Dr. Paul Manuel—2002
In a desire to be culturally relevant, churches have checked and sometimes changed their views on various issues (e.g., divorce, women in ministry). One issue that has generated both discussion and division is sexuality, particularly homosexuality. Several mainline denominations have adopted positive positions on this activity and on relations with practicing homosexuals, from admitting them into membership to ordaining them for ministry.
Where these same denominations address what God has said about the matter, it is either to revise or reject what the Bible teaches.
Although homosexuality seems to have gained prominence, even acceptance, today, it is not a new issue. God's people have encountered it in the surrounding cultures for centuries, and His word has not been silent on the matter. Moreover, His view is unlike modern attempts to explain the practice. According to God...
Paul calls homosexuality unnatural and indecent, a perversion of God's design for human relationships (no matter how loving or monogamous).3 The apostle writes that, in the past, when people's persistent rejection of God reached a certain point, God rejected them, allowing them to pursue their most depraved desires, presumably unhindered by the objections of their conscience.
Paul also cites homosexuality as one of several practices that leads ultimately to separation from God and exclusion from His kingdom ("outside" Rev 22:15 in n. 3).4
Nevertheless, the inclusion of homosexuality with the prohibition of other sins suggests that, while those who practice them have a similar propensity to satisfy these inclinations, they also have a similar potential to resist them. Several times in his epistles to the churches, Paul admonishes those who once engaged in the activities he lists—idolatry, theft, drunkenness, slander—to resist their lure. implying that (unlike against Star Trek's "The Borg") resistance against these sins is not futile.6 Moreover, he follows the list of sins by noting that his readers have
overcome them through their relationship with God.
If these sinful patterns are subject to repentance, then our response to people who practice them should keep that possibility in mind.
Where these same denominations address what God has said about the matter, it is either to revise or reject what the Bible teaches.
- Revision: The Bible's condemnation of homosexuality refers only to those relationships that are unloving or unfaithful.
- Rejection: The Bible's condemnation of homosexuality is outmoded and does not apply in modern society.
Although homosexuality seems to have gained prominence, even acceptance, today, it is not a new issue. God's people have encountered it in the surrounding cultures for centuries, and His word has not been silent on the matter. Moreover, His view is unlike modern attempts to explain the practice. According to God...
- Homosexuality is not a trait that one inherits and cannot, therefore, control.
- Homosexuality is not a disease (sickness) that one treats and can, therefore, cure.
- Homosexuality is a sin that one must forsake and can, therefore, conquer.
Lev 18:22 Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.While homosexuality is not a capital crime in America, as these passages indicate, God disapproves of such behavior, an opinion later biblical authors do not moderate.
Paul calls homosexuality unnatural and indecent, a perversion of God's design for human relationships (no matter how loving or monogamous).3 The apostle writes that, in the past, when people's persistent rejection of God reached a certain point, God rejected them, allowing them to pursue their most depraved desires, presumably unhindered by the objections of their conscience.
Rom 1:26 ... God gave them over to shameful lusts.... their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 ...the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.In other words, homosexuality can be an indication of divine abandonment, a sign that God no longer actively calls a person to repentance, because that person has no interest in changing his condition. Quite the contrary, because the sinner's only interest is in satisfying his fallen nature, God grants him that wish.
Paul also cites homosexuality as one of several practices that leads ultimately to separation from God and exclusion from His kingdom ("outside" Rev 22:15 in n. 3).4
1 Cor 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 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.Without repentance, any of these sins, including homosexuality, will doom a person to an eternity apart from God.5
Nevertheless, the inclusion of homosexuality with the prohibition of other sins suggests that, while those who practice them have a similar propensity to satisfy these inclinations, they also have a similar potential to resist them. Several times in his epistles to the churches, Paul admonishes those who once engaged in the activities he lists—idolatry, theft, drunkenness, slander—to resist their lure. implying that (unlike against Star Trek's "The Borg") resistance against these sins is not futile.6 Moreover, he follows the list of sins by noting that his readers have
overcome them through their relationship with God.
1 Cor 6:11 ...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.Sexual sin is no more impervious to God's power than other sins. Just as heterosexuals can and must resist the temptation to act upon their immoral inclinations, so homosexuals can and must resist the temptation to act upon their immoral inclinations.
If these sinful patterns are subject to repentance, then our response to people who practice them should keep that possibility in mind.
1 Cor 5:11 . . .you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.... 12b Are you not to judge those inside [the church]? ... 13b "Expel the wicked man from among you."Therefore...
- For those who may be seeking God and want to visit our fellowship, we should welcome them, carefully encouraging them to reconsider their behavior.
- For those who claim to know God and yet persist in disobeying Him, we should avoid them, even expelling them from our fellowship.[7]
Endnotes
[1] This is a term the author of Deuteronomy uses to describe other sins.- Covetousness
Deut 7:25b Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God. 26 Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.
- Syncretism
Deut 12:31 You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
- Apostasy
Deut 13:14b And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you,
Deut 17:4b If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,
Deut 18:9 .. .do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.... 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.
Deut 20:18 Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.
- Dietary violations
Deut 14:3 Do not eat any detestable thing.
- Defective sacrifices
Deut 17:1 Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to him.
- Cross dressing
Deut 22:5 A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this.
- Improper relations
Deut 24:4a-b then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD.
- Dishonesty
Deut 25:16 For the LORD your God detests.. .anyone who deals dishonestly.
- Idolatry
Deut 27:15 Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol—a thing detestable to the LORD...
Deut 32:16 They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols.[2] The sin of Sodom and Gibeah was two-fold: homosexuality and rape. In both cases, God saw to the death of those responsible.
Gen 19:5 They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." ...24 Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities... including all those living in the cities....
Judg 19:22 . . . some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him." ... 20:37 The men who had been in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword.[3] An uncomplimentary euphemism refers to cultic homosexuals as "dogs."
Deut 23:17 No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. 18 You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both.It is a derogatory title that persists.
Rev 22:15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.In other passages, they are "male shrine prostitutes."
1 Kgs 14:24a There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land. ...
1 Kgs 15:12a He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land....
1 Kgs 22:46a He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained there....
2 Kgs 23:7a He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes... in the temple.... Job 36:14 They die in their youth, among male prostitutes of the shrines.
Hos 4:14b . . . the men themselves consort with harlots and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes...![4] Even this sin, though, pales in comparison with knowingly rejecting the work of God.
Matt 11:23c If the miracles that were performed in you [Capernaum] had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.[5] Such activities violate God's law.
1 Tim 1:9 ...law is made...for lawbreakers...for murderers, 10 for adulterers and [homosexuals], for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine[6] Paul states repeatedly in his letters that it is possible for believers to resist sinful activity, including sexual sin.
Rom 13:13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
1 Cor 6:18a Flee from sexual immorality.
1 Cor 10:8a We should not commit sexual immorality....
Eph 4:28a He who has been stealing must steal no longer.... 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Eph 5:3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.... 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Col 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.... 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
1 Thess 4:3 It is God's will...that you should avoid sexual immorality;[7] This treatment contrasts with the believer's relationship to those who make no claim to faith.
1 Cor 5:9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.... 12a What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? ...13a God will judge those outside.
2 Thess 3:6b ...keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
Matt 18:17b ...if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.The apostle is not advocating close fellowship with unbelievers, simply recognizing the inevitability of contact.
2 Cor 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
Eph 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
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Jim Skaggs