The Bible and Homosexuality
Please see OUR CHURCH’S view AFTER MAIN TOPIC
A popular topic these days is "What is your stance on homosexuality and same sex marriage". It seems that maybe next to illegal immigration, no other issue is causing more divisions between people than the issue of homosexuality.
Let's take a moment to see what Bible says about homosexuality and same sex marriage.
Let's start by defining homosexuality (yes, believe it or not there are people who will argue about the definition).
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, homosexuality is defined as:
"The quality or state of being homosexual" and "erotic activity with another of the same sex".1
Continuing with that, homosexual is defined as:
"Of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same sex" and "of, relating to, or involving sexual intercourse between persons of the same sex".2
The actual term "homosexual" was not invented until the late 1800's, even though the practice has been in existence for thousands of years.
In Genesis Chapters 18 and 19, we witness the account of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction due to their sexual perversion. In this account, Lot, the nephew of Abraham, is living in Sodom. Two angels travel to Sodom and after being invited into Lot's house for the night, the house is surrounded by "all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-both young and old… ""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.'"
God never singled out and destroyed any other cities in this manner. The sin of homosexuality was so offensive to God that He annihilated both cities and everyone in them.
The Book of Leviticus is where God laid down His laws to the Israelites. Homosexuality is addressed in both Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13.
Leviticus 18:22:
"You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."
Leviticus 20:13
"If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them."
Here God is clearly telling the Israelites that homosexuals are so detestable and an abomination to Him that they should be put to death and that their guilt is on their own shoulders.
I'd like to make two points here:
1. The term "bloodguiltness" or in the NIV Bible "their blood will be on their own heads" indicates that a person decides to indulge in these deeds. Many homosexual activists would have us believe that homosexuality is a genetic trait and not a conscious choice. We'll talk more about this aspect of homosexuality later in this article.
2. God tells us that He is unchanging. He is the same, "I the LORD do not change".3 A question we must ask is, "If God finds something to be detestable and an abomination in past times, would an unchanging God find them to be good and normal today?" Of course He wouldn't. He's unchanging!
Some might try to make the claim that because God, in Exodus 21:17, also commanded that any son who curses his mother or father should be put to death, this in some way diminishes the law stated in Leviticus, since of course these days, we would never put a child to death for cursing his parents.
Actually it does not diminish the laws of Leviticus at all.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-18:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."
One convoluted argument that I've heard is "that Jesus never spoke specifically against homosexuality". Well, Jesus never spoke specifically against murder either, but is there anyone who believes that murder is acceptable because Jesus never spoke specifically about it? I think most of us would say "no". Because Jesus didn't speak specifically about something does not absolve us of attempting to determine, from God's Word (the Bible), what God (and Jesus) would want us to do about it.
It should make us very happy that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, thus removing the need for us to be put to death for violating the law. The New Testament is also very clear on what God thinks about homosexuality.
In Romans 1:26-27, the Apostle Paul is very specific:
"Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way 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."
Paul went on to state in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10:
"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 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
And in Jude 1:7:
"In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire."
So, unequivocally, homosexuality, according to the Bible is a sin.
It's important to understand that Jesus never once sat down with unrepentant sinners. He actually called them a "brood of vipers". All the people Jesus associated with during His ministry were either repentant sinners or those seeking to repent and follow Him.
Jesus never has and never will encourage anyone to continue to sin.
In today's society we Christians who hold to a Biblical view on this topic are often called "intolerant", "bigot" and even "racist". These are "buzzwords" thrown at us by the homosexual activist in an attempt to shame us in giving up Biblical Truths and Moral Absolutes and accept their worldview position on homosexuality.
The homosexual activist would also like for everyone to believe that not only is homosexuality a good thing, wholesome and true, but that it's a genetic trait. Let me dispel this urban legend right now.
To date, no evidence of a "homosexual gene" has been found. All evidence supports the fact that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice, not a predetermined genetic trait such as being right handed or left handed, or having a specific skin color.
As a matter of fact, according to information provided by "A British psychologist has had enormous success in providing 'reorientation' therapy to homosexuals who want to change. This is not a surgery or a medical treatment, but it is effective. How could it be effective if the cause of homosexuality is physical? Well, it couldn't be. Homosexuality is a choice, not a genetic predisposition."
What a stretch it is for the logical mind to even come close to believing that someone accepting the homosexual lifestyle choice becomes part of a different race!
We find it interesting that the people who are pushing the homosexual agenda, fail to ever make mention of the significant risk to people, especially men, who are involved in this lifestyle choice.
The World is currently battling with the issue of homosexuality in schools and the general public. Several lawmakers Worldwide have introduced legislation to press school systems to list the sexual preference of historical figures in an attempt to "glamorize" the homosexual lifestyle. They have gone as far as to include in that legislation provisions barring textbooks and school-sponsored activities from "reflecting adversely" on transsexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality.
Our Church’s Stance on Homosexuality
4.4 Homosexuality
On the grounds of Biblical tenets and Christian tradition, the New Apostolic Church deems practised homosexuality to be unacceptable.It is solely for God to determine whether, and to what extent, a person who is absolutely confirmed in his or her homosexual disposition, acquires guilt before God through the practice of his or her homosexuality. In this regard, it should be expressly stated that sexual disposition has no relevance in the pastoral care of our brothers and sisters.
Brothers and sisters who are practising homosexuals, or living in a homosexual partnership,
are barred from discharging ministerial and teaching duties in our Church.
(Page 5 and 6) New Apostolic Church International, “Position of the New Apostolic Church on certain issues of sexual conduct” Zurich 2005. (Refer to the Download)
Refer www.naki.org ; NACI News, Article no. 231
