The Biblical Approach to Homosexuality

1
The Biblical Approach to Homosexuality

• Part 1
• Presented by
• Dr. Carl Ruby and Dr. Chris Miller

2
Soulforce A Quick Review

• The purpose of Soulforce is freedom for
  lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people
  from religious and political oppression through
  the practice of relentless nonviolent
  resistance.

• Founded by Mel White
• This is the second year for Equality Ride.
• Initially, Soulforce positioned itself as a
  Christian organization. It has evolved into
  something broader than that.

3
Mel Whites Eight Premises

• Most people have not carefully researched the
  biblical texts used to condemn homosexuality.
• Historically, peoples misinterpretation of the
  Bible has left a trail of suffering and
  bloodshed.
• We must be open to new truths from scripture.
• The Bible is a book about God, not about human
  sexuality.
• We miss what key passages say about God when we
  debate what they say about sex.
• The Bible is silent about sexual orientation,
  neither approving it or condemning it.
• The prophets, Jesus, and other biblical authors
  say nothing about homosexual orientation, but
  they do tell us to love one another as we seek
  truth.
• We must not deny homosexuals their basic civil
  rights. To discriminate against them is unjust
  and un-American.

4

5

• There are only two ways one can neutralize the
  biblical witness against homosexual behavior by
  gross misinterpretation or by moving away from a
  high view of the scriptures.

Stanton L. Jones, Provost, Wheaton College
6

• The Bible does indeed condemn homosexual acts
  every time they are mentioned. But many
  Christians are unprepared for the revisionists
  arguments for rejecting all the major biblical
  texts as either irrelevant or misunderstood.

Stanton L. Jones, Provost, Wheaton College
7
Framing the Discussion

• The Bible is overwhelmingly positive about the
  goodness of the heterosexual union between
  husband and wife.
• The oneness of the two is the best reflection of
  the trinitarian God.
• This is Gods good design, first described in
  Genesis 1-2 and held up as the model throughout
  the scriptures.
• The importance of couples in the narrative of
  redemption Abraham Sarah, Ruth Boaz, Joseph
  Mary
• The positive teachings of Wisdom Literature about
  the power, delight, and goodness of husband/wife
  relationship and offspring (Prov. 1-9, Psalm 127,
  Song of Solomon)

8
Framing the Discussion

• Because of its importance in Gods program, it is
  also the focus of the attack by the enemy.
• Like all other beautiful parts of Gods creation,
  it has suffered because of the curse and is
  subjected to the twisting of the enemy (Gen.
  3).
• The goal of Gods holistic program of redemption
  is to reclaim and support the ideal in our daily
  lives (Eph. 5).

9
Framing the Discussion
Gen. 1-2
10
Responding to Specific Revisionist Arguments
About the BibleFour Primary Biblical Texts

• Genesis 191-13 Judges 19 the Stories of
  Sodom Gibeah
• Leviticus 1822 2013 lists of sexual sins
• Romans 118-32 Pauls description of the
  destructive power of sin
• I Cor. 69-10 I Tim. 18-11 Pauline lists of
  sins

11
Revisionist Arguments Promoting Homosexuality

• Sodom account
• wasnt about homosexuality it was about
  violation of ancient rules of hospitality.
• Leviticus passages
• are irrelevant because the context is an ancient
  holiness code that also forbids wearing mixed
  fabrics, eating shellfish, and touching the skin
  of a dead pig.
• New Testament passages
• are irrelevant because Paul knew nothing of
  homosexual orientation all that he forbad was
  promiscuous homosexual sex.

12
What About Sodom?

• Gen. 1313 people  of Sodom were extremely
  wicked rebels against the Lord (NET Bible)
• Gen. 19 Obvious depiction of homosexual sin (v.
  5-11)
• 194 Before they could lie down to sleep, all
  the men both young and old, from every part of
  the city of Sodom surrounded the house. They
  shouted to Lot, Where are the men who came to
  you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have
  sex with them!
• Lot went outside to them, shutting the door
  behind him. He said, No, my brothers! Dont act
  so wickedly! Look, I have two daughters who have
  never had sexual relations with a man. Let me
  bring them out to you, and you can do to them
  whatever you please. Only dont do anything to
  these men, for they have come under the
  protection of my roof.

13
What About Sodom?

• Judges 1922-23
• They were having a good time, when suddenly some
  men of the city, some good-for-nothings,
  surrounded the house and kept beating on the
  door. They said to the old man who owned the
  house, Send out the man who came to visit you so
  we can have sex with him. The man who owned the
  house went outside and said to them, No, my
  brothers! Dont do this wicked thing! After all,
  this man is a guest in my house. Dont do such a
  disgraceful thing!

14
What About Sodom?

• Ezekiel 1648-50 States that Sodom also sinned by
  being arrogant and ignoring the poor
• 1649 See here this was the iniquity of your
  sister Sodom She and her daughters had majesty,
  abundance of food, and enjoyed carefree ease, but
  they did not help the poor and needy. 1650 They
  were haughty and practiced abominable deeds
  before me. Therefore when I saw it I removed
  them.

15
Ezekiels Focus
16
What About Sodom?

• 2 Peter 26-8
• he turned to ashes the cities of Sodom and
  Gomorrah when he condemned them to destruction,
  having appointed them to serve as an example to
  future generations of the ungodly, and if he
  rescued Lot, a righteous man in anguish over the
  debauched lifestyle of lawless men,
• Jude 7 Refers to the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah
  as sexual immorality and unnatural desire .
• Words used to describe Sodoms sin include
  wicked, vile, grievous, and disgraceful.

17
Revisionist Arguments Promoting Homosexuality

• Sodom account
• wasnt about homosexuality it was about
  violation of ancient rules of hospitality.
• Leviticus passages
• are irrelevant because the context is an ancient
  holiness code that also forbids wearing mixed
  fabrics, eating shellfish, and touching the skin
  of a dead pig.
• New Testament passages
• are irrelevant because Paul knew nothing of
  homosexual orientation all that he forbad was
  promiscuous homosexual sex.

18
What About Leviticus?

• The Law of Israel was a complex covenant with
  various purposes
• some laws were designed to make Israel culturally
  distinct,
• while others were designed to make her morally
  pure.
• e.g., Leviticus 181-1937
• The government of Israel was a theocracy in which
  punishments were legitimately assigned for crimes
  against the state (Lev 209-16).
• While today the Church would be foolish to
  enforce the penalties of Israels law code, we
  can still learn what behavior is pleasing to God.

19
Revisionist Arguments Promoting Homosexuality

• Sodom account
• wasnt about homosexuality it was about
  violation of ancient rules of hospitality.
• Leviticus passages
• are irrelevant because the context is an ancient
  holiness code that also forbids wearing mixed
  fabrics, eating shellfish, and touching the skin
  of a dead pig.
• New Testament passages
• are irrelevant because Paul knew nothing of
  homosexual orientation all that he forbad was
  promiscuous homosexual sex.

20
What About Romans?

• Soulforce Claims
• Inversion vs. Perversion
• What is wrong is going against one's natural
  bent, so that homosexuality is not wrong for the
  homosexual (inversion) but heterosexuality would
  be wrong for the homosexual (perversion).
• NT doesnt forbid monogamous homosexual
  relationships.
• Polygamy, bestiality, incest, physical abuse,
  grand theft auto

• Romans 121-27 Description of Greco-Roman Pagan
  Lifestyles
• God gave them over to shameful lusts, i.e.,
  passions of disgrace
• Women engaged in lesbian sex
• Men inflamed with lust for other men
• Men committed indecent acts with other men

21
What About Romans?

• Romans 121-27 Description of the life-taking
  effects of sin
• When God is not revered as God, then human
  identity breaks down.
• These are not three successive steps toward
  depravity, but
• Three examples of how denying the Creator will
  lead to the corruption and brokenness of
  humanity.
• God's "giving them over" is not an extra
  "judgment" but is God allowing sinful humans to
  drink in the life-taking consequences of their
  sin.

22
What About Romans?

• Romans 121-27 Description of the life-taking
  effects of sin
• One description (121-25)
• When God is not worshiped, people are given over
  to the perversion of God's role for bodies,
  namely sexual immorality.
• Another description (126-27)
• They are given over to same-sex relationships.
• Women with women lesbianism
• Men with men homosexuality, gay sex
• Another description (128-32)
• They are given over to vices that are destructive
  to human relationships, such as gossip, slander,
  being disobedient to parents, murder, envy, and
  strife.

23
What about the Pauline lists?

• I Corinthians 69-10 Pauline List of Wicked
  Sins
• Do you not know that the unrighteous will not
  inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived!
  The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers,
  passive homosexual partners, practicing
  homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the
  verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit
  the kingdom of God.

24
Does the NT Ignore Homosexuality?

• I Timothy 19-10 Warning about lawless people
• Realizing that law is not intended for a
  righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious
  people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the
  unholy and profane, for those who kill their
  fathers or mothers, for murderers, sexually
  immoral people, practicing homosexuals,
  kidnappers, liars, perjurers in fact, for any
  who live contrary to sound teaching.

25
Greek Terms
NT Translations
Definition

• Malakoi
• Arsenokoitai

Homosexual partners I Cor. 69 Practicing
homosexuals I Cor. 69 I Tim. 110
Soft to the touch. Effeminate males who assume
the passive role in a homosexual
relationship. Man-lier or Male in a bed.
Describes the active partner, or literally the
one who penetrates.
26

• The Bibles condemnation of homosexual conduct
  is
• pervasive
• ...absolute
• severe

27

• and that is what some of you were.
• I Cor. 69

28
Some Concluding Thoughts

• A high view of the scriptures leads to a clear
  and consistent prohibition of all homosexual
  acts.
• Weve done a pretty good job hating the sin, but
  weve failed quite badly at loving the sinners.
• If there are 100 men in your church, there are
  probably 2-10 who struggle with this sin at some
  level.
• If CU represented the general population, we
  would have 45 people who were exclusively
  homosexual and up to 300 who wrestle with the
  temptation at some level.
• God built the early church with people who had
  overcome this sin.
• People who probably redirected their orientation
  and married
• People who learned to live in celibacy
• We must treat this sin more like we treat other
  sins so that people in our own colleges,
  churches, and families can seek help.

29
Some Tough Questions

• Are people born homosexual or do they choose to
  be homosexual?
• How does a person become homosexual?
• Can a homosexual person change?
• As Christians, can we/should we defend a
  homosexuals civil rights?
• What is the difference between defending a
  persons basic civil rights and promoting or
  allowing their lifestyle?
• Can we recognize that we live in a pluralistic
  society without embracing or condoning
  relativism?
• Does our real-life commitment to biblical
  marriage live up to our rhetoric?