Some Biblical Thoughts on Human Sexuality

1
Some Biblical Thoughtson Human Sexuality

• Forest Hills Bible Chapel
• 2 November 2008

2
Some Thoughts on Scripture

• We must avoid what is typically referred to as
  proof texting the notion that the Bible
  exists in verse form, and that we should see
  individual verses as divine meaning chunks.
• Or maybe, we often thing of individual Bible
  verses as

3
Some Thoughts on Scripture

• Grenades!

4
Some Thoughts on Scripture

• We must avoid what is typically referred to as
  proof texting the notion that the Bible
  exists in verse form, and that we should see
  individual verses as divine meaning chunks.
• Chapter divisions were introduced by Stephen
  Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, around A.D.
  1227.
• The OT was divided into verses in A.D. 1448 the
  NT was divided into verses in A.D. 1555.

5
Some Thoughts on Scripture

• Much of what Scripture teaches, it teaches
  implicitly.
• Example what does Proverbs say about father
  (19 times) and mother (15 times)?
• This is an implicit method of saying that Gods
  ideal design for the family is for a man and a
  woman to marry, and parent their children.

6
Some Thoughts on Scripture

• We need to be engaged in a process a process of
  studying together to determine what it is that
  Scripture teaches.
• This process calls for a constant study of the
  Scriptures (i.e., like the Bereans in Acts
  1710-15) to determine the truth of what we
  believe.
• There should be a healthy tension between
  tradition and the ongoing study of Scripture.

7
Biblical Thoughts on Human Sexuality

• 18The Lord God said, It is not good for the man
  to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for
  him. 19Now the Lord God had formed out of the
  ground all the wild animals and all the birds in
  the sky. He brought them to the man to see what
  he would name them and whatever the man called
  each living creature, that was its name. 20So the
  man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in
  the sky and all the wild animals.

8
Biblical Thoughts on Human Sexuality

• But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21So
  the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep
  sleep and while he was sleeping, he took one of
  the mans ribs and then closed up the place with
  flesh. 22Then the Lord God made a woman from the
  rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought
  her to the man

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Biblical Thoughts on Human Sexuality

• 23The man said,
• This is now bone of my bones
• and flesh of my flesh
• she shall be called woman,
• for she was taken out of man.
• 24For this reason a man will leave his father and
  mother and be united to his wife, and they will
  become one flesh.

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Biblical Thoughts on Human Sexuality

• This passage contains the prototype of
  appropriate intimate human relations.
• This passage stresses that the relationship of
  the man and woman is one of complementary
  equals a suitable helper for him.
• The one flesh relationship is the primary
  purpose of intimacy within marriage.

11
Biblical Thoughts on Human Sexuality

• 26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful
  lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual
  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 shameful acts with other
  men, and received in themselves the due penalty
  for their error. Romans 126-27

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Biblical Thoughts on Human Sexuality

• The relationship between husband and wife is a
  picture of Gods saving relationship with His
  people Israel as the wife of Yahweh the Church
  as the Bride of Christ.
• The biblical teaching on human sexuality is for
  the well being of human beings, as Gods ideal
  design.

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Biblical Thoughts on Human Sexuality

• It is our responsibility to pass on the biblical
  teaching about human sexuality to the next
  generation - a challenging and daunting task.
• It is vital that we, the church, demonstrate the
  love of Christ to all people including those
  who struggle in the area of human sexuality.
• We must show empathy and love to those of our
  number who struggle in this area.

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Biblical Thoughts on Human Sexuality

• It is possible that we, the church, will face
  unprecedented pressure in the coming days with
  regard to our beliefs on human sexuality.
• Our proclaiming of the truth of the word of God,
  done out of love, will be interpreted by the
  world as hate speech and a violation of
  peoples civil rights.