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There is a lot of debate in society and the church as a whole about homosexuality. Is it condemned in the Bible? There are many people, even some Christians, who believe that homosexuality is biological, and dispute whether the Bible actually says anything negative about it. In answering this question, it must be stressed that all sexual sin, by what ever label and involving whatever genders, is sin. There are, unfortunately churches and individuals who harp on homosexuality so much, one would think that serial killers would be more likely to receive mercy from God before anyone who was gay. That would be a bit extreme.
Nevertheless, it is also not wise to just brush off what the Bible does say about homosexuality. It is clearly referred to in the Old Testament in Leviticus 18:22 where God says it is an “abomination” for a man to sleep with a man as he would a woman. In the New Testament, Romans 1:26-27 calls the exchanging of normal sexual relations for that of same-sex relations “shameful”, and homosexuality is mentioned in Paul’s list of things that would prohibit someone from entering the Kingdom of God in 1 Corinthians 6:9 “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.” There is much discussion by theologians as to the proper translation of the last word in that verse from the Greek (“arsenkoites”). It is a compound word, from two Greek words, “arsen” (male) and “koitus” (euphemistically as “bed”- which is transliterated as “coitus”) so the intention of the word seems to be “men going to bed together ie. To have sex”. Despite all of the smoke and mirrors by many pro-gay theologians, the meaning is fairly plain when you realize that those two words are the same ones used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in Leviticus 18:22, where homosexuality is called an abomination. So, without a doubt, the Bible is referencing homosexual behavior here. The good news throughout all of this, which is so frequently overlooked in these texts, is that the Bible doesn’t just say that homosexuals are automatically condemned and there is no hope. 1 Corinthians 6:11 says, immediately after Paul’s list of who shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, says: “And 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.” If someone is stuck in a sexually immoral lifestyle, or is a drunkard, or trapped into a life of homosexual behavior, Paul says that they can be free, sanctified, justified and made a new creation in Christ. There is no behavior that is absolutely irresistible and unable to be changed. With regard to homosexuality, gay activist groups for years have been trying to prove a genetic disposition to homosexuality, and every study has proven otherwise. In Christ, no matter what the sin is, the believer can be free from the inclination to sin. |
