The Bible and Homosexual Behavior

This post is replacing one published on 9/3/10. The changes include the additional verse from 1 Timothy, along with an additional paragraph referencing Ezekiel 16: 49-15 and Jude 7.

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There are several passages in Scripture that are unequivocal in their condemnation of homosexual behavior and yet those who support such perversion twist these passages to say something totally different. I’m going to just address a few of these passages in this article, and all will be from the English Standard Version:

Leviticus 18:22

Leviticus 20:13

Romans 1:26-27

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

1 Timothy 1:10

Let‘s look at the first passage, Lev.18:22: You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.

Now, this is pretty strong in the verbiage used to describe how God sees the act of homosexual behavior - an abomination. Now let’s look at the context.

Chapter 18 starts with God saying, I am the Lord your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. From this point God lists all sorts of sexual practices which were done in Egypt and Canaan, and which God found detestable. There are no other topics in this chapter; God just says don’t do any of these things because these are a reason why God is punishing the nations by having Israel drive the people out of the land. It was these practices which made the land unclean. The Scripture is very, very plain: God says all the listed sexual behaviors are an abomination to Him, and that those who practice these things are worthy of severe punishment.

Now here is the second passage, Lev.20:13: If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death.

Notice the same strong verbiage God uses to explain His revulsion to such behavior; it is an abomination. Again, let’s look at the context.

Beginning at 20:10, God again lists numerous sexual practices which He forbids. And again, God gives the reason why at verse 23: And you shall not walk in the customs of the nations that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things and therefore I detested them. God said that the pagan lands where he was bringing them were detested - another strong word - because of these sexual practices.

Leviticus has many ceremonial laws and social order laws which are meant only for Israel as a way to set the nation up as holy - separated - to himself. Scripture tells us these laws were just for Israel (Deut. 4:7-8; Lev. 27:34; Ps. 147:19-20, et al). However, in His discussion about sexual practices He found abhorrent, God says these are behaviors that those outside of Israel are even disallowed, and because they practice such abominations they are being destroyed.

The point is that the Leviticus passages aren’t just relegated to some ancient prohibition for some people. These passages speak of these sexual practices as something that God detests among people—no matter when or where.

There are some claims by those promoting homosexuality that we misunderstand these passages. They say that it is only about homosexual behavior in conjunction with idolatry. But this leaves a problem: Does God then condemn incest, adultery and bestiality ONLY if they are done in conjunction with idolatry - that at any other time they are okay?

Okay, now let’s look at Romans 1:26-27, but start at verse 24 to get more of the context: Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Other versions get a bit more descriptive so there is no doubt what “natural relations” mean:

For even their females exchanged natural sexual intercourse for what is unnatural. The males in the same way also left natural sexual intercourse with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. HCSB

Women no longer wanted to have sex in a natural way, and they did things with each other that were not natural. Men behaved in the same way. They stopped wanting to have sex with women and had strong desires for sex with other men. CEV

Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. NLT

Let’s begin with this question: Who is the “them” that God gave over to their lusts? Verse 18 says it is those who “suppress the truth” about God. Continuing on in the passage Paul says God made Himself known to these people who suppress the truth about God and yet they do not honor God or thank Him. Instead of giving glory to God, they give it to animals and man, and worship created things instead of worshiping God (the way evolutionists do today). These people who suppress the truth about God did not just exist at the time Romans was written - these people have always existed. Everywhere you look you will see people who suppress and deny the truths of God.

Then at vs. 24 it says “therefore,” which means it is because these people suppress the truth about God and refuse to honor Him and what He has revealed that he gives them up to sexual impurity which dishonors their bodies. God calls it “dishonorable passions.” And it is because they would rather accept a lie than the truth of God. Verses 26 and 27 then describe exactly what Paul means when he says they are given over to impurity which dishonors their bodies: homosexual behavior.

This Scriptural passage is clear: homosexual relations for any reason are considered dishonorable and impure. There is no room for claiming that it is only about those whose “natural” inclinations are for members of the opposite sex and not about those whose “natural” inclinations are for members of the same sex. There is no such thing as “natural” sexual desires for members of the same sex.

Let’s now look at 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 

The English Standard Version combines two terms from the Greek and interprets them as “men who practice homosexuality.” The NIV translates the passage as “male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders,” the NASB says, “nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,” NKJV says, “homosexuals, nor sodomites,” and the KJV says, “nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.”

With this many versions, let’s look at the original Greek to know exactly what was said here. The first word is arsenokoites. Where does this come from and what does it mean?

When looking at the Septuagint’s Greek translation of Lev. 18:22 we have the following: meta arsenos ou koimethese koiten gunaikos. Arsenos means “male” and koiten means “to have sexual intercourse.”

Next, when looking at the Septuagint’s Greek for Lev. 20:13 we have this: hos an koimethe meta arsenos koiten gunaikos. 

Notice in both these passages the use of arsenos and koiten, and especially the latter passage where the two words are together. It becomes obvious where Paul got this word which means a man who has sexual relations with another man. He is referring back to the Levitical commands against homosexual behavior. It is this word which is translated as “homosexual offenders,” “homosexuals,” “sodomites,” and “abusers of themselves with mankind.” It’s meaning is “male bedder.”

What about the word translated as “male prostitutes,” “effeminate,” and “homosexuals?” This is the Greek word malakoi, which literally means “soft ones.” Supposedly this refers to those who were usually a passive partner in homosexual relationships (or should we say, the one who plays the receptor?)

Nevertheless, both terms are used by Paul to describe those who practice homosexual behavior, and he states without equivocation that these people will not inherit the kingdom of God. Again, it is very plain that Paul is here saying that those who practice homosexual behavior are among the “unrighteous.”

There is nothing in any of these passages that allows for twisted interpretations to claim God permits homosexual relations as long as they are conducted in a committed relationship. The relations are not permitted at all.

But notice vs. 11 ends with good news. And such were some of you. 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. Paul says that some of those among the Corinthian church were practitioners of homosexual behavior before they became Christians, and that now they no longer are. So much for the claim that change is not possible!

Now let’s look at 1 Timothy 1:10 in context, beginning at verse 8, with the germane phrase italicized: Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. Paul uses the same word here as in the 1 Corinthians passage.

Some people will cite Ezekiel 16:49 to “prove” that Sodom’s sin (Genesis 19) was lack of hospitality and not homosexual behavior, for it says, Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. But they fail to continue reading into the very next verse: They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it. Notice the word, “abomination,” which is referring to the homosexual behavior of the people of Sodom.  And if that isn’t clear enough, Jude 7 is unambiguous as to the sin of Sodom: just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire,[a] serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Here is the clear conclusion about the Bible’s instruction on homosexual behavior: it is an abominable sin before God, is an unnatural and dishonorable use of human sexuality, and is not practiced by those who have become Christians. Only by twisting of the passages beyond their context could anyone claim God sanctions such behavior.

Important Odds and Ends

The “revival” in Asbury is getting people excited, but is it really a move of God? I think THIS article, with citations from the first one, has some valid questions.

Here’s Why You Should be Very Skeptical of the Supposed Asbury Revival. For one thing, heretic Todd Bentley was there!  Additionally, you have the Kansas City “prophets,” Rick Warren, and Francis Chan getting in to the mix.  If it was really a move of the Holy Spirit, would He allow false teachers to speak there?

A really good video about “Jesus, The Soul Shepherd.

What Are Judeo-Christian Values? An interesting review.

Excellent, although lengthly, examination of the false teaching that Christians can be demonized/demon-possessed.

What’s Happening in the Church?  Just things I’ve been point out for years.

The blasphemy of false teachers in false churches knows no bounds.

Adding to the Gospel is heresy.

The millions of dollars spent on this advertisement could have been better spent helping those in need. “He Gets Us” is false teaching.

Heretic Tim Keller and The Gospel Coalition have written a commentary on creation. Just what you’d expect—total, absolute lying nonsense.

Church’s Open Mic Night on ‘Biblical Sexuality’ Creates Nationwide Buzz

What is it with churches which think we need to affirm homosexuality!?!  It’s getting so bad that we even have a “pastor” who says if you believe same-sex attraction is a sin you are like Satan!  So-called “pastors,” like Andy Stanley, host active homosexuals for kids LGBTQ conferences and other homosexual-affirming events, etc.

I consider Andy Stanley to be totally apostate.

The Church of England continues to prove it is a church of Satan.  And again.

Why Our Church No Longer Plays Bethel or Hillsong Music (or Elevation or Jesus Culture), and Neither Should Yours.

Do you really want Mormons teaching you about Jesus?

More Odds And Ends For the New Year

I’ve gathered quite a few items which I decided needed to be shared. Some good information, and some reports on bad things in the church.

Too many Christians believe in, and promote, evolutionism. Well, what they believe about it is NOT science.

Excellent article explaining the unbiblical teachings of Eastern Orthodoxy.  (I wrote a short article about the E.O. back in 2010).

The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, has gone “woke.” I never thought I’d see this day.

The Church of England is satan’s church.

Jude 5—Reconsidered.

Four Questions about the Love of God to Ask Jehovah’s Witnesses

When people say we are not to bother exposing false teachings, tell them to read the Bible.

The Quandary of Seeming Biblical Contradictions

The abuse of Hebrews 13:8 is rampant.

Did Thomas Jefferson really cut miracles out of the Bible to make his own “Jefferson Bible”? Absolutely not.

Bill Johnson, of Bethel Redding Church, made the following heretical statement: “God is in charge but He is not in control. He has left us in control.” Do I have to explain what’s wrong with this?

Andy Stanley goes from bad to worse.  And worse to heretical.

How rules for diets are NOT biblical.

Just what we need—the return of Bill Gothard, Mr. Legalism himself.

President Biden decided to preach a sermon and proved he is not a Christian by his false understanding of what the Gospel is. Of course he routine broadcasting of his ideology has proven this time and again.

If people want to celebrate Martin Luther King as a civil rights activist, so be it. BUT, never celebrate him as a Christian because he was a false teacher and heretic.

Beth Moore—she just doesn’t get the Christian faith.  An interesting commentary about the situation showed up at The Federalist.

Are You and Your Church Leadership Speaking Out?

In his compelling book, A Letter to the American Church, Eric Metaxas notes the frightening similarities between the contemporary American Church and the German Church of the 1930s.  

Of course, the German Church could not have imagined what was coming in the years ahead.  Who would have imagined the Holocaust could have happened in an enlightened and advanced Western nation like theirs?  Yet we in America today know what transpired and have no excuse if we fail to see the parallel warnings delivered by Dietrich Bonhoeffer to his fellow citizens. 

As hard as it may be, all of us who claim the name of Christ need to speak courageously against the evils afflicting our culture, something most pastors of Nazi Germany failed to do.  Metaxas encourages American Christians to speak out before it is too late and echoes Dietrich Bonhoeffer's prophetic call, "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.  Not to speak is to speak, and not to act is to act.  God will not hold us guiltless.”

Jeff Lukens, The Church Must Speak Out

What Christians Need to Know About “Social Justice”

I’ve previously read about the new book from Lighthouse Trails Publishers, titled: A Christian Perspective on the Social Justice Movement, by multiple authors and hadn’t got to order it yet when a friend sent me a copy. This book is a must-have/read by Christians. 

The “social justice” movement includes Roman Catholics, ecologists, environmentalists, New Agers, Democrats and Leftists in general, etc. These people have so disrupted the USA that it’s getting more and more difficult to find the nation our Founders established!

To give you a taste for this book so that you will want to purchase your own copy, this lengthy review will really only give you just some highlights. What you will see below are the chapters and subsections, with some citations from some of these chapters. As I usually do, I have put direct quotations in blue and quotes cited by the person in blue will be maroon. Enjoy,

Chapter 1, Carl Teichrib: All For One and Theft For All, pg.11-30. Bending Minds; Catholic Social Justice; Marxist Social Justice; Arousing Envy—Disguised as Virtue; Getting Our Terms Right.

The common good may sometimes demand that the right to own be limited by public involvement in the planning or ownership of certain sectors of the economy. Support of private ownership does not mean that anyone has the right to unlimited accumulation of wealth.

U.S. Catholic bishops 1986 letter “Economic Justice For All.”

Roman Catholic hierarchy over the past hundred plus years has increasingly bridged “social justice” with economic and political collectivism. In this sense, the Holy See has become a cheerleading squad for the United Nations’ system of socialist management. … Pope Francis, the current pope, openly embraces social justice concepts and has frequently called for “global wealth redistribution” for the common good.

Today we see social justice linked to a myriad of radical movements, including environmentalism. Nice sounding morally high terms arise from this Marxist-green marriage: “Eco-justice,” “green justice,” and “climate justice.”

Chapter 2, Berit Kjos: Social Justice and the New Morality, pg.31-38. The Roots and Results of Social Justice; The Marxist Meaning of Social Justice; Freedom: The Opposite of Social Justice.

Hate and Envy serve as driving forces behind socialism. By idolizing the leader (Hitler forced churches to hang his picture over their altars), popularizing solidarity, and inciting rage toward dissenters, socialist dictators have gained unthinkable power. Learning Soviet triumphs, Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf:

“The first task of propaganda is to win people for subsequent organization…. The second task of propaganda is the disruption of the existing state of affairs and the permeation of this state of affairs with the new doctrine.”

Chapter 3, Linda Harvey: Human Rights, Social Justice, and the “Gay” Spin for Kids, pg.39-44. Social Justice at School; Fixing Schools by Creating Student Revolutionaries.

If your son or daughter comes home with an assignment on “social justice,” make sure you look through the backpack. “Homophobia” and “heterosexism” may be some of the “injustices” taught in these lessons.

In troubled school districts like Boston and Chicago, the social justice concept is sometimes much more than one lesson. Now, themed high schools called “social justice academies” are an experiment to fix failing schools. These urban schools are essentially taking disadvantaged kids and under the guise of “excellence,” have begun training teens as left-wing activists.

Chapter 4, Manning Johnson (1908-1958): The Web, pg. 45-50. Used and Misused for a Political Agenda: A discussion of Communism in the USA.

Chapter 5, Carl Teichrib: Spiritual Perestroika in America: Building a Society of Social Justice, pg.51-62. A New Way of Thinking and Acting, Mystical Marxism, Spiritual Perestroika, A Global Civilization, The Spiritual Politics of “Oneness.” 

Chapter 6, Mike Oppenheimer: The Turning, pg.63-74. Cuba;The Hegelian Dialectic; Society Being Dismantled; As the Church Goes, So Goes the Nation; Riots, Protests, and January 6th; It’s All Critical; Covid Dilemma; Two Battles.

Lying has always been with humanity but has now reached epidemic proportions having no limits. I’m shocked when I occasionally hear the truth from those who more often lie. The fact is, lies are accepted more quickly than the truth because those who lie do it so well. There are lies in the pulpits of the church, lies in politics, lies in medicine; everywhere one turns, it’s getting increasingly difficult to get a straight and honest answer.

There is a saying, “power to the people,” but now we are finding the power is to the few who want to exploit the masses. So now “the people” means the few—really, the wrong people! To certain leaders in government, the idea it to run over others forcibly, if necessary, but this is not what was meant by “we the people”! They were elected to serve the people, not the other way around.

Abraham Lincoln said during his own tumultuous times, “The people of these United States are the rightful masters of both congresses and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert that Constitution.”

Karl Marx said that, “The first battleground is the rewriting of history.”

How a society treats the young, the unborn, and the elderly shows where that society is. If there is no protection or care, then you know your humanity has diminished. We see this on the streets with attacks on the elderly, and we saw this in care facilities during the height of Covid.

For the most part, true critical thinking in the schools and universities has vanished; it is rarely taught by the professors is considered truth (this is called indoctrination, not education). Students are agitated instead of educated.

Chapter 7, Lighthouse Trails Editors: Emergent Manifesto of Hope Despair, pg.77-84.

Emerging Church Coming Out of the Closet.

When [Doug] Pagitt speaks of “expanding life of God” and “new creation,” he means we cannot contain truth or reality within the confines of the written Word of God but that truth is always changing and being created.

Chapter 8, Mary Danielson: A Social Justice “Gospel” Pioneer, pg.85-98. So Who Is Jim Wallis?; A Social Justice Social Gospel; The Social Justice “Gospel” and Israel; Social Justice Beliefs; Spiritual Politics and the Theory of Revolution. 

Many Christian believers are expressing concern today, and rightly so, over “social justice” or the “social justice gospel.” Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners magazine, is one of the top “change agents” in the social justice movement within the evangelical/Protestant church, and the timing of his surge in popularity cannot be ignored, considering: 1) the ideology of the former Obama administration; 2) the advance of liberal theology via the emerging church and church-growth movements; and 3) the current state of apostasy the church finds itself in today. Are all these connected? Through this man and other key players, they are indeed. And by examining Wallis and a few others, we can gain important insights.

One government source defines “social justice” as, “The equitable distribution of advantages, assets, and benefits among all members of a society.” Without turning this into political science 101, I’ll keep it simple by saying that this is also the definition for “social-ism”: a government-controlled economy and the redistribution of wealth.

Wallis says in his book that the majority of his audience is under thirty, and half of those are under 25. Worth noting also, Wallis, Campolo, McLaren, and Claiborne have spoken frequently at universities and colleges—some secular, many evangelical. This is exactly what happened in the ‘60s. The youth became the target. And today’s liberal progressive thinkers got their worldview from the counterculture agendas of America’s universities.

Chapter 9, Roger Oakland: A Christian Perspective on the Environment, pg.99-118.

Parliament of the World’s Religions and “Mother Earth”; The Christian View (and Responsibility) of the Environment; Pope Francis’ Interspiritual “Global Common Good”; A Confused View on Creation and the Creator.

Christianity should not be blamed for environmental genocide; the problem has been created by mankind’s selfish lust for power and greed.

Chapter 10, Editors: Social Justice and Elections, pg.119-128. How Conservative Christians Are Being Manipulated and Ridiculed; They Like Jesus But Not the Church; Twenty Million Participants.

In a CBS Broadcast, anchorman Antonio Mora suggests there may have been over twenty million participants in the emerging church movement in the United States alone by 2006. Even half that number would be enough to change the results of a presidential election.

Chapter 11, Editors: Critical Race Theory, pg.129-148. Resolution 9 at SBC; What is Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality?; Black Lives Matter Movement; A Voice From the Past Eerily Describes Today’s Social Unrest; When God Discloses the Heart of Man; True Racial Reconciliation.

[Bob] Woodson explains that what intelligent blacks are really hearing is that blacks are incapable of rising above their condition until and unless whites clear the way for them. Consequently, he finds the practice, now instituted in many colleges under Critical Race Theory, to be patronizing at best. Even many evangelical groups have adopted CRT. 

Chapter 12, Mary Danielsen: S is For Social Justice, pg.149-172. The Language of Today’s Cultural “Revolution”; Social Justice vs. God’s Word.

Chapter 13, Cedric Fisher: The Unacknowledged War and the Wearing Down of the Saints, pg.173-182. The Great Shut-Down; Shutting Down or Staying Alert?

Consider the situation today. Evidence suggests that Christianity is disintegrating from the inside out. Christian leaders are allowing (either through their silence or their promotion) millions of Christians to be introduced to heretical doctrines and practices. The effects of this landslide of heresy are pushing biblical Christianity into obscurity. One of the heresies that has made major inroads is contemplative spirituality (a mystical spirituality often introduced through Spiritual Formation programs). It is going unchecked and ignored by the majority of Christian leaders, spreading throughout Christian colleges, seminaries, ministries, and denominations rapidly. People don’t realize that by embracing such a belief system, they are, in effect, rejecting the biblical concept of God’s nature because the to oppose each other. And the results of this are rejection of love for truth and unbridled acceptance of heretical and cultural trends.

Chapter 14, Bill Randles: This “Woke” Generation Needs Truth and Love, pg.183-186. Victims of the “Woke” Religion.

What a trap also to constantly be told you are part of the “privileged group” that has benefited at the expense of others. This is the new version of the doctrine of sin Unfortunately, there is no forgiveness available. Small wonder so much suicide takes place among the young. They are told there is one possibility for redemption among the “privileged,” and that would be to hate yourself and your culture to the point where you are willing to enter into the struggle.

Not only are these new “jokes’ teaching Marxist to the core, but on a deeper level, they are Satanic. Satan has devised a new civic religion to capture the children: “wokeness.” I have never seen any teaching which is so divisive as this new “woke” religion. Many are losing family members to this new cult, which is heavily favored with money and support in corporate America and in the media. This is a spiritual war and must be fought spiritually.

Chapter 15, David Dombrowski: Our Present Situation—Finding Our Way, pg.187-194.  An analogy of Finding our Way; Frequent Sightings; The Complexity of the Day; Where Lies Our Focus?; The Wearing Down of the Saints; A Simple Solution; Seek Ye First.

There are preachers today who are courageously speaking against cultural atrocities (such as abortion and homosexuality), and they are to be commended. But many of these same preachers are neglecting to talk about spiritual deception within the church. It’s as if they are afraid that if they name names or identify false teachings that they are causing division and hurting the unity of the church. But if this reasoning were correct, then it would nullify the apostle Paul’s ministry because much of his work was in warning the church about deceptive beliefs; and his teaching was that those who cause division in the church are, in fact, causing it by teaching false doctrines.

Appendix: The Greatest Question in the World; What Will You Do With Jesus?