\ transgendered community, it is important to understand the Scriptures used to condemn homosexuality It is more important to be aware of the New Testament passages that relate to one's acceptance by Jesus Christ. John 3:16 reads: "Whosoever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved." There are no qualifications.

 

God's Plan of Salvation for ALL Humanity

The Problem: We have "all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "And the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23)

The Good News: God loved us and has offered us the gift of eternal life. (John 3:16 and Romans 6:23)

Our Response:

Believe and receive Christ as our Savior. (John 1:12; Romans 10:13) Ask Jesus into your heart with this prayer; " Jesus, I know I have sinned and I want your forgiveness. Please come into my heart and life now. Amen."

Confess our sins to God (I John 1:9) and our faith in Christ before humanity. (Matthew 10:32) Repent of our sins (Acts 2:37-38). To repent means to turn away from evil and turn to Christ. It also means to be sorry enough for our sins that we are willing to be changed. Be Baptized. (Acts 2:37-38) In baptism we show Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. We rise from the waters of baptism to a new life. (Romans 6:4)   

The Rev. Walker is the pastor at Exodus Metropolitan Community Church in Abilene, Texas.