The Bible (scriptures) address many subjects in detail, but says little to nothing about homosexuality. In fact, it doesn’t address the subject as we understand it today. Here are three excellent works of scholarship and literature that go to the heart of the matter and address the misconceptions and errors of our modern views of the Bible and homosexuality:
http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-gay-christian
http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/12/homosexuality_in_leviticus.html
http://www.gaychristian101.com/Homosexual-Eunuchs.html
These are excellent reads for any person struggling with their sexual orientation and those who are homosexual and Christian and are having a crisis of faith.
Like this:
Filed under: blog, Blogging, Gay, life, Philosophy, Religion, Thought, Thought Of The Day, Uncategorized Tagged: | Abomination, Bible, Christian, Christianity, Crisis of faith, Faith, Gay, GOD, homosexuality, orientation, Religion and Spirituality, sex, Sexual orientation, sexuality, sin, The Bible and homosexuality
Nearly every person who acknowledges an aversion to homosexuality does so on the basis of what he or she believes the Bible has to say. In their mind, there is no doubt whatsoever about what the Bible says and what the Bible means. Their general argument goes something like this: Homosexuality is an abomination and the homosexual is a sinner. Homosexuality is condemned in both the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, if we are to be faithful to the clear teachings of Scripture we too must condemn homosexuality. Needless to say, this premise is being widely debated among evangelical today and seriously challenged by biblical scholars, theologians and religious leaders everywhere.
It rarely occurs to any of us that our reading of Scripture is profoundly colored by our own cultural context and worldview. In light of your post above and since I speak and teach on this topic, I thought you’d find some of the posts on this site (link below) of particular internet. Feel free to surf the “Archives” page for links to more.
-Alex Haiken
http://JewishChristianGay.wordpress.com
Excellent points and facts Alex!
Nowadays, it is going on conversations about homosexuality; some are against it and some on behalf of it. The right answer we can find from the word of God (the Bible).
The Lord Jesus is the Messiah, Redeemer from sins and the Saviour. Jesus’ must fulfill the whole law of God and believe all what the Old Testament teaches, that He could be the Saviour. In the Old Testament were commandments, which teach that homosexuality is a sin. Because the Lord Jesus had to believe all commandments of the Old Testament, so He also believed that homosexuality is a sin. The Bible teaches that homosexuality was a sin in the order of the Old Covenant and is valid in the order of the New Covenant. Like this way Jesus also believed that homosexuality is a sin, and He also condemned homosexuality by this way.
For the sake of sodomites’ abomination acts, God destroyed Sodom as Ezekiel 16:49,50 shows for us. Ezekiel uses 16:50 Hebrew word towebah, which is the same Hebrew word in Lev 18:22 (and Lev 20:13) that describes homosexuality as abomination. It is very clear that in Ezekiel 16:50, abomination means homosexuality acts as the reason for destroying of Sodom. Sodomites pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness and hardened hearts towards poor and needy were sins, but destruction came for the sake of homosexuality, and the New Testament confirms this:
Jude1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Apostle Paul wrote very clearly that homosexuality (men having sex with other men; women having sex with other women) is a sin. Ro 1:27 is word error, which is in Greek plane, which means error, to deceive, deceit, one led astray from the right way, error which shows itself in action, a wrong mode of acting. In this place, the Bible in the New Testament shows very clearly that same-gender sex is a sin and aberration from the right way. Apostle Paul taught very clearly that homosexuality is unnatural sin.
Many scientists believe that homosexuality is congenital, a matter and orientation that can’t be changed as heterosexual. Paradoxical is that many scientists don’t believe in God of the Bible, and they proclaim that God of the Bible is not existed. Nevertheless, God of the Bible is capable of change homosexuals individuals to be as heterosexuals.
Arsenos means male and koiten means bed. Lev 18:22 and 20:13 teach that a man cannot lie (sexual act) with another man as he lies with a woman. The origin of the word arsenokoites means homosexual activity and homosexual. Lev 18:22 and 20:13 prove very clearly that arsenos koitenmeans homosexuality sex, because the Jews scribes translated words’ arsenos koiten to describe men who have sex with another men (homosexuality), which is a sin and against the will of God. Apostle Paul didn’t make up the word arsenokoites, but it was already as the concept in the Old Testament, where it meant homosexuality.
It is very clear that the words’ arsenos koiten meant homosexuality (man who had sex with another man) to Jews of the Old Covenant era. In the same way arsenokoites meant homosexuality (man who had sex with another man) to Jesus’ disciples in the New Covenant era.
Jewish philosopher Philo lived in the same time as Jesus Christ and Philo has said that arsenokoites meant shrine prostitute (male temple prostitute), and not homosexual. Some people have made from this a conclusion that the word arsenokoites meant a male temple prostitute. Philo’s interpretation was totally wrong, because the Bible proves this undisputedly and shows that Philo erred.
Lev 18:22 and Lev 20:13 doesn’t use temple prostitute word, but words in which is denied that a man can’t lie sexually with another man. Always when the Bible speaks for temple prostitutes, so the Bible uses words gedeshah and gadesh. If Lev 18:22 and Lev 20:13 told for temple prostitutes, so verses would mention them, but there isn’t, because in those verses, the Bible forbids homosexuality. It is very clear and undisputable in the light of the testimony of the Bible, that arsenokoites means homosexuality.
According to words of the Lord Jesus, Jesus’ disciples can judge righteous judgement. If somebody is stealing, living in adultery or is lying, so we have the right to say sin as a sin. According to the Bible, homosexuality is a sin and so Jesus’ disciples have the right to say what the Bible teaches. Jesus’ disciple has a right to say that living in sins lead people to eternal damnation. Jesus’ disciple doesn’t judge to damnation, but tells that God shall judge sin maker to hell.
God loves also gay-people, but not sinful act of homosexuality, and therefore, God calls gay-people repentance and receives salvation by believing in the Lord Jesus. In other words, God loves sinners, but not sins. The gospel and its changing power is meant also for gay-people, because the Lord Jesus can set you free you from your sins.
I don’t condemn homosexuals, but love them by the love of God. The love of God also holds on from the truth, and therefore, I must say that homosexuality is a sin, it is not condemning, but telling the truth. God has authority to judge, not a man. God judges in His word homosexuality as a sin. I can tell about judgements that what God does, and I don’t condemn, but tell who judge.
I don’t support discrimination of homosexuals, because they are valuable as my neighbors. However, homosexuality is a sin. It is possible to integrate from homosexuality and get rid of it. The Lord Jesus can save and give freedom to you. I recommend for you to read the Bible, because there God teaches for natural sexuality and salvation by believing in the Lord Jesus.
Reference: http://koti.phnet.fi/petripaavola/homosexual.html
I agree with you about Jesus and the fact he had to fulfill the Old Testament law and promises, but you are wrong in that you are inferring the meaning of sodomite and using the modern word and meaning of homosexual which is no where found in the scriptures. Old and New. The Old Testament is referring to temple prostitution as the abomination, not homosexuality. Pagans at that time practiced temple prostitution as part of worship. Sex as part of worship was forbidden by GOD for the Hebrews as his chosen people to set them apart from pagans. It’s the same in the New Testament. In those days, they believed there was only one natural human sexuality. Heterosexuality. They were ignorant of the fact this is not the case. So they naturally concluded by their logic that to practice male to male and female to female sex was unnatural for a heterosexual. The cultural and ceremonial laws of the Old Testament were abolished by Jesus and his new covenant. The abomination prohibitions were part of the cultural and ceremonial laws of that time. Jesus continued and fulfilled the commandments (not just the Ten) and promises of GOD to the Hebrew people. The cultural and ceremonial laws pertained only to the Hebrews and not humanity in general. I studied this subject at length foe two yrs in seminary. The modern interpretations are way off.
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This is an interesting topic that doesn’t seem to cease to interest and involve people from different cultures and backgrounds. You have brought up some interesting ideas. I have begun to study what the Bible says (or doesn’t say) about homosexuality, an everlasting burning topic, as it seems. As a former Christian (Pentecostal) now embracing Judaism, I have begun to study the so called Clobber verses that was so common in the teachings back then and still are.
My studies begun with studies of other claims made by Christian scholars and preachers in other topics. That led me to study the Tanach in depth. When we study the Jewish Bible (from which even Christianity has its roots), it is important that we see the whole picture of the biblical text as it is presented to us, without prejudice or bias. It is so important and useful that we can talk calmly and objectively in these subjects. This good conversation may well begin in message boards and blogs like this one. Good luck in the future and welcome to my blog.